Substrate Question Please

[BettaBeFish]

Looking for advice on best substrate please, preferably black and suitable for low level light plants, shrimp & Cory’s that won’t alter water parameters

Thank you

 

[Rocky998]

Imagitarium black aquarium sand. I use it and it works really well for my tank

 

[Lynnzer]

Most gravel and sand is free of nutrients, and most aqua soil is full of nutrients and will have some effect on water parameters, mostly by lowering the pH. So even though soil can be great for the plants themselves, even those on low light levels, whether or not a black soil is good for you, is dependant on what your overall intentions are.
If you want to make a carpet of low growing plants such as Baby Tears then the colour is pretty irrelevant. It will be covered.
If you do actually want nutrient free soil then I think the best way forward is to get some net bags to put soil in then cover it with just plain black gravel, fine of coarse subject to your own preference. Or just go for black gravel and use root tabs to provide growth

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

For cories, you want sand - better for their barbels, easy for them to sift feed through.
I use Unipac Limpopo black sand -it's more of a dark slate grey than a true black, but works well for my cories.

 

[BettaBeFish]

Defo need to think of the cories which is why I’m not going seachem fluorite - something I was advised to use

I won’t be having Baby tears just plants such as anubias, Java fern / moss etc

 

[Lynnzer]

Anubias are good, as are the others. I have Xmas moss in an ordinary tank, no CO2 and it's grown really well. I prefer it to Java Moss which hasn't developed well at all.
My biggest problem with my low tech tank was algae. Probably overfeeding of course but I was pretty sick of it until I emptied the tank including a big piece of bogwood and started all over again.

 

[BettaBeFish]

Ooh I’ll check out Xmas moss instead of Java

 

[BettaBeFish]

Most gravel and sand is free of nutrients, and most aqua soil is full of nutrients and will have some effect on water parameters, mostly by lowering the pH. So even though soil can be great for the plants themselves, even those on low light levels, whether or not a black soil is good for you, is dependant on what your overall intentions are.
If you want to make a carpet of low growing plants such as Baby Tears then the colour is pretty irrelevant. It will be covered.
If you do actually want nutrient free soil then I think the best way forward is to get some net bags to put soil in then cover it with just plain black gravel, fine of coarse subject to your own preference. Or just go for black gravel and use root tabs to provide growth

Out of interest with cories and plants what substrate would you recommend?

 

[Lynnzer]

I've done sand, I've done gravel and neither really worked for me. I prefer a carpet of low growing stuff such as mini hairgrass and baby tears. It looks far better and it's better for soaking up the fish detritus to feed the plants too.
Some heavily planted tanks don't get water changes as the plants do so much work to keep things balanced, although I don't agree with that philosopy.
My corys revel in it, as what food drifts down to the hairgrass is actively snuffled around for by the corys.
Just watch my livestream when I switch the lights on to see how nice a carpet is. Click the signature link.
That's my Tank of the Month entry. Have you voted yet?
However if I had to go sand or gravel, I'd choose sand as it works better for the corys. It'll show every last bit of waste, promote dead areas of substrate where dangerous gases accumulate and a build up of non beneficial bacteria.

 

[BettaBeFish]

The signature link didn’t work? Took me to Twitch but there was nothing?
I’m starting up a new tank - how do I affix the low growing stuff in the tank? So you only have that and no substrate?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I feel quite strongly about cories needing a sand substrate. They are able to filter sand through their gills to filter out the food, and this is a natural behaviour that they're unable to practice if living on gravel or soil. Yes, they can live and survive on other substrates - my father kept cories on gravel for decades. But now that we know more about this behaviour they practice, I think it's our duty as fish keepers to give them the chance to practice all of their natural behaviours that we can. I've tried to learn and follow the advice of authorities I trust, like @Byron and Ian Fuller, who is a world recognised authority on corydoras.

This video explains more, and shows close ups of them filter feeding through sand:

See these videos. This first one has terrible music, be warned, but you can see the cory sifting the sand and sand leaving the gills:

 

[Lynnzer]

The signature link didn’t work? Took me to Twitch but there was nothing?
I’m starting up a new tank - how do I affix the low growing stuff in the tank? So you only have that and no substrate?

Ah, I don't have it switched on. I'll do that right away.
I spent a good amount of time supergluing moss to another bit of wood in a new tank. Superglue but not the runny stuff. Use the tacky stuff. Also don't be fooled into buying expensive stuff like Gorilla glue. It's all cyanoacrylate just with a different label.
I find that putting glue, just a dab, onto the spot where the moss is going to be placed is better than adding a drop to the mass or other plants. Doing it that way always seems to result in having to sandpaper my finger ends.
If you read my post on the construction of the tank you'll find most of everything you need.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I find that putting glue, just a dab, onto the spot where the moss is going to be placed is better than adding a drop to the mass or other plants. Doing it that way always seems to result in having to sandpaper my finger ends.

Can attest to this. Managed to get superglue all over my fingers while gluing some plant to wire mesh the other day, and when it peeled off it took a good layer of skin with it. Makes your fingers very tender afterwards! Not so fun.

 

[Lynnzer]

Can attest to this. Managed to get superglue all over my fingers while gluing some plant to wire mesh the other day, and when it peeled off it took a good layer of skin with it. Makes your fingers very tender afterwards! Not so fun.

Finger sticking good eh?
What it has done though is remove the fingerprints so that i can't unlock my phone by touch. I have to key in the security code.
I think you'll have been using the normal liquid gle for that though. The gel isn't quite as bad and takes a while to fully set.
I use the liquid for dripping onto cigarette filters or filter material stuffed between things such as filling the gap between a rock and wood to prevent the wood from floating. It's good for that.

 

[Lynnzer]

Substrate is a 2 stage thing. First off the AF Lavasoil is sort of crumbly pieces that forms the base. it acts as a really good medium for beneficial bacteria to build up, and as it's neither round or too small can be moved around to shape the tank bottom. For instance, my ongoing new nano tank has it piled up in a rear corner to make a mound for growing Monte Carlo on. It looks exceptional on the tanks at horizon that I'm trying to copy.
On top of the Lava Soil, which isn't really soil although it does have nutrients in it, I have a 2nd layer of Tropica Aqua Soil for the plants to grow on. half an inch depth should be fine for small aquaria unless you are planting large things such as Amazon Sword.
It really can't be used without a carpet though as it never firms up like sand or gravel. It's the plant roots that hold it all together nicely.
Another benefit of carpet grass is that it [provides excellent breeding grounds for the fish i have. I've never befóéhad any fry from the likes of my CPD's etc but now I see an occasiional one swimming in the dense plants at the back of the tank.