# Substrate choices...



## muddyfox (Mar 3, 2006)

Hi,

I'm setting up a 60 litre planted aquarium and would really like some advice on substrate. At first I thought laterite was the way to go but then I saw the price tag and started looking at other options. At the minute I'm mainly thinking of SeaChem's Flourite or Caribsea's EcoComplete. I like the Flourite because it looks like I might be able to do proper gravel vacuuming with that one, but I like the EcoComplete because it has all the trace elements and plenty of iron + it'll be cheaper. Hmmmm. 

I've never set up a fully planted aquarium before so any advice anyone can give would be really great.

Thanks in advance,

muddy


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## BrianK (Feb 11, 2006)

You may want to try the substrate forum:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/science-of-substrates/

I use EcoComplete and I love it. But I haven't used anything else so my opinion is biased. Just fyi, it will take a day or two after you put in the EcoComplete for it to settle and the water to clear up. Also, if you go digging around in the substrate, you'll get dirt and dust on the leaves of some of your low-to-the-ground plants. Otherwise it's great. It contains the good bacteria to jumpstart the aquarium, plants love it and it holds down plants well. But in my opinion, it is more expensive than some of the other options out there.

I love the way EcoComplete looks though.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

ADA aqua soil cost the same as Fluorite, has an nice dark color and trumps the EC or Flourite in terms of nutrient content and CEC(ability to sorb nutrients in/out of the water column). 

It also just produces better results and allows to grow anything with less effort/skill. It also will never scratch glass etc(it's too soft). Amano, myself, Jeff/Mike Senke, Luis Navarro swear by it with good reason. 

ADG sells it on line. I think is' like 28$ for the Amazonia for enough for a 2x1ft tank(say a 20 gal), and you'd need two bags of Flourite or EC.

Also, you do not need to rinse the ADA soil.

Add a thin dusting/layer of ground peat, some dirty filter sponge squeezings from an established tank(or the vacuumed dirt from an established tank)
and then top with ADA soil.

Plant very heavy from day one.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I've used Fluorite & Eco-complete and they both make good substrates. I've found that Eco is easier to plant in (light weight/rounded gravel) and does not need to be rinsed (less work). 

In the last two tanks I've setup I have used pool filter sand and really really like the stuff. In one tank the sand is on top of laterite and the other tank mixed with Flourite. 

Just a note... You do not need to vacuum gravel in a planted tank as you do in a non-planted tank. The plants use the debris/mulm as a nutrient source.


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## random_alias (Nov 7, 2005)

I currently have 4 aquariums. The first one I started is 100% flourite. The next three were Aquasoil. Those are the only two substrates I have experience with.

Currently, I plan to use Aquasoil in all my tanks from now on. I like it a lot.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

What Trena said. 

Don't place too much stock in nutrients contained in substrates. That goes for all of them. If you fertilize the water column properly, everything will be fine.


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## muddyfox (Mar 3, 2006)

BrianK said:


> You may want to try the substrate forum:
> 
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/science-of-substrates/
> 
> Thanks for that - I've just had a look through various posts there - very useful indeed.


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## muddyfox (Mar 3, 2006)

plantbrain said:


> ADA aqua soil cost the same as Fluorite, has an nice dark color and trumps the EC or Flourite in terms of nutrient content and CEC(ability to sorb nutrients in/out of the water column).
> 
> It also just produces better results and allows to grow anything with less effort/skill. It also will never scratch glass etc(it's too soft). Amano, myself, Jeff/Mike Senke, Luis Navarro swear by it with good reason.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. ADA sounds really good. I think I might go for this rather than the Flourite or EcoComplete. Where can I get the ground peat? Can I just use some peat form a garden centre?

Also, all the photo's I've seen of ADA soil make it look like gravel but the picture of it in the bag it comes in looks more like small bits of charcoal - should I put gravel on top of it, or mix it with gravel, or can I use it just as it is? I was planning to put a small amount of gravel from one of my current tanks at the bottom to kick start my bacterial populations.

Finally, will a 9 litre bag be enough for a 2ft by 1ft tank?

Hmmmmm - Sorry if any of my questions are foolish to more experienced eyes - I'm really new to this planting business.

Many thanks,

muddy


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