# aquariumplants.com substrate?



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

anybody try this?
http://www.aquariumplants.com/www.a...Aquarium_Plant_Substrate_p/ss.htm?Click=14303


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## ngb2322 (Apr 9, 2008)

It says...
"Used with our exclusive "Aquariumplants.com's own Substrate Fertilizer Pellets" we GUARANTEE success".
I am a little confused about this, because if the substrate is really what they claim it is...and i quote....Used as a complete system with our exclusive: AQUARIUMPLANTS.COM'S own "Substrate Vitalization System", (and proper water conditions, lighting etc), we guarantee total success of your planted aquarium. (if you follow our recommendations and purchase your equipment & plants from us)....it would not need fert pellets.
Sounds like they are just trying to sell as much as possible, but I have never used it so I will hold back my judgement.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Several years ago someone brought this to a meeting and it looked like Soil Master Select, Charcoal. 
With the other info, that it has some fertilizers, it may be possible to replicate this with either SMS or Turface, add some Laterite under it, perhaps some peat and voila!

I have not used the product itself, but I do have several tanks set up with SMS and Eco Complete, or SMS and peat, and other tanks with Turface and some other things. One is Turface and Coral Sand. Another is Turface and Eco Complete. 

Some tanks have either SMS or Turface in the back, and a band of sand out front. The sand is much heavier and sifts its way under the SMS. When I built a retaining wall with rock and expanding foam it worked to keep the sand in its area, but the Turface or SMS got blown over on top of the sand. Easy enough to separate (gravel vac or simply fanning it by hand) but a nuisance.

Plants do not stay down in it very well. These are rather lightweight products. If the plant has any tendency to float I find I need to put a rock on top of the roots even though they are well buried, until the plant gets going. 

Soil Master Select and Turface will both remove the KH from the water. The tank that has Turface + Coral Sand does not have this problem. 
In other tanks where the KH is being removed I have been adding baking soda for 6+ months, and it finally quits, and the KH (and pH) stabilize.

These products do have a high CEC (Cationic exchange capacity) so once the fertilizer is in there, the plants can get it. 

Fish that burrow have an easy time, practically swimming through these materials.


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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

I have been using it in my tank since I started and I like it. It's been a year and it still looks good. Some plants do have a tendency to float up but they root well after a little while. You can see it in the Aquascaping forum under "50 gallon rescape."


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## king oz (Jun 27, 2007)

I used it too on one of my tanks it works just fine for me, like stated above getting new clippings to stay down is a little hard until they root it is pretty light stuff.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Thanks for the comments. Not sure I like the sounds of the lightness of it.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Not much in it that would benefit plants. Very low in macros and micros. It is mostly silica and aluminum oxides.


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## MARIMOBALL (Jun 20, 2007)

From what I read in other threads it "is" soil master select. So save some money and get the Turface cuz SMS is discontinued . The same company makes Shultz aquatic plant substrate sold at home Depot for about $6. if you want to add root tabs then get seachem or pfertz root tabs.


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