Carlos & Siran Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 Howdy guys, our fish tank is going really well, the fish are healthy but the plants look, well....blaaaah. We've decided to make a DIY CO2 system, but we don't have any substrate under our gravel. Do you think we should do that first? and if so do you need to buy proper aquarium substrate or can we use potting mix or something similar. Cheers all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 I don’t have a lot of experience with substrates as I just use gravel and let the fish do the rest. I would however recommend that you don’t use potting mix because it has added fertilisers that your fish might not like. I have found that with a nice thick layer of gravel and fish doing what fish do best. they produce some of the best fertiliser you can get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 Maybe this is why your Palnts look Blah as you say. What have they got to grow their roots into, by the sounds of it nothing. I prefer using Aquarium Gravel, have heard some people have problems with a Bad Bacteria Build up with Potting Mix/Sand. You will probably find once you ingtroduce some Gravel to your Tank your Plants will start looking alot happier. Food will get trapped in between the bits of Gravel, the Plants will then use this as their source of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 Howdy guys, our fish tank is going really well, the fish are healthy but the plants look, well....blaaaah. We've decided to make a DIY CO2 system, but we don't have any substrate under our gravel. Do you think we should do that first? and if so do you need to buy proper aquarium substrate or can we use potting mix or something similar. Cheers all. If you really want to get serious about plants, a proper plant-growing substrate under the gravel is a great idea, but it means you will need to take your tank apart and completely re-do it, so it's up to you if you think it's worth the effort. I have just gravel in my substrate, and when the swords started showing some signs of malnutrition I added some JBL balls just pushed inot the gravel around the roots. It has taken a while but their health seems to be slowly improving. Also a good liquid fert added to the water will help to ensure your plants get all the nutrients they need. In the past I have used Dalton's Aquatic Mix under the gravel, and that's what I would do again if I was setting up my tank from scratch. It's pretty cheap from garden centres so the price shouldn't put you off, it's more whether you want to put in the effort of re-starting your tank. There are also a lot of other (more expensive) substrates on the market (things like laterite & fluorite). I haven't tried them myself, but apparently they make an excellent, nutritious substrate if you want to grow root-feeding plants that require lots of feeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 laterite is awesome, ive used it, but at $120+ a kilo it does not come cheap. those jbl clay balls are great too. but in the past i used nothing too fancy.take some fine gravel, som medium and some large gravel (if you like the look). mix it. the fine will go at the base automatically, followed by m edium and large. that will help the plant roots establish - and over time fish poo will do its job and you won't need to siphon the gravel. remember to densly plant the tank if you undertake that course of action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Although most people will say that a great planted aquarium starts with the susbtrate, IME this isn't true. I started out with a 3 foot tank, AquaOne Double lighthood, regular pea gravel and my plants did great. They weren't so flash at the start but after a while, the fish waste built up and the plants went nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricketman Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 i have a big pleco, and i have been actively siphoning out his detrital constitutionals... i also have propagating mix as a substrate, and lots of plants... so i could by all means just leave it and let the plants use it up? if so that would be great! no more gravel vacs!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 I didn't do a gravel for about 2 years in my planted tank. biggest clean it got was when i moved house once a year. gravel stayed in the tank, all the fish and water came out. new water put in. that's about it. just did 30 - 50% water changes once a week or so. LOts of plants though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Doesnt work with fine grit gravel though? The poo just stays on top until the filter or gravel vac gets it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 yeah, its no good if you are using sand, but if you use gravel or a mixture of different sizes of gravel and sand it will work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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