Hey guys .
I'm totally new to this forum but not new to the planted tank scene, I have been using the planted tank forum but those Americans are not really helpful in the slightest so decided to come here
This is my 1st post on this forum
I am planning a total re-scape/substrate etc etc and gutting my whole tank and starting fresh,
I need to know what everybody is using as their substrate ,
The more I have been looking into it the more choices there are , currently I use miracle grow (organic) capped with black sand,
at the moment i have been running on a low tech(2 years so out with the old and in with the new) on a 100cmx30x40
1x gieseman t5ho 24watt (Hagen glo)
Sera co2 reactor 500 on 0.5 bps (pressurised with 2stage reg +sol)
Very low doesage of dry ferts
no algae blooms etc etc since day one but I want to do something more creative and a little more work, so I have upgraded my light and built my own led fixture , works a treat and tested it out and my plants pearled within seconds (they never attempted it once with just 1 t5ho)
Also Going to use the 4 in 1 atomiser, so if anybody is interested in buying the sera , let me know
The only thing holding me back is the substrate, I want to get it right .
I am not sure what to use , I don't mind forking out for Ada but is it beneficial and or worth the extra cost to say what I have done already ??
I don't want to use sand again , it's too fine and compact. I can get hold of the black diamond blasting grit as a cap.
I read good and bad things about Ada /flora base/Eco-c/fluorite
I've looked at akadama and say cat litter but I again have read good and bad things,
Then there is soil/dirt capped ,
I am a bit torn apart so anybody out here can shed some light it will be highly appreciated
Thanks in advance
I'm totally new to this forum but not new to the planted tank scene, I have been using the planted tank forum but those Americans are not really helpful in the slightest so decided to come here
This is my 1st post on this forum
I am planning a total re-scape/substrate etc etc and gutting my whole tank and starting fresh,
I need to know what everybody is using as their substrate ,
The more I have been looking into it the more choices there are , currently I use miracle grow (organic) capped with black sand,
at the moment i have been running on a low tech(2 years so out with the old and in with the new) on a 100cmx30x40
1x gieseman t5ho 24watt (Hagen glo)
Sera co2 reactor 500 on 0.5 bps (pressurised with 2stage reg +sol)
Very low doesage of dry ferts
no algae blooms etc etc since day one but I want to do something more creative and a little more work, so I have upgraded my light and built my own led fixture , works a treat and tested it out and my plants pearled within seconds (they never attempted it once with just 1 t5ho)
Also Going to use the 4 in 1 atomiser, so if anybody is interested in buying the sera , let me know
The only thing holding me back is the substrate, I want to get it right .
I am not sure what to use , I don't mind forking out for Ada but is it beneficial and or worth the extra cost to say what I have done already ??
I don't want to use sand again , it's too fine and compact. I can get hold of the black diamond blasting grit as a cap.
I read good and bad things about Ada /flora base/Eco-c/fluorite
I've looked at akadama and say cat litter but I again have read good and bad things,
Then there is soil/dirt capped ,
I am a bit torn apart so anybody out here can shed some light it will be highly appreciated
Thanks in advance