Clean substrate

[Gregory Day]

I’m looking for a substrate that doesn’t cloud water when plants are removed. Tank is being used as a grow on.

 

[dean]

Gravel


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[PARAGUAY]

Or butter containers.See Zeus Pot Scape

 

[G H Nelson]

Seachem Flourite gravel or sand.



hoggie

 

[Zeus.]

Or butter containers.See Zeus Pot Scape

The pot scape is a great way to grow the plants IMO Have some with just ceramic rings holding plants down. Take pot out replant put pot back in. Plus if you have a spot in the main tank that hides the 'pot' dead easy to change plants in tank 😉

 

[dean]

Doesn’t it depends on how your fertilising the plants
Dosing the water column then an inert substrate such as gravel will do
If you want a nutrient rich substrate then it’s going to cost you and long term I’m sure they will loose their nutrients


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[alto]

long term I’m sure they will loose their nutrients

If dosing the water column why would this be an issue with Aquarium Soils and not gravel 😕

Most Aquarium Soils are designed with a high CEC - certainly they are far more proficient at this than any of the inert gravels

For optimum growth, support both plant leaf and root structures ... some plants develop extensive roots systems, some plants focus on leaf structure

Tropica Aquarium Soil is the least clouding nutrient rich substrate I’ve used

Seachem Flourite is the most dusty - perhaps they’ve addressed this issue to some degree, but for years the only answer proffered was that shipping & (subsequent) storage - over which Seachem has no control - was the culprit
Certainly washing/rinsing the product was not particularly effective
Though I must admit Flourite Red remains one of my favourite color/texture substrates 😎
(Flourite Black Sand was prone to anaerobic development if more than a few cm’s deep and no sand sifters ... so not a product I’d used if given to plant removal/rescaping in the presence of livestock)

Carib Sea Eco Complete is very “clean” but also similar to Flourite re high CEC but not intrinsically nutrient rich (compared to the shaped/dried Aquarium Soils) ... and the last batch I purchased had a lot of glittery bits - which did subside over some weeks
(Carib Sea drop-shipped replacement bags so kudos to them on the customer service ... I said it really wasn't necessary, they insisted)

 

[Gregory Day]

Thanks

 

[dean]

If dosing the water column why would this be an issue with Aquarium Soils and not gravel 😕

That’s what I meant
If your dosing the water and it’s just a grow out tank why use an expensive soil that makes a mess every time you pull plants out

It can be inert by have a good Cec such as akadama clay which is also clean

I’m just a novice when it comes to plants so maybe I’ve missed something



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[alto]

🙂

My experience shows much better (quicker transition to submerse growth, more root development, more vibrant leaf etc) plant growth in
Aquarium Soil + water column dosing - especially when using tissue culture plants, and for fine, dense carpet plants
vs
Inert substrate + water column dosing (even when a nutrient rich layer such as Tropica Growth Substrate or Sera Flore Depot is used beneath fine gravel)

BUT my tap water is very soft and devoid of almost any nutrients (I also use lower CO2 levels)

Successful planted tanks have been around much longer than the commercial Aquarium Soils but they really simplify the process, and (in my area) substantially increase success (good plant growth, minimal algae) rate among newcomers to the hobby

 

[alto]

why use an expensive soil that makes a mess every time you pull plants out

I can carefully lift plants from Tropica Soil with minimal clouding of the water - of course if I lift every plant in the tank, it’s going to get cloudy, but a couple large water changes will sort it