substrate questions!!!!!

[ANIM4L]

hi i am redoing my 60 US gallon planted tank, because i originally had 100% sand, and i heard that it isnt good for plants, so i am going to be adding some SeaChem flourite to my tank as substrate. This brings me to my questions:


1. Should i do 2 inches of flourite and one inch of sand on top, or 100% flourite?

2. Will kuhli loaches be ok in flourite? I wanted something to stir up sand and pockets and stuff, and liked them, but i wont get them if you think they wont work as well.

3. Should i add flourite liquid fertilizer when i have the substrate in?

4. (this depends on answer to number one) how many pounds/bags should i use of sand (if used) and flourite for my 60 Gallon tank?

5. What about using laterite, i can get my hands on "Pure Laterite by Aquarium pharmacuticles" and i could add that to the sand, but what do you think is better?


i may have more questions later, but this is all i have right now, please if you can help me, then please do !!!

 

[houndour]

Hiya,

My LFS thinks laterite is better, but I don't know for sure.

Not sure about Khuli loaches...do they have barbels? I wouldn't have anything but sand for my cories...and in the past I had gravel and I have to admit the sand is a huge improvement on the barbels. The gravel wore them down short before and now they are really long.

Fluorite is normally used 100%, but it is quite expensive and when I did my research it said you could do 50/50 flourite/substrate.

I personally use laterite and sand in both of my tanks. I used slightly more than recommended in my 20 gallon. And lots more than recommended in my 5 gallon. Too early to say the effects on 5 gallon as its only just been set up, but glosso is doing really well (just over a week in).

If you choose fluorite and sand then I would would put the fluorite on bottom with about an inch of sand on top (too little sand and it'll fall right through.

If you choose laterite I think you mix the laterite with sand on the bottom half and then add sand on top.

Either way you will find the odd bit of laterite/fluorite come to the surface of your sand.

If you google, there are sites that calculate an estimate of how much substrate to get. The weight normally differs for sand/gravel, but you could work out how much of each you would need (approx).

 

[ANIM4L]

thanks for the reply! anyone else have ideas?

 

[ANIM4L]

the bigest question here is:


sand with laterite and how much of it

ORRRRRRRR

flourite




so which is better, flourite or laterite?

 

[Fish_Mike]

I don't really think it matters, it's probably just a question of what costs less, and the recommendations are 1 kg for about each 200 cm2 (31 in2) of tank bottom.

HTH Mike

 

[ANIM4L]

there has to be differences in what works best tho

 

[ANIM4L]

anyone have any ideas, experiences to share, ANYTHING to help me decide lol. i am buying something in 24 hours, but i have to decide which one!

also i found something on eco-complete plant substrate, anyone know anything about this?

 

[ANIM4L]

ok after a lot of research i am going to skip the laterite, too messy and not as good as flourite, so this is what i can do:

50% flourite 50% onyx sand
3 inches flourite 2 inches sand
or 100% flourite


which would be better? Will the onyx sand sink below the flourite? what about the tahitian moon sand? Please help!

 

[ANIM4L]

ok the post has changed to one question, which do u prefer and why? I have dropped it down to this:


100% flourite

or

100% onyx sand


can people post what thye suggest?

 

[Angry_Platy]

I just switched from sand to gravel.....because roots can't grow as well in sand, because you get toxic gas forming in the sand, because it is inert and it is also harder to clean. Everyone said not to bother cleaning sand in a planted tnak but the crap on top looked awful.

Of your two choices I prefer 100% fluorite, if you can afford it. I hear it is expensive.

As for sand, I wouldn't recommend it now (though I would have a few weeks ago)....see above.

As for laterite and sand, or anything with sand, whatever you add to the sand will just end up sitting on top of the sand meaning the roots won't get the full benefit of the laterite. I am using 2mm gravel with laterite ATM and it isn't messy at all. I have replanted a LOT in the last week and the water never went cloudy etc. I can't say the effect on the plants yet as it has only been 4 days but I will let you know as time goes on.

 

[ANIM4L]

ok i will go with the flourite. I ma not going to even think about money, ill just get it and not hink about how much i am spending lol

 

[houndour]

As for laterite and sand, or anything with sand, whatever you add to the sand will just end up sitting on top of the sand meaning the roots won't get the full benefit of the laterite. I am using 2mm gravel with laterite ATM and it isn't messy at all. I have replanted a LOT in the last week and the water never went cloudy etc. I can't say the effect on the plants yet as it has only been 4 days but I will let you know as time goes on.

I've had laterite in my 20 gallon since March and yeah bits do come to the top, but most of my laterite is still on the bottom under the sand. And yes sand does get dirty but I still love it and wouldnt go back to gravel, but I thought you had khulis that needed sand? Or do you not actually have them yet.

Its all down to personal preference in the end though.

 

[ANIM4L]

i was supposed to get them ordered in from a lfs 3 weeks ago and they are again SUPPOSED to come in on tuesday, but i wont get them if someone can think of something else to release pockets in my substrate and to cleant he bottom (i dont want anything big)

also i am going with flourite, i just hope it looks good in the tank....

 

[houndour]

well surely if you're getting fluorite then you wont have problems with compacting like you would if you had sand (anyway, you dont need a fish, you can prod with a stick).

 

[ANIM4L]

well atm i have no low level fish to sift around, so i may get something, but i dont know what