# Best substrate for crypts?



## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

I've been having not-so-good luck trying to raise crypts in flourite. Is there something else I should be using?

(Many of my other plants do quite well in this.)


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## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

I have heard of a couple:

ADA Aquasoil

Mineralized top soil: How to Mineralize Soil Substrates for Planted Aquariums

Hope this helps!

-kakkoii


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## Adragontattoo (Jun 3, 2007)

I have raised crypts in

regular gravel (dont try this, too hard to do without a ton of work)
Schultzs Aquatic (Add Jobes plant sticks every few months and no complaints at all)
Eco Complete (works best for me so far)

I will have my mineralized soil ready by the end of the month it looks like. Check what Ghazanfar Ghori uses to grow crypts, I have seen his tank in person, it scares me.


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## tkos (Oct 30, 2006)

I have my crypts in pea gravel. But it is a well established tank with a strong mulm layer. They grow quite well, though slowly (of course this is a low tech setup).


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Mine do really well in soil under eco complete. Especially in tanks that have been set up for at least a year and the longer the tank has been set up the better. So, ummm, pre-aged substrate?


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

My C. Wendti grow crazy in the shultz aquatic soil. I just mixed it with pea gravel from walmart, but I don't know how this works for some of the more sensitive crypts.

I am actually going to try turning my 55 gal into a crypt tank, and I'm trying to find a good substrate as well. I need something that will support all types of crypts. Also how much substrate do you need for a 55 gal? I want to get a nice thick bed.


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## V.PooH (Apr 25, 2008)

I'm using top soil+ 1/5 peat moss+ clay, covered it by gravel. Best soil(it's my opinion) is from forest, because doesn't has a lot organic compare to top soil which you can buy in the store. It's very rich substrate, but take a lot of time to prepare and start aquarium( it's decrease ph during first 4 weeks). If you do everything right with soil, it's will be enough for 3-5 years, and doesn't need co2 injection, and crypt love it


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## Mud Pie Mama (Jul 30, 2006)

My own top choice for crypts are Shultz Aquatic Planting Soil, followed by SMS - SoilMaster Select. These are very similar products : kiln fired clay. They are much lighter in weight than Flourite with a very high CEC. When I uproot any crypt from these tanks I am always astonished at the large, healthy and vigorous root systems. Happy roots; happy tops.

I've also run tanks w/ Flourite; mineralized topsoil capped w/ Flourite; mineralized topsoil capped w/ Eco-complete; just Eco-complete; just pool-filter sand; and plain pea gravel - w/ water column dosing (of course). None of these produce as vigorous growth on my crypts.


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

Interesting.....I have had the most dreadful crypt growth with crypts grown in Schultz Aquatic Soil as well as Crypts grown in Tahitian Moon Sand. With Schultz Aquatic Soil, they have only put out a few pathetic leaves and appear to be just barely hanging on. With the Tahitian Moon Sand, the crypts melted and never recovered. I experienced and best Crytpt growth using Seachem Onyx Sand Capped over a sprinkling of schultz aquatic soil, crushed seachem root ferts, dusting of garden peat moss.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I've got C. wendtii growing fabulously in something called "Freshwater Planted Aquarium Substrate". (And that was even before the DIY CO2 and excel). I have no idea what this stuff is made of, but it's from aquariumplants.com (their own special substrate they came up with). It reminds me of Flourite, but it's all grey/black in color and very light weight.

-Dave


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

davemonkey said:


> ... I have no idea what this stuff is made of, but it's from aquariumplants.com (their own special substrate they came up with)....
> 
> -Dave


It is alllegedly nothing more than Soil Master Select relabelled. If you can still a supplier of Soil Master Select, you can get it for a fraction of the aquariumplants dot com substrate.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Homer_Simpson said:


> It is alllegedly nothing more than Soil Master Select relabelled. If you can still a supplier of Soil Master Select, you can get it for a fraction of the aquariumplants dot com substrate.


That's interesting, and I guess I'm not very surprised. Actually, if I start another aquarium I think I want something a little 'heavier'. Although it has done a good job with my plants, this stuff is too light for me. I have trouble keeping new stems down (hyper-active Pictus Cat) for awhile and when I siphon or add new water I have to be VERY careful.

Is the Shultz pretty much the same?


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

davemonkey said:


> ...Is the Shultz pretty much the same?


Yeah, the Schultz Aquatic Soil is the same, but IME it grew the plants the same as fluorite when I tried both side by side. If I were to setup another tank and was going to use Schultz, I would use a mixture of 75% Schultz Aquatic Soil with 25% Pool Filter Sand, Fluorite Black Sand or pea size aquarium gravel to give it some weight. Otherwise I would just use a 1/4" layer of Schultz Aquatic soil mixed with some crushed some root fert tabs, dusting of peat moss, leonardite, and mulm overlaid with fluorite black sand, seachem onyx sand, or pool filter sand. I found I had lots of success with this kind of layering and the plants put out deep thick roots into the substrate.

For the Soil Master Select, I read that people used a layer of laterite, overlaid with the Soil Master Select. If the plants root into the laterite then it could help keep them better anchored.


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## DanD5303 (Oct 12, 2004)

I think its more important to match the species of crypt you're growing to the hardnes of your water than to the substrate. I've had great growth in Flourite, and in several other substrates, but only with hard water crypts. Blackwater crypts need low pH and soft water. They won't grow submersed in any type of substrate for me, as my water is very hard. Dan


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Ruki,

I have 100% original flourite and I had wendtii green that got cyrpt melt and never really did much so I yanked it and later got some wendtii brown (I think this is what it is) that is growing like crazy. Now the green is sending up plants that I figure is from roots left behind. However, they do not grow as well as the brown.

I dont think the problem is the flourite. More likely lighting and/or water parameters. They are finicky plants.


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## Nelumbo74 (May 2, 2008)

Crypts grow like crazy for me in Flourite.


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