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Capping.

AdAndrews

Member
Joined
22 Feb 2009
Messages
1,125
Location
Kidderminster, Worcs
Whats the minimum and maximum substrate you would use under the inert sand/gravel? and how much inert substrate would you add on top?

cheers :thumbup:
 
It will depend on what plants you are growing really. If you think about it, Crypts have rampant root growth, where as something like HC has fairly shallow roots. I would say a few centimetres should be fine for most plants (shallower for carpeting plants).
 
ok, well, here is what im thinking about doing(as i have left overs of certain substrates)

1cm tropica substrate
then 2cm of oli knotts nature soil

capped with black gravel(just less than pea size)

and plants:

crypts
rotala
p.helferi
e.tennellus.

what do you rekon?
and is it good practice to sprinke a bit of dry powders down with the tropica?
 
have you though about getitng something like osmocote?
it has good NPK, and is pretty cheap. i always use a sprinkling of that in all my tanks.

your amounts should be fine mate, got somethng planned :lol:
 
Re: Capping Osmocote

Osmocote is a controlled release fertiliser designed for use with container plants. It comes in a range of sizes and formulations, but the basic idea is the resin coat slows the dissolution of the fertiliser elements into the tank/soil water.
<http://www.scottsprofessional.com/en/controlled-release-fertilizers.html>.

I've used it and as suggested it it is very good in tanks and relatively cheap.

cheers Darrel
 
ok, im only using all three becuase ive only got limited ammounts of each you see, will do with the tropica, thanks for the advice

i'll just go with my tropica and oli knotts capped with gravel then, thanks :thumbup:
 
Changed my mind :crazy:

Im not going to use the tropica(theres no point for the sake of about £2 wastage, its horrible stuff)

so im going to use my oli knotts, i have about 2l of this, i want to do things lower costs, so how about buying Colombo Flora Base - Black 5l, this combined, roughly 7l

and then mix that with my black gravel, probably wont look too pretty, but its all gonna be covered,

what do you rekon?
 
or shall i just put my 2l of oli knotts down, and put gravel on top, simply and cheaply? will that be enough nutrients for the plants?

I was also considering putting some dry ferts down with the substrate..? a scattering of my macro mix, aswell as the mono KP and the PN cant do any harm can it?
 
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