Adding substrate to an established tank?

[kurtmussel]

Hello all as the title suggests I am thinking of adding substrate to my 10 gallon tank. I made the mistake of ordering a variety pack of plants online without thinking that the plants I would receive would more than likely need substrate to root in. I only have gravel. Plants I received are: Dwarf Chain Sword, Red Dwarf Aquarium Lily Bulb, Windelov Java Fern, Bacopa Caroliniana, Cryptocoryne Tropica, and Willow Hygro

So basically my question is firstly, can I put substrate in without having an ammonia spike? How can I add it in so I can safely reintroduce my betta and tetra later on? Would yall suggest gradually??
Secondly, which substrate would yall recommend?

Lastly, I know you can add root tabs under the gravel instead. Would that be better than trying to add substrate at this point? Looking for helpful insights.

My tank is a 10 gallon. I have a nerite snail, a betta, and 3 glofish tetra. I already have java fern and I’m trying to get my anacharis to grow more. I use all in one nutrients from aquarium co-op. Let me know what other info I can provide.

 

[GaryE]

I go with sand gravel substrates in all my tanks, and would only add fert loaded stuff if I stripped the tank completely and restarted, quickly with incoming plants!
I'm much more likely to use fertilizer tabs off the side of the plant roots so they have to reach, and don't get overloaded.

That is a lot of competing plants for a tiny tank. Here's hoping they all grow.

 

[FranciscoB]

The plants would do better in sand than in the current gravel. The gravel allows too much waste to trickle down out of sight and mind, whereas it sits on the sand where is easy to remove.
Changing substratum 100% is not a big deal, assuming you use the proper sand (non-carbonate, well cleaned). Pool filter sand is among the best. Nothing fancy from pet store is needed. If your filter/tank are mature, and since you have a light bioload, I would just do it, period. For safety, I would do more frequent water changes a few times after the switch.
In all honesty, with the plants you have (Java fern and Anacharis) you don’t even need the nutrients you are adding. Java fern don’t benefit from root tabs, and Anscharis marginally, and not if is is mostly floating. Good luck!

 

[kurtmussel]

I go with sand gravel substrates in all my tanks, and would only add fert loaded stuff if I stripped the tank completely and restarted, quickly with incoming plants!
I'm much more likely to use fertilizer tabs off the side of the plant roots so they have to reach, and don't get overloaded.

That is a lot of competing plants for a tiny tank. Here's hoping they all grow.

Any specific brand of sand you recommend? I was adding the aquarium co-op fertilizer cause the java fern I have is soaking up all the nitrates. So I’m siting at 0 nitrates. I was thinking I needed the fertilizer so plants I added would benefit from it.

Also so I got a random selection. I didn’t technically choose all of these plants. lol. Thank you I hope they grow too

 

[kurtmussel]

The plants would do better in sand than in the current gravel. The gravel allows too much waste to trickle down out of sight and mind, whereas it sits on the sand where is easy to remove.
Changing substratum 100% is not a big deal, assuming you use the proper sand (non-carbonate, well cleaned). Pool filter sand is among the best. Nothing fancy from pet store is needed. If your filter/tank are mature, and since you have a light bioload, I would just do it, period. For safety, I would do more frequent water changes a few times after the switch.
In all honesty, with the plants you have (Java fern and Anacharis) you don’t even need the nutrients you are adding. Java fern don’t benefit from root tabs, and Anscharis marginally, and not if is is mostly floating. Good luck!

Do you think I should put the gravel over the sand? And particular brand of sand you recommend? I also only mentioned the root tabs because of the plants I’m getting would probably benefit from them

 

[Back in the fold]

Aquatic plants can be grown in ordinary aquarium gravel with satisfactory results . This was once the norm but now sand and specialty substrates are all the rage . In your ten gallon aquarium you can rely on the fish to fertilize your plants without additional fertilizer . This is my Amazon Swordplant in a ten gallon aquarium with only one inch of gravel and a single fish . This plant has thrived for over a year .

 

[kurtmussel]

Aquatic plants can be grown in ordinary aquarium gravel with satisfactory results . This was once the norm but now sand and specialty substrates are all the rage . In your ten gallon aquarium you can rely on the fish to fertilize your plants without additional fertilizer . This is my Amazon Swordplant in a ten gallon aquarium with only one inch of gravel and a single fish . This plant has thrived for over a year .View attachment 358166

I feel that’s the hardest part trying to navigate all the new trends to follow. My question is, do you use and fertilizer or do you put any root tabs in there?

 

[kurtmussel]

Aquatic plants can be grown in ordinary aquarium gravel with satisfactory results . This was once the norm but now sand and specialty substrates are all the rage . In your ten gallon aquarium you can rely on the fish to fertilize your plants without additional fertilizer . This is my Amazon Swordplant in a ten gallon aquarium with only one inch of gravel and a single fish . This plant has thrived for over a year .View attachment 358166

I realized I think you answered my question and I didn’t see it for some reason. Thank you so much for your insights. I do appreciate it

 

[Back in the fold]

I realized I think you answered my question and I didn’t see it for some reason. Thank you so much for your insights. I do appreciate it

Your first post says your aquarium is established and you seem to be concerned about messing things up if you don’t have to . I think you should go ahead and plant your new plants in your aquarium as it is now and then watch the plants over the next month or so and see what you see . If they look good then leave things alone , if the plants start to look weak then consider supplemental fertilizer . Keep in mind that , just like fish , plants need a little time to settle in . Sometimes plants look a little off at first but they bounce back in a month . Fertilizer takes time and the effects don’t show right away . One reason I don’t use supplemental fertilizer is that all my aquariums are small , twenty gallons or less , and a little bit goes a long way . Better to under dose with the fish doing the fertilizing than to overdose and foul everything up. Just my opinion .

 

[kurtmussel]

Your first post says your aquarium is established and you seem to be concerned about messing things up if you don’t have to . I think you should go ahead and plant your new plants in your aquarium as it is now and then watch the plants over the next month or so and see what you see . If they look good then leave things alone , if the plants start to look weak then consider supplemental fertilizer . Keep in mind that , just like fish , plants need a little time to settle in . Sometimes plants look a little off at first but they bounce back in a month . Fertilizer takes time and the effects don’t show right away . One reason I don’t use supplemental fertilizer is that all my aquariums are small , twenty gallons or less , and a little bit goes a long way . Better to under dose with the fish doing the fertilizing than to overdose and foul everything up. Just my opinion .

That makes sense, thank you again for your help

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have had as many as 13 planted tanks gpoing at one time. One of these used pressurized CO2 and high lighting and frequent fertilizing. My planted tanks are jungles, The one thing I never do in the is to vacuum the substrate. I want eveything that hits the bottom to go into it and become mulm. That is one of the better natural ferts. However, in most of my tanks I have a few plants that need addedsbstrate ferts.

I do occasionally vacuum the plants very gently when they start to accumulate "aqua dust" on the leaves.

I would redo my high tech tank every few years. Here are two of its incarnations. I never vacuumed this tank in close to a decade before I took it down as being more work than I wanted to keep doing. I had 19 other tanks. I never vacuumed the substrate in this tank except when I did a big rescape which made a mess. So that would have been twice in almost 10 years.

 

[kurtmussel]

I have had as many as 13 planted tanks gpoing at one time. One of these used pressurized CO2 and high lighting and frequent fertilizing. My planted tanks are jungles, The one thing I never do in the is to vacuum the substrate. I want eveything that hits the bottom to go into it and become mulm. That is one of the better natural ferts. However, in most of my tanks I have a few plants that need addedsbstrate ferts.

I do occasionally vacuum the plants very gently when they start to accumulate "aqua dust" on the leaves.

I would redo my high tech tank every few years. Here are two of its incarnations. I never vacuumed this tank in close to a decade before I took it down as being more work than I wanted to keep doing. I had 19 other tanks. I never vacuumed the substrate in this tank except when I did a big rescape which made a mess. So that would have been twice in almost 10 years.

Wow well your tanks look amazing! I think I need to try vacuuming less