I have no doubt this has been asked a thousand times, I've looked through old posts and still can't decide. What is the best substrate for a aquascaping begginer, one that is easy to use, doesn't cloud the tank or alter the chemistry of the water too much. I've read Nutrisoil and Eco complete a few times mentioned as well as a few others. Advice please?
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Which substrate
- Thread starter davdandy
- Start date
ValleyMykel
New Member
It really depends on what you are trying to go for, since aquascaping is more about the art itself and less about trying to optimally grow plants, unless you only want to do iwagumi or dutch where plant growth maters a lot more.
That being said, my vote for any beginner starting on their own has always been sand only substrates with a mix of some humic material, like dead tree leaves or other botanicals. Pool filter sand is the cheapest at 10usd per 50lb bag, or you can go with Black diamond blasting sand for a similar price. (You may have to rinse before hand)
You can boil the leaves first and scatter them on top of the sand, chop them up finely and mix them into the sand, or layer them under the sand with some peatmoss (wet of course). The purpose is to get a nutrient recycling process going in order to create a natural soil substrate that can continue supporting plants without polluting the system.
Sand is inert, and dead tree leaves decay slowly and barely alter the water during its decay while containing most of the needed nutrients that plants need to grow. It will take only a month or so until the broken down nutrients in the sand be ready to start supporting larger root structures for more demanding plants, but most plants don't even require substrate to grow initially. If you stick with a lot of easier stem plants and epiphytes, you can avoid the extensive stabilization phase in the beginning common with bare aquasoils and garden soils and get right to planting and aquascaping.
That being said, my vote for any beginner starting on their own has always been sand only substrates with a mix of some humic material, like dead tree leaves or other botanicals. Pool filter sand is the cheapest at 10usd per 50lb bag, or you can go with Black diamond blasting sand for a similar price. (You may have to rinse before hand)
You can boil the leaves first and scatter them on top of the sand, chop them up finely and mix them into the sand, or layer them under the sand with some peatmoss (wet of course). The purpose is to get a nutrient recycling process going in order to create a natural soil substrate that can continue supporting plants without polluting the system.
Sand is inert, and dead tree leaves decay slowly and barely alter the water during its decay while containing most of the needed nutrients that plants need to grow. It will take only a month or so until the broken down nutrients in the sand be ready to start supporting larger root structures for more demanding plants, but most plants don't even require substrate to grow initially. If you stick with a lot of easier stem plants and epiphytes, you can avoid the extensive stabilization phase in the beginning common with bare aquasoils and garden soils and get right to planting and aquascaping.
OllieTY
Member
Honestly as a beginner I think investing in some good aquasoil is a surefire way to success, even if that's not necessarily the way I would go now
There is a thread on UKAPS by a former member where he tested substrates.
Thread 'Maq's Substrate Experiment'
Maq's Substrate Experiment
Short story was that everything grew just fine in everything. I personally had good success with aqua soil on my first tank.
Thread 'Maq's Substrate Experiment'
Maq's Substrate Experiment
Short story was that everything grew just fine in everything. I personally had good success with aqua soil on my first tank.
MoFish
Member
Personally I started with only inert substrate and regretted it because my plants just didn't seem to grow very well, even after I used root tabs. If you want sand I would definitely suggest using a nutrient rich bottom layer such as tropica substrate, just make sure you cover the nutrient rich bottom layer with the instructed amount of sand or whatever fine inert substrate to avoid the nutrients leaching into your water column. If you want a carpetted aquascape it would be better to use aquasoil.
It all depends on the kind of scape you're after.
In my new tank I've used a mixture of nutrient rich substrate with crush lava rock (towards the back) then topped off with atleast 2-3 inches of aquasoil.
It all depends on the kind of scape you're after.
In my new tank I've used a mixture of nutrient rich substrate with crush lava rock (towards the back) then topped off with atleast 2-3 inches of aquasoil.
Not an problem per se. Just beware that different soils have a tendency to mix over time. Capping something with sand doesn't mean that it will stay down there forever. Some people add aquasoil to mesh bags to avoid this kind of problem. Aquasoil surfacing usually isn't a big deal, it is mostly an aesthetic concern.
Most small fishes enjoy the softer water that the aquasoil provides. Of course you would need to check case by case, but fishes tend to adapt well to these small changes.
If you want a one stop easy solutionTropica soil everytime, easy to use, no ammonia etc.. the article about substrates is still valid although a few years old now.
If you want cheap then search dirt tanks or read the article too.
Eco complete is garbage, save your money.
👍
If you want cheap then search dirt tanks or read the article too.
Eco complete is garbage, save your money.
👍
FrozenShivers
Member
Another vote for Tropica, only aqua soil I’ve tried so far and it’s great.
If going down the aquasoil + sand route you can put the soil in mesh bags as a base layer with a sand cap on top.
Makes it awkward for planting as you need a certain depth to plant rooted plants into (and I did not leave said depth…) saves the aquasoil coming to the surface if you have Corys etc
Makes it awkward for planting as you need a certain depth to plant rooted plants into (and I did not leave said depth…) saves the aquasoil coming to the surface if you have Corys etc
Some particles float, and it's ever so slightly magnetic, so if your glass cleaner drops in, it will be covered with particles.
I have been using it for 4 years. I like it because it doesn't deteriorate and is gentle on the marbles of fish that dig in the substrate. It's also meant to store nutrients - don't know if it really does.
The light weight of it (as mentioned, some particle float) makes it difficult to clean and plant in.
Just another vote for tropica soil, for both high and low tech tanks
Bradders
Member
Does Tropica soil really release no ammonia?
I hope so, because if not, I am trying to cycle a new aquarium on air! 😀
Certainly didn't use to to in any meaningful way..... maybe the recipe has changed?
Just do a planted cycle then you don't need to think about ammonia 👍
Bradders
Member
Thanks @Iain Sutherland. I definitely have a lot of plants in there! Stuck on the nitrite part at the moment after 22 days. More time to wait!
I've been gone a while, are people back to using test kits? 😂🤪
Bradders
Member
Full confession. I never stopped. (Head hung down in shame).
First time planted aquarium cycler. Need reassurance!!
Many didn't, you do you fella 🙏
