Onoma1
Member
I am planning a tank for epiphytes on wood and crypts with a few shrimp, ottos and snails. I will pick up a second hand 60x 35x 40 next week and am accumulating the rest of the bits and pieces slowly from ebay.
When I turned to the seemingly simple task of buying substrate I hit a brick wall. With my first tank I bought my ADA Malaysia substrate from TGM on sale (17 pounds for 9 litres), I don’t think I realised just how good the sale price was. I should have stocked up on the stuff – but I didn’t. I am now having to research the arcane science of substrate selection.
On reading the forum my thought process was as follows:
Akadama would be a good solution (extra hard version) providing an alternative to ADA, then I realised that it used to be a cheap substrate. Then I read about Tesco Value cat litter (non-fragranced) which is just molar clay – which is the main ingredient of most substrates. Then I read about JBL Manado which seemed reasonably priced until I read that it is just expensive Tesco Value cat litter and is difficult to plant in. Anyway, I understand that molar clay is pink/ orange and garish or a tasteful colour of pink (according to your view). Perhaps I should buy alfragog and top it off with a known substrate, however, it’s almost as expensive as substrate? So should I go Walstead and use John Innes 3 mixed with sphagnum moss then capped with sand instead– or just something inert because who cares by this point and lets just go full EI and use really well washed volcanic sand?
At this point flow wasn't occurring.
I would like to use a substrate which looks reasonably natural, can be replanted in and can be reused and doesn’t cost more than the tank (i.e I won’t have to sell a non-essential organ to buy the substrate). I am taking a balanced approach using fertilizer (lean dosing) and want a substrate that can support plant life and doesn't need capping.
Help – comments or advice would be very welcome.
When I turned to the seemingly simple task of buying substrate I hit a brick wall. With my first tank I bought my ADA Malaysia substrate from TGM on sale (17 pounds for 9 litres), I don’t think I realised just how good the sale price was. I should have stocked up on the stuff – but I didn’t. I am now having to research the arcane science of substrate selection.
On reading the forum my thought process was as follows:
Akadama would be a good solution (extra hard version) providing an alternative to ADA, then I realised that it used to be a cheap substrate. Then I read about Tesco Value cat litter (non-fragranced) which is just molar clay – which is the main ingredient of most substrates. Then I read about JBL Manado which seemed reasonably priced until I read that it is just expensive Tesco Value cat litter and is difficult to plant in. Anyway, I understand that molar clay is pink/ orange and garish or a tasteful colour of pink (according to your view). Perhaps I should buy alfragog and top it off with a known substrate, however, it’s almost as expensive as substrate? So should I go Walstead and use John Innes 3 mixed with sphagnum moss then capped with sand instead– or just something inert because who cares by this point and lets just go full EI and use really well washed volcanic sand?
At this point flow wasn't occurring.
I would like to use a substrate which looks reasonably natural, can be replanted in and can be reused and doesn’t cost more than the tank (i.e I won’t have to sell a non-essential organ to buy the substrate). I am taking a balanced approach using fertilizer (lean dosing) and want a substrate that can support plant life and doesn't need capping.
Help – comments or advice would be very welcome.
