# Can i grow plants with sand substrate alone?



## jesterx626 (Jul 27, 2005)

It's fine to grow plants with just a sand substrate and liquid ferts right? My old amazon sword grew by itself while in only gravel substrate so im jus double checking


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## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

i believe sand is good dont know if it's better but it does work.


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## oryschakgp (Nov 5, 2005)

I think water plants get nutrients from the water column rather than the substrate like dry plants. Don't quote me on this but sand should do just fine. I'm planning on doing this myself so I hope sand will be ok for the easier kept plants.


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## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

i think if you want to use tabs substate should be a fine one like sand but if you use liquid ferts gravel is great too


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

I don't like it. I feel that it hinders their usage of roots and promotes them to have a weak root structure. IMO. Water collum feeders should be ok. but root feeders woulndt do great unless you have some root tabs in with them. 
I like a better aquatic soil. like schultz or eco complete.


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## jesterx626 (Jul 27, 2005)

BlackSunshine420 said:


> I don't like it. I feel that it hinders their usage of roots and promotes them to have a weak root structure. IMO. Water collum feeders should be ok. but root feeders woulndt do great unless you have some root tabs in with them.
> I like a better aquatic soil. like schultz or eco complete.


aquatic soil hm.. is it cheap? does it need to be replaced? anything else you can tell me about it to sway me into buying it for some plants? if i get the soil do i still need to use liquid ferts?


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

jesterx626 said:


> I don't like it. I feel that it hinders their usage of roots and promotes them to have a weak root structure. IMO. Water collum feeders should be ok. but root feeders woulndt do great unless you have some root tabs in with them.
> I like a better aquatic soil. like schultz or eco complete.


aquatic soil hm.. is it cheap? does it need to be replaced? anything else you can tell me about it to sway me into buying it for some plants? if i get the soil do i still need to use liquid ferts?
[/quote]

Aquatic soil can be cheap or it can be expensive depending on what you want to do. You can get soilmaster select for $16 for a 50lb bag, or you can get eco-complete for $25 for 20lbs. So you can see some big differences in price... plus you need at least 100lbs of eco to equal the soilmaster.

You do not need to replace your substrate, people may do it on occassion, but it isnt really all that necessary.

You can grow plants in either, I just dont like sand, it is too messy IMO when trying to clean and if my fish get spooked I can just hear the impellers on my filters grinding away.

No matter what you do, you should still be dosing ferts into the water column... you will never get away from doing this if you want to have healthy plants.


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## jesterx626 (Jul 27, 2005)

water colum? where, what is that?


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## therizman1 (Jan 6, 2006)

Water column refers to the water in your tank.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

I love this product called Schultz Aquatic plant soil. you can get it at Homedepot or Lowes. At lowes it is with the pond equip. 
At home depot its next to the fertlizers and moss. 
It runs 6 bucks for a 10lb bag. And from what I hear it has better Iron content then flourite. Its a good substrate.

Or you can go the expensive route and get teh eco complete. either you will be happy with. You will need to rinse the schultz out tho. The Eco you do not. 
and either would make a great diff on your plants. WAY better then just sand. IMO. I just did my 20L with 1 bag and is working out well.

Plants can take in nutrients 1 of 2 diff ways. 
thru their roots under ground. or directly thur the water. 
the water collum is just another way of referring to what is floating and saturated into the water. 
This will dictate how you will feed those plants its nutrients. If the plants you have are more water collum feeders you would simply pour your ferts into the water in front of your water return to get it dispensed around the tank. 
for a Root feeder you would also want to get fertalizer tabs or spikes and place them in the ground next to teh plant so it can get its nutriants.


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

BlackSunshine420 said:


> I love this product called Schultz Aquatic plant soil. you can get it at Homedepot or Lowes. At lowes it is with the pond equip.
> At home depot its next to the fertlizers and moss.
> It runs 6 bucks for a 10lb bag. And from what I hear it has better Iron content then flourite. Its a good substrate.


Yep, if I was to setup another planted tank I would use the Schultz. I have both eco-complete and flourite in two of my tanks, and while its hard to say which one I truely like better, I prefer the Eco because you don't have to wash it as well.

If you're going to start a planted tank, I think a substrate should be a nessary. While they can go with out it, it really helps, especially considering most first timers tend to skimp on lights and Co2, the substrate makes a hell of a difference


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## jesterx626 (Jul 27, 2005)

BlackSunshine420 said:


> I love this product called Schultz Aquatic plant soil. you can get it at Homedepot or Lowes. At lowes it is with the pond equip.
> At home depot its next to the fertlizers and moss.
> It runs 6 bucks for a 10lb bag. And from what I hear it has better Iron content then flourite. Its a good substrate.
> 
> ...


How can i tell what plants root or water column feeders??


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Plants with extensive root systems are more of root feeders.. Swords, Cryptocorynes, carpeting plants..
Stem plants do better with water column feeding..

If you want my personal opinion, I think plants are fine feeding mostly from the water column, and a root tab will be good if you want that plant to have a boost. 
But if you move that plant that has the tab under it, it may kick those nutrients under the substrate into the water column, that usually leads to overdosing, and that can lead to green water


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## JustJoshinYa (Mar 25, 2006)

Will using any of those aquatic substrates affect the water column?? by that i mean do the nutrients in the soil stay in the soil or are they released into the water column?? would the soils mess with your readings of testings and change your dosings?


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

shouldnt no. altho the substrates are usually high in iron. And that means that you will not have to dose or at least not as often have to dose Iron supplement. Once settled the soils won't effect your water.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

BlackSunshine420 said:


> shouldnt no. altho the substrates are usually high in iron. And that means that you will not have to dose or at least not as often have to dose Iron supplement. Once settled the soils won't effect your water.


Well, I have high light and CO2, with Flourite(loaded with iron) and I have been dosing the same amount of extra iron as I do comprehensive.. If I don't, plants start turning pale


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

I've started dousing Iron. haven't seen any diff. I have florbase in the 75 and the schultz in the 20. both are pretty high in iron.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

BlackSunshine420 said:


> I've started dousing Iron. haven't seen any diff. I have florbase in the 75 and the schultz in the 20. both are pretty high in iron.


if the plants don't get pale, try not dosing it, and see what happens


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## Oheye8one2 (Nov 8, 2005)

jesterx626 said:


> It's fine to grow plants with just a sand substrate and liquid ferts right? My old amazon sword grew by itself while in only gravel substrate so im jus double checking


 My 55 gal has a sand substrate and is heavily planted with amazon swords-infact the swords are about going to be used to fill up my 75 here pretty quick and i expect in a month or so that both tanks will reach full capacity (number wise- not size wise). My current amazon swords i got back in june(ish) and i bought 3- now in two tanks those 3 have grow to 25 plants total.

i dont use CO2 at all but i do have a weekly liquid fertilizer schudule.

other than swords not other plants have survived the snail infestation and beatings the P's gave them, well not in my 55 anyways. howeever i'm satisfied with useing sand.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

^^word, Sand is ok, lots of people use it, it is really a matter of taste.. The better 'made for plants' substrates can be better for the plants in the long run, but as long as you are giving your plants light, and water column ferts, (co2 if you have high light) you should be just fine


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## NeXuS (Aug 16, 2006)

i remember in 5th grade i did a sceince fair project on what soil does bean plants grow best in. and i had sand regular dirt and potting soil. and in the end the potting soil did the best but i am sure u cant put that underwater. sand did the worst cuz the water just went right threw and the it didnt hold it. but since in a aquarium the sand will always have water u should b fine i would say


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

i am considering adding some plants, can you guys give me some pointers
on this.......start from square 1 please.......









i still have to figure out why my p's rip apart my plastic plants, and will
they do this to live plants as well.........you have to add ferts weekly?
enlighten my yoda........luke wants to know......









BTW.........i have sand sub.


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## bobz (Mar 9, 2006)

I was under the impression that if you planted plants in sand their roots would rot or they would not stay in the sand, they would just float up. Is this true.

Bobz


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