# Substrate for low tech tank?



## Pmo (Aug 21, 2007)

Hello,

I'm in the process of setting up a 25 gallon low tech tank for my GF. We havent done anything yet besides clean the tank, but we have been shopping around for gravel. Considering the fact that were both low budget university students, what substrate combination can you guys reccommend that can both look good, as well as provide proper nutrients for root feeding plants? We may DIY co2 the tank sometime in the future.

Thanks


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I like using "_pool filter sand_", which is very cheap around $10 for a 50lb bag. Since it does not have any nutrients you can mix a bag of "_Flourite_" with it or put a layer "_Laterite_" down first, then add the sand. Other wise you can us "_root tabs_" underneath your root feeders.


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## Pmo (Aug 21, 2007)

i heard that sand is not very accommodating when it comes to plant roots, not sure if thats true, wont pool filter sand compact?

Thanks


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Pool filter sand is coarse sand, made not to leach carbonates into the water. It is fine for an aquarium. If you are feeling a bit daring, get some silt from along a river or lake bank, soak it in water for two weeks, then mix that with the bottom half of the sand substrate and top it with more filter sand. I use such a substrate, only mixed with Soilmaster instead of sand, and it is working great - better than any other substrate I have tried.


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## bencozzy (Jun 2, 2006)

i went el' natural with soil master select and peat humus and added a bit of crushed coral to it. i spent under $20.00 and had enough to do several small tanks.

i also have a tank with pool filter sand which i got at meijers for $9 and added seachems flourish tabs to it and the plants are doing great in it as well.

but if you want alot of stem plants or plants that dont have much of a root system it would be easier to plant and do maintance with the pool filter sand, SMS is fairly light.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

SMS is a bit difficult to plant in and keep the stem plants from floating out. But, when I mixed it with river silt that problem went away. I haven't had a single plant float out yet.

Tom Barr did some testing of several substrates with one species of plant to see what the growth differences would be. Just about the best results were with SMS and with SF Bay delta silt. He was testing ADA aquasoil as one of the substrates! These are very preliminary results, with only one plant species and only one set of tests, so the results are only suggestive, at best. But, those results did make me happy I tried SMS plus river silt. I had asked him if he expected that combination to work, before I tried it. He was enthusiastic about it, probably because he already had his test results by then.


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