# Name brand substrate selection



## asheron2 (Oct 25, 2006)

Hey all, I have used Eco complete and Flora base in the past, both yielding good results. 

My question is, out of all the name brand substrates; Eco-Complete, Flourite, Onyx, Aquasoil, which has the most nutrients and good stuff for the plants in it. Ive been able to find the contents for all of Seachems products, but what about everyone elses? Anything helps as i am currently setting up a new aquarium and cant make up my mind.

Thanks


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

If you do water column fertilizing you don't need nutrients in the substrate. But, if you want to use root feeding ADA's aquasoil seems to be the agreed upon best substrate. I don't worry about root feeding, so I haven't tried the ADA product.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

ADA Aquasoil's composition and chemical breakdown is unknown. However, it is a peat, clay mixture packed with a variety of nutrients that will help your plants grow well. The other substrates (Eco Complete, Flourite, Onyx) are fairly inert gravels and do not provide as much nutrients as Aquasoil does. In each choice, water column fertilization is recommended and beneficial.

Here's a neat little chemical comparision between Eco Complete and Flourite that Newt created a while back via MS Excel in this original thread.










-John N.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

John N. said:


> The other substrates (Eco Complete, Flourite, Onyx) are fairly inert gravels and do not provide as much nutrients as Aquasoil does.


Just how inert is eco complete? Is it even worth buying, or would one get just as good of growth by using something like sand and just dosing the water column?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I have been reading people's comments about substrates for several years now, and it looks to me like the only commercial substrate that definitely helps plants to grow better is ADA's Aquasoil. Except for that one, my impression is that you can pick your substrate based on how you like the way it looks, and by using water column fertilizing you will get about the same results for all of them. If you want to use as little water column fertilizing as you can get away with, then there are advantages to a substrate that has good cation exchange properties and can supply some of the iron needed by the plants. Flourite would be a good choice based on that, as would laterite under other substrates.

Other people will undoubtably have different opinions.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

hoppycalif said:


> Other people will undoubtably have different opinions.


No doubt.

I'm asking because I'm about to set up a 75G and have been toying with the idea of using sand instead of eco complete.

Doing this would cost me under $10 as opposed to spending almost $200 on the eco.

I ran some searches on using sand but I never seem to be satisfied until I get some direct opinions from you most experienced ones.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I usually stay away from responding to threads that ask if Aquasoil should be chosen over some other substrate. There is nothing better than Aquasoil and if you want a cheap substrate don't waste your money and just get inert gravel for $10 a 50# bag and add some peat and laterite to it. 

Aquasoil has one huge advantage over all the other substrates - it keeps the roots in a stable acidic environment. Such conditions naturally develop in an established tank but by then the hobbyist has usually gone through hell and back fighting all sorts of problems. Florabase also maintains an acidic environment but it tends to disintegrate over time. Anything else than Aquasoil is just a hyped up bag of dirt. Plants will eventually grow in very much any substrate but Aquasoil Amazonia is the way to go.

--Nikolay


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

Thank you niko. 

Perhaps the ADA substrate is going to be the way to go.


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

"get inert gravel for $10 a 50# bag and add some peat and laterite to it."

I use peat, manure and powderd red potters clay under 5" of (free) fine beach sand. While I've never tried the ADA stuff, I've never found anything nearly as good as this mix. It's unreal how well it grows stuff. Tom Barr has suggested (and rightly so) the manure be either soaked for 3 weeks in the sun in water or boiled to mineralize the ammonia. I didn't do this and had no troible but I packed a LOT of sand on it. I got this recipe (sans clay) from Dorothy Reimer who is the one that inspired Diana Walsted to do her thing.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I have heard many good things about ADA aquasoil and will consider this with my next large tank. I really like flourite and Seachem has finally released black flourite...........choices, choices.

I have heard that aquasoil can breakdown (crumble) and the nutirents are used up in a short peiod of time (several years of use), also that it is quite light and it can be difficult to keep plants down while they root in. Has anyone heard of these issues???


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I've updated my spreadsheet to include Onxy.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

Has anyone tried laying down a layer of powersand and then finishing the rest of the substrate off with something else. 

Perhaps something inert? 

I was thinking of doing this with soilmaster select..

Thoughts?


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