# So many choices..so little tank space.



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

Hi!
I'm having a bit of a problem picking a substrate.
In my old 55 I used flourite mixed with regular smaller sized river stones..bad idea.
The growth was good I'm not downing flourite at all good stuff!
But I think a new tank calls for a different sub.
My options have been narrowed down to Eco or Aquasoil.

**Proposed New Tank Setup**
65 gal
110 watt CF (1.6wpg)
malaysian "similiar" setup
crypts.
rasboras.
*************

Price really isn't a big deal and seeing how both subs are about the same it doesn't matter anyways.

I've heard lots of good things about both but aquasoil keeps pulling at me.
How will it last before it needs to be replaced. Or can it be renewed with ferts..fish poop..food etc?
also how thick should the sub be?

thanks
-matt


----------



## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

Moo- Aqua Soil can last a very long time. Now, if you are one to really get in there and mix things up, uproot plants a lot and such, you might want to think about Eco instead. That's not to say you cannot uproot and re-work your layout with Aqua Soil-- quite the contrary. But the overall appraoch is a little different. You want to take it easy with the major revampings. And when you do want to rework a layout, it's a good idea to be prepared to add a little new Aqua Soil as a sort of top dressing. There's a great article in this months TFH magazine about the very subject. I think you wouod find the overall benfit to plant growth and water parameters to be better with Aqua Soil too. 

Depth should be around 3" + on average, so for your tank (65 gal.) 4 9 liter bags would get it. I do recommend Power sand if you want to really take advantage of the full benefit of the ADA system. You would need 1 6liter bag of Power Sand SPECIAL "M".


----------



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

hey thanks for that reply.
As far as the "hand in the fish bowl" I don't like doing that.
I really dislike major rescapes.
And I only plan on have a lightly planted biotope malaysian tank. So a few here and there with driftwood and rock in going be about the extent.
Thanks again for that reply!
-moo


----------



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

Would it be the same amount of i plan to sculpt the terrain? I'm planning to do about 4" in the back and mabey 2 or so in the front.
Then again I guess for $200 I could do with flatness.lol

Is the power sand essential? I mean Yeah I guess if you're going to spend 150 for the substrate then whats another 50 right?
But my other selection was something a little less senstive then crypts.
Anubias...was going to be a close second. low light easy care. Do these get more nutrients from the water-column or the substrate?

With either one I'm not planning on planting very heavily. Actaully I wanted the focal point to be several pieces of driftwood. And then some and as few as possible plants growing on and around it with a few background plants.

Is there something I can subsitute for the power sand? mulm? other sub mixes? root tabs?


----------



## [email protected] (May 12, 2005)

Especially in the layout scenario you describe, the Power Sand is not essential. I would still recommend it for long-term stability of the substrate. If not then I would use some mulm though-- that's always good. 

Quantity-wise, I think an extra bag might be worth considering if you want to do some nice terrain.


----------



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

I may consider using the power sand. With out doubt going to use the Aquasoil, but def going to sludge on the mulm.
And most certainly 5 bags of soil.


----------



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

when you say long term....can you give any roundabout numbers?
considering this tank will be "lightly" planted.


----------



## mazakman (May 10, 2006)

I was told that the power sand is a better place for bacteria to grow for all the stuff that fillers through the Aqua soil. Kind of acts like the biological filter media you would put in a canister filter. It has very small holes in it for the bacteria to grow. I put in the power sand middle and then put the Aqua soil around it so you don't see it from the side.


----------



## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

What other plants aside from anubias will you be using? And will these actually be rooted or planted onto the driftwood? If they are all attached to driftwood it kind of seems like a waste of money to go with such an exspensive substrate for a lightly planted tank.


----------



## Moo (Apr 27, 2006)

honestly, it appears that my plan change daily.
I guess for a more visiual approach this tank
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=333&c=1
I hope they don't mind me linking that pic.
But honestly that tank is awesome. Simple elegance, realistic-ish.
That looks like some variation of mosses and java ferns and val plant.
I'm sure we could critique the heck out of it, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder isn't it?

I've been using this site http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php
as a guide aiming for plants listed mainly in the low to medium/low category.
I mean 1.6wpg isn't exactly blinding. I think most of those will work alright.

I really like that tank that I linked to. I want to do some variation of that. But same basic layout.

I've been weighing the options of eco and aquasoil.
Since it seems to be that this powersand is essentially a very coarse but small grained material that mabey I could replicate this somehow? A inert but very hospitable substance for bacteria. Basically a dirt trap. possibly crushed cermic rings? or extremly fine grained crushed inert rock, or simply inert sand.
I plan on doing a layer of peat mulm and mabey this replicated material that i have yet to figure out, then the eco. And plant tabs.

As I mentioned it's not going to be densly planted at all.

Wow...the science of substrates..nature works simple unbelievable wonders doesn't it?


----------

