# sand capping



## killacross (Apr 29, 2010)

so...Im about to do a big rework on a tank and essentially simplify and reduce the number of plants

I had a question about sand capping a fertile base layer...
planning to grow dwarf hairgrass/dwarf sagittaria/amazon swords/blyxa japonica with plastic borders topped with rocks


do you plant the plants in fertile substrate and THEN cap with sand aka 
PLANT then CAP?

or CAP then PLANT?

...any insight will be much appreciated


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## nokturnalkid (Feb 27, 2007)

Put the sand on top and then plant. The roots will eventually make their way to the more fertile substrate. What are you going to put as your bottom layer? If it's something of a bigger granule size(aquasoil, fluorite, etc.), the bottom substrate may tend to mix with the sand.


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## killacross (Apr 29, 2010)

I have pure ActivFlora (floragems- about litter granule size) right now as my substrate...but wanted to have the look of something finer, more uniform and "cleaner" for the bottom


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## killacross (Apr 29, 2010)

well...I sand capped...and when all was said and done...didnt like it

first the bacteria EXPLOSION that caused me to have a tank full of milk water...which after a few water changes...eventually went away overnight which is like the greatest feeling. I was sooo close to jus saying F-it and starting again from scratch after bleach/ammonia/nuclear bombing the whole thing!

then the plant roots couldnt penetrate it well enough so I had a whole lot of chainsword plants with daughter plants resting on the surface

the sand was an algae MAGNET (which my otos loved) but eventually...the beautiful clean look that it offered was littered with fish poop and the like....so...

gravel vacced out the sand...put my fish in a storage bin....drained the tank...mixed the substrate (omg the smell!) and redid my tank leaving the ActivFlora as my substrate with the larger granules and all

...after my exp. with sand capping...I LOVE large grained substrate again!

I think Ill leave it this way for about 5-6 months...then upgrade the lighting and rearrange stuff then...but for now...I like it-which is what matters!


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