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Porous Brown substrate options

Richard Dowling

Richard Dowling

Member
Joined
6 Nov 2010
Messages
417
Location
Kings Hill, Kent
Hi All,

Im in the middle of planning a new tank layout and have ordered cO2, extra lighting etc. Plantwise I have pretty much decided on:

Marsilea hirsuta
Anubias barteri var. nana
Sagittaria platyphylla
Microsorum pteropus (attached to bog root wood)

Im now weighing up my options for substrates. I have been to 2 different pet shops this evening and cannot find anything that looks even half naturalistic!! All they sell is the painted colourful junk!

I was planning on using John Innes Compost No.1, 2 or 3 as a base layer (but couldnt find any garden stores that had that in stock either) and then having a normal aquarium substrate on top. Firstly can anyone suggest whether John Innes 1 2 or 3 is better? or even if there are other cheap options for base layers? I had considered Tetraplant substrate but am now aware that cheaper & effective options are out there.

For my top substrate layer the look im after is a brown (not too bright in colour) porous substrate. I quite like the appearance of Akadama & Fluval Stratum type substrates.

Can anyone advise me of the substrates that are available that give the look that im after? I can be one to rearrange my plants fairly regularly so it cant be too crumbly. I also prefer the smaller grades of substrate (not too large pieces)

Thanks for your help
 
Hi all,
The difference between JI 1,2 & 3 is the amount of fertiliser, JI 2 has twice as much (as JI 1) and JI3 3 x as much.
The fertiliser addition is meant to be "Hoof and Horn" & triple superphosphates, and the formula 7 loam:3 sand: 2 peat.

The commercial versions are usually made from the the soil riddled from potatoes and from sugar beet washing, and the fertiliser cheaper synthetic formulations. Personally I'd stay well away from it. If you have a calcined clay substrate (I like the Tesco light weight cat litter moler clay granules) it has a high CEC anyway, and you don't really need the soil.
I usually add a bit of humus to my substrates as peat or leaf fragments, but it really is a small amount. If you want to add some controlled release fertiliser to the substrate "Osmocote" is fine.

We should have threads on "JI fertiliser" <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=10537>, "cat litter" <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8572> and "Osmocote" <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13353#p139591> if you want to do some more research.

cheers Darrel

cheers Darrel
 
I have ordered a couple of bags of the Tesco's Lightweight Cat litter for my 120l Juwel Lido, Ideally I'd like to leave it uncapped which i know some people do. How much Osmacote should I add to it roughly?
 
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