Flourite Black/moonsand ?

[Julee]

I have been looking up all I can find about substrate for the 12g I am setting up and have come up with a conclusion. I just need some opinions about it if that is okay.
I have come up with flourite black substrate under Tahitian moon sand and patches of pea gravel. (planted tank)

I will have 2 Dwarf Puffers, 2 Malaysian trumpets (to start )1 oto and MAYBE a Amano shrimp.

I will be doing the fish cycle w/plants. I plan on getting 3 guppies for the initial cycle.

The plants I want to get will be the fast growing plants that are natural to the DP. (I am not sure which are fast and slow in my list atm but will put fast ones in first.

How does that sound?
Thanks,
J

 

[KittyKat]

Well, the puffers will eat the Oto and the shrimp. Otos are best kept in groups of 6+. You will have 2 MTS for all of one day before they give birth to some young.

If I remember correctly, the Dwarf Puffers are best kept in 5+ groups so that one fish doesn't beat up another one till death do them part. You might want to double check this part though, I haven't given much though to puffers in a few years.

Of course, I can always mention the cruelty of fish cycling, but I am sure you've heard all of it before and read about how to do it properly with minimum harm to fish. I think 3 male Platys would be a much better choice because on average they are hardier than Guppies.

What is your plant list?

 

[Julee]

Here is a list of plants I have noted for being in DP habitat, now which ones are fast growing and not I do not know as of yet. This will be the list I am going to go off of non the less.

Tiny Crypocoryne
dwarf ambalia
java fern
dwarf/twisted vallisneria
java moss
hydrocotyle silothorpioids
giant/dwarf hygrophila

Anyone else want to chime in about the substrate? Has anyone used these two combined before? And if so how well did it do? Is the moonsand too rough for bottom dwellers or the DP?

I have done my research on the livestock I just want to make sure the substrate is suitable for livestock and the plants combined? There are so many out there it makes the decision very difficult.
Thanks
J

 

[KittyKat]

There are quite a few species under some of those common names..

Fastest to slowest:
* Hygrophila
* Java moss
* All the rest (depending on your set up)

Sand should be fine for everyone/everything.

 

[Julee]

Thank you Kitty Kat

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Julee,

In the type of setup you are doing, substrate is not a very large factor for the plants (believe it or not.) It is pretty normal for newcomers to plants in average community tanks to think that substrate will be a larger factor than it turns out to be (this was my case too.) In fact, these plants will quite readily pull virtually all their nutrients directly from the water column, including the water within the substrate. It turns out that the in this type of setup, the substrate plays a "backup" role. If you have a special substrate that can provide some nutrients (such as the flourite in your case, or eco-complete or such) then it can help serve the plants on days when you are unable or have forgotten to provide a normal daily nutrient dose to the water column or when the natural waste in the tank is low in some region of the tank.

Getting plants right in a new tank is a wait-and-see thing to some extent when a lot of factors of your particular tank and experience are new.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Julee]

Thank you waterdrop,
That is good news. Neither comes in a very small bag so if I can get away from having to buy 2 different substrates that is great.
I can easily add a daily nutrient routine to my daily routine of everything else around here.