Substrate Advice Please

[trawstmawr]

Hello All

I want to set up a 6 foot fish tank and would like it densely planted. Does anyone know what the best soil product (or something similar) is to put under the gravel for the plants to root into - without spending a fortune - I am on a fairly tight budget.

I will be using an Eheim External Filter.

I hope someone can help!

 

[karlp]

Define fortune ?

And where are you from ?

Eco-complete of Flourite are the two most popular, but are not especially cheap.

On a budget, pea gravel (3 to 4mm grade) mixed with Laterite or any substrate fertilizer works well (although top off with a clean layer of gravel to avoid murky water problems)

 

[trawstmawr]

I am in the UK

Budget?? Have already blown that by buying an Eheim filter

 

[jimbooo]

laterite mixed with 3mm gravel will do the trick. (sorry fishymad pea gravel is too big and not ideal)

you can either mix the laterite in evenly or concentrate it in the planting areas. ie along the back 1/2 where your big root feeders will end up being planted.

i have this mix in all my tanks but evenly spread throuout the whole tank.

your going to spend roughly £50 on laterite plus the gravel (cant remember gravel cost, varies between LFS)

 

[The-Wolf]

as an alternative to layerite, which was out of my budget, I used fullers earth.
this can be found as petex cat litter. any clay based cat litter is fullers earth, but be sure to check it is 100% natural and has no "oudour" absorbers in it.

I have 1 tank useing this at a 1" depth topped off with 2" of pool filter sand.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

if you cany afford the laterite/flourite maybe frequent root tabs may do the trick?

 

[trawstmawr]

Thanks to you all for your help in answering my query. Now all I have to do is decide which way to jump.

 

[ksam]

I personally use a layer of cactus compost under 3mm gravel (eheim blew my budget aswell, lol) I've used this in most of my planted tanks with really good results.....................plus it's only £3 for a big bag of the stuff

 

[scott67892002]

never heard of using cactus compost wish i had before blowing £40 in my substrate!!!

 

[ksam]

It's pretty good since it has peat, sand & volcanic "bits" in it which help prevent it compacting into a thick brick, lol.
I used 1 bag to do a 3' tank, 2' tank & repot the cactus