# Your thoughts on commercially available substrates



## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Hey folks,

Those who know me know I've done a lot of research into aquatic plant substrates and have used many different kinds; both purchased and "homebrewed". I'm curious about some things on a hobby level and would like to ask everyone for their thoughts. What commercially produced substrates do you prefer, and why? This includes everything you can buy to put plants in from straight pool filter sand all the way up to the full-on ADA substrate system with all the additives. The only thing I'd like to not discuss here is MTS, as it deserves its own discussion (and already has many). I'm asking for peoples' experiences and personal opinions. Because everyone's experiences and opinions are different and equally valid, please refrain from trying to make a point as to why your thoughts are better. I'm simply curious to hear what people in the hobby think about substrates these days.

Of all the commercial substrates I've used in the past I like Flourite and Aqua Soil the best; for different reasons. The tinkerer in me loves Flourite because it's inert and lasts a long time. That means I can play with all sorts of different water column supplementation regimens without concern for nutrients in the substrate biasing observations/results. Because it's so durable I got my money's worth. Back in the day it was super expensive for a substrate! 

I have a love/hate relationship with ADA's stuff. I hate the stuff for the first three months but love it after it's settled down and behaves properly. The size, texture, and softness make it easy to work with and provide a fantastic home for my plants' roots. Because it provides a source of nutrition for the tank I also like the stability it provides over an inert substrate that requires constant supplementation to maintain water column nutrient balance. In that regard it's a lot more forgiving. Plus, it's Cory and Loach friendly. 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Yesterday I bought a 50 lbs bag of Black Magic Coal Slag. It cost 7 bucks. I used it as a cap, though I know a number of people who use it alone. It is a great black color if you like black. One thing I would say right now is that it is the easiest substrate I have ever planted in.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

If you find a way to sell a substrate with the understanding of how it should be used it will establish itself as the favorite substrate for most folk. ADA has failed to provide clear knowledge how to use AquaSoil (failed to recognize that the internet is the main driver of the hobby in the US). People get AquaSoil and do not understand why it makes Ammonia and why it clouds their tanks. Plus consistency has been an issue.

Truth is you can get any inert substrate, use some peat, some active carbon, and some granular fertilizer and you will have the best, cleanest tank you ever had with minimal maintenance. But it is about knowing how to use the substrate. That is what I am talking about - stress on the know-how, not the "new amazing product".


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

All commercial aquarium substrates are too expensive for this stingy aquarist to try!


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

*Niko*,

Do you have any thoughts on substrates that are purely commercially produced that you've used straight out of the bag? I know you've tried a lot of stuff.

*Michael*,

Some people like Boone's Farm or Schlitz, and some of us have more refined tastes. Either that or we've got more money than sense.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I used and love ADA Amazonia. I like the fluval stratum and Colombo florabase (I know the second is repacked controsoil and I guess fluval is as well). They are just like amazonia but with less nutrients. This means less cloudy etc. but means adding extra ferts to the water as well. I still prefer this over regular gravel. No scratching the glass, better for my bottomdwellers and because it is clay based, lots of nutrients attach to it and it provides a great surface for bacteria as well.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

*BruceF*,

Thank you!

*Yo-han*,

Would you go into more detail about how the Stratum and Florabase have performed for you over a long period of time; 6 months or more?


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## AquaBarren (Nov 6, 2009)

I've only used two since entering the hobby...Aquasoil and Eco-Complete. 

I Ike both. Plants have grown very well in both. I dose the column moderately with both. Eco-complete is very easy to work with and since aquasoil depletes eventually, Eco loaded with root tabs is an easy way to go with no substrate-induced challenges.

I may use AS in my next re-build to bring ph and hardness down some, but when there's no need for that, I really like Eco.

Eco seems to have held up better over time in terms of appearance, but got me the bigger eyesore with both has been the accumulation of other things such as snail shells. 

I'm a lightweight in experience compared to many of you though, but time is short for me and time previous, so I lean towards easy. Cheaper would be nice though.


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## OlWolf (Sep 29, 2013)

Can anyone tell me what's different between the Plant Stratum and the Shrimp Stratum?


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## RobertD (Oct 20, 2013)

I have been using eco-complete for about a year and a half now in a small planted tank. I wanted to experiment with it. On the plus side- it looks great in the tank and holds it's original color well. Plants do grow well in this sub. On the negative side- it is a nightmare to plant foreground plantlets in. Plant them today and when you get up in the morning many of them will be floating on top of the tank. Try replanting them and you'll up-root others. You can only plant these little plantlets so deep and there is only small stems to plant- eco-complete isn't fine enough to grab and hold. 

The Amono ADA system has various layers and medium sizes. One in particular is a very fine mix that you can top off with. It actually works very well for planting tiny foreground plants. When you push the plant down into the foreground the little particles fall down on top of it and anchor the plant.

I have thought about this solution but have not tried it - many others have advised against it- that is - sprinkling a fine layer of black sand over the top of the eco-complete. I am pretty confident it would make foreground planting a breeze but it would eventually work it's way to the bottom.

Other than using plants that can be used for foreground plants that can be attached to slate and/or grids- has anyone discovered helpful methods to solve the planting problems with the eco-complete? Your thoughts will be appreciated.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Phil, if you are including commercial but non-aquarium products, my favorite is Safe-T-Sorb (STS), a Fuller's earth product sold for absorbing spilled liquids. It is cheap, widely available (Tractor Supply and Amazon), very porous, high cation exchange capacity, easy to plant in, and reasonably attractive (in my opinion). It is pH neutral, but will reduce hardness in a new tank. The main disadvantage is that it is dusty, and never washes clean. New tanks almost always show some cloudiness, but this settles out in a day or two or can be removed quickly with mechanical filtration. Once in the tank, it does not produce excessive cloudiness when disturbed. I have it in a tank with ocellated shell dwellers--those little fish can really dig, but the tank stays clear.

I am a soil substrate fanatic, but I have set up tanks with STS as the sole substrate in most or all of the tank. It performed very well without soil, even with my no-fertilizer methods.

Here is a thread from one of our very experienced members about a STS-only tank: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/journals/88653-roys-10-gallon-low-tech-journal.html


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Anything that can be used as a substrate in a planted tank that is commercially available, but is not a potting mix/top soil, counts in this thread. I'm trying to get a compilation of peoples' experiences with different materials for folks to look at when thinking about a commercially available substrate.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I like fluorite. The stuff looks good, never breaks down and is inert. Also has a decent gravel size (slightly on the larger side but still ok).

Flora base was nice but I didn't use it very extensively. It seemed to help de-stress my discus fish.


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

I've tried others over the years, but I'd like to talk about a couple I've spent a LOT of time with:

I started this hobby with Schultz (clay based high CEC substrate available at most home improvement stores, very similar to clay based cat litter and similar low cost alternatives) and built a pretty cool first planted tank: 









I had a cement over styrafoam paludarium attached to that thing as a sump. They were small planting pockets, also filled with Schultz. 









I had several complaints about this stuff: it's really light (at least the first several months) and I spent SOOOO much time replanting as I established ground cover. It took me a while to realize that cost adds up, too. I hate light substrate now. (I have used Flourite, the baseball stuff, etc I have aquired over the years for nanos).

The stuff I REALLY like is Aquasoil and Red Sea Florabase. I actually prefer Florabase because I think the color is nicer. Here's a pic of a mix (the Florabase is the lighter color stuff). 

















































That tank and others using Aquasoil and Florabase were AWESOME because the substrate HELPED me. It's a saftey net that feeds roots (which means plants that establish faster) even if I messed up dosing.

I am a strong proponent that acidic based environments are better for almost all types of plants. In a place like where I live (very hard tap water), investing in substrate is a much lower investment than, say, RO or DIY (time is money) or other alternatives. For this reason, I am very happy to pay a premium for exotic soil if it is the right soil. But I'm also the type who doesn't mind a tank with a frame for $1/gallon, I just allocate my funds in a certain way (a disclaimer for the budget aware, because I am also aware of my hobby budget and suggest you think about where to invest money) 

But I also like plain old dirt Walstad tanks. And the stuff emersed in the paludarium above were in pots with plain old soil and peat.

The investment in quality/great soil means less investment in the water column dosing and replanting. Think about that time, and that quality/great soil starts looking cheaper fast.

I think a company willing to sell an out of the box solution that provided nutrients (macros and micros) in a great color that was easy to plant in that was easier to obtain for a cheaper price than the competitors would *totally* disrupt this hobby. It has to be easy to target the beginner: tell them how much they need for their standard sized tank and they just pour it in.

Again, 2 cents.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

i use to use unwashed 30# mesh sand, it was basicly stuff dredged out of the sacramento river delta, worked great, just took 4 or 5 fills to get rid of the chocolate milk. look awesome as well.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

I like Flourite because it doesn't break down, but I don't like it because it is too big (the black is a nice size though) and too jagged. The jagged shape doesn't bode well for the glass of the tank or the roots of the plants. 

I like Aquasoil once it is established, but the constant water changes in the beginning are a PITA. If someone made a similar substrate, but baked it longer so it didn't crumble as easily and didn't release as much initial NH4 I'd be all over it. 

I wanted to try the Brightwell substrate, but good luck finding it and the few instances I have read of people who found it it was something crazy like $60 a bag for the larger bags!


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## AKnickolai (Nov 30, 2007)

Other than some headaches with keeping plant roots buried long enough for them to really grab in, I'm finding Turface to be the most impressive substrate I've used so far. I've over come the rooting issue using small pots filled with regular gravel or mixing in 50/50 with aquarium gravel. I'd say the 50/50 mix is my favorite so far, seems to get the best of the CEC from the Turface and planting/rooting is almost as good as 100% gravel.

I've recently started several experiment (inspired by ukamikazu's recipe) tanks using clay/dirt from my backyard, some osmocote, humus, azomite, activated carbon, with Turface as an additive and cap. These tanks are doing great as well, but are non CO2 and lower light, so I'd say at least a year wait is on order to solidify the results.


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## Wphan (Apr 9, 2010)

I personally think their over price but as long as they work I'm happy with it.


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