Aquascape soil

Hi, I need some advice on my aquascape substrate. What I want is for there to be gravel in the back and mostly sand in the front. The sand being for my horsehead loaches and cories. Very heavily planted with roots and some rocks. Med-tech.

I bought some floredepot, but it's only enough for 150l, not 540 (120gallon) that my tank is. I'm thinking of getting some soil to place under the sand and gravel. Does it have to be some kind of special soil, or can I get some at the flower store?

Don't have different types and grades of substrate in the same tank because they end up mixing together and it looks bad. If you want a sand area for Cories and loaches, use a plastic container and put some sand in that. Then have the container surrounded by gravel. Like a sandpit for fish.

A container about 2 inches high x as long and wide as you like will work fine. Have the surrounding gravel about half an inch below the top of the container and after a couple of weeks the exposed plastic will be covered in algae and won't be that noticeable. If you are really concerned about the appearance you can put a thin layer of silicon on the outside of the container and cover it with the same gravel in the tank. Let it dry for 24 hours then put it in the tank.

Hmm, I see =( I really want to go for a natural look. Could I keep sand and gravel separated by substrate supports? What about the soil question? Cories and horseheads would be really unhappy without sand?

Go out and buy a box of these, they come in various sizes.


Eat the chocolate, then remove the label from the lid, place the lid in the tank and fill with sand and you get this.

Luckyyy said:

Hmm, I see =( I really want to go for a natural look. Could I keep sand and gravel separated by substrate supports? What about the soil question? Cories and horseheads would be really unhappy without sand?

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I agree with Colin that more than one type of substrate is not advisable. Especially as you want "natural," stay with one substrate throughout. And with cories and loaches, sand is what you want. Any attempt to mix/divide different substrate materials will look artificial. And fish like Horseface loaches (which get quite large) will not confine their burrowing habit only to your sand areas, so this is not a good idea.

On the soil, this has issues. First, soil is known to produce considerable ammonia for up to six months and fish can die from this, which is why those with soil substrate planted tanks use the dry method and no fish for six months to be safe. But aside from that, fish that like to dig or burrow, such as cories and loaches, will make a real mess and you will have mud on the substrate and filthy water.

The most inexpensive and safe substrate you can have in any freshwater aquarium is play sand. It is completely safe to all fish, plants grow well in it, and it looks natural. The dark grey mix is best for this but the buff mix is OK if that is all you can get locally.

I see! How coarse-grained does the sand have to be to grow plants effectively but also allow the loaches to be happy? At some point I'd enjoy to grow some carpeting plants, but I guess that won't go down well with the horsefaces either x(

This picture is sortof the style I'm going for and wishing to achieve. Would the horsefaces completely mess it up?

Luckyyy said:

I see! How coarse-grained does the sand have to be to grow plants effectively but also allow the loaches to be happy? At some point I'd enjoy to grow some carpeting plants, but I guess that won't go down well with the horsefaces either x(

This picture is sortof the style I'm going for and wishing to achieve. Would the horsefaces completely mess it up?

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Yes, the Horseface Loaches would burrow into the substrate to completely bury themselves leaving only the eyes visible (and not really "visible" at that), and I cannot see carpet plants not being uprooted. I had HFL many years ago, they really do burrow wherever they like.

That photo tank is not very cory-suited either, there needs to be more open sand areas. Here's a photo of my 70g which is home to 50 cories. You will see small pebbles around some of the small plants, and they are there simply to keep the plants in the substrate fro the cories. Sinking food sticks/tabs/disks get pushed by the cories into the plants and next thing there is a hole and the plant is floating.

That sand is play sand, and I have it in all my tanks now and plants do very well. I have in the past had substrates of fine gravel, and pea gravel once, and the plants are better with play sand.

I'm starting to think that my horsefaces may be better suited for a different home x) Here's a pic of the gravel I got. There's no way the fishes would be cool with this? That's a nice tank btw! Here's also a pic of a sand I see for sale.

Luckyyy said:

I'm starting to think that my horsefaces may be better suited for a different home x) Here's a pic of the gravel I got. There's no way the fishes would be cool with this? That's a nice tank btw! Here's also a pic of a sand I see for sale. View attachment 89790 View attachment 89791

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I would not use that gravel (in your hand) for any substrate fish. It looks rough, and it can damage the barbels and the skin of burrowing loaches.

As for the bag of sand, I cannot tell as I cannot see the grains. I looked it up and translated the page and it seems to be OK for children's sand boxes so I assume it would be OK. "Play Sand" intended for children is the most refined industrial sand and should not have rough edges, so ideal in an aquarium with substrate fish.

Hm I see. I'm just afraid to pick a playsand that has the same problem that my current sand has, being too fine for plants to thrive. Thanks for all your help!

Luckyyy said:

Hm I see. I'm just afraid to pick a playsand that has the same problem that my current sand has, being too fine for plants to thrive. Thanks for all your help!

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I can't imagine the plants not growing because of sand...in their habitats they grow in mud. May be some other issue. I use Quikrete Play Sand from Home Depot, and Lowe's also carry it in North America. Other members here have mentioned play sand in the UK, so you should be able to find some.

I'll look more into it, thank you!

Luckyyy said:

I'll look more into it, thank you!

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I always provide what the fish species require, as my first concern, and the plants must then manage.

What about this sand? It seems a bit coarser. Sorry again for the norwegian >.<
https://www.jula.no/catalog/fritid/...ler-til-svommebaseng/filtersand-000095/#tab01

If I kept my fish in another tank for half a year, would placing soil underneath this sand make it better for the plants?

99% of people that have planted tanks just use gravel or sand. There is no need to put special soils under gravel in an aquarium. The plants get most of the nutrients from the water and they absorb it through their leaves. For most aquatic plants, the substrate simply gives them somewhere to grow roots so they don't float away.