substrate

I have a 200l tank, and am planning putting some comets in there (probably only three, as that seems to be the max this size tank will hold), and am a bit confused about the best substrate to use, gravel or sand. I have seen people recommend sand in these forums, as this allows the fish to grub...

Hi there I have been having ammonia issues (0.25-0.5) in our established planted 150litre tropical tank for about a month now. There is 0.5 ammonia in our tap water. To deal with this we have started waterchanging with RO water, but this hasn't made much of a difference. Our nitrates are also...

After a look at thread Here, I thought it might be nice to have a discussion about just dirt since dirted tanks have such a mix of understanding and experiences. I am not a soil scientist, but I have taken Soil Science and could play one on TV. My first round of undergrad was Horticulture...

I know a good amount about OUTDOOR gardening, but am learning about aqua-gardening. Since most of the readily available planted tank substrates either look too silly, come in too large a quantity, or cost a LOT, I'm curious if it MUST be used IF I am already adding a little liquid fertilizer to...

Hi there! I'm excited to have found this forum because I'm finding so much conflicting information about substrates that my head is spinning. My grandson and I had a beta in a 5 gal aquarium for 2 years and really enjoyed him. I started adding live plants and loved it. When he passed I got 3...

Hi all, I recently had a good discussion on here about the minimum number that should be kept of particular species and during that discussion discovered that my tank may have some fish that may well be unsuited to the tanks water conditions , hence this new post to try and establish which...

What are the uses of afragog in an aquarium beyond having a large surface area for bacteria? I remember reading it last time and deciding to add it to my tank; however, now I can not find any information about it. Is there anyone else that uses it in their aquariums/filters?

Hi, I have just got a 200l tank and I'm not sure what substrate to use. Some people say hydroton clay balls are best but others say the Seachem Fluorite is best. The tank I got comes with a ton of gravel which I would love to use but I'm not sure if it's good? I dont know the name of it as it...

i did a 80% water change yesterday and cleaned the gravel so i don’t understand. is it snail eggs? I’m going out to buy crustaceans pesticide today because im sick of this

Out of interest, can I see the amount of substrate you put in your tank? Thank you :)

I have a new setup 40 gallon and I was wondering to see if it’s possible to add sand substrate to the gravel I already have in my tank it’s only a few weeks old is this something safe to do I saw a few people on YouTube using plastic water bottles to do it , but my next question would be would...

Hi all, Looking for some thoughts about an idea I had to help my plants root securely into the substrate. I have a sand substrate and have read about using nylon mesh etc to help the roots take hold, however I was wondering if anyone has ever used pond filter sponge? You can buy it in very...

I just learned about a fish expo/swap near me that I hope to be going to. I am not currently looking for any more fish, however I do want to redo my tank soon. I want a more natural look, as at the moment it is all plastic. I would like some opinions and advice on what would be the best...

first time keeper looking for advice!!! planning a ten gal planted aquarium for a betta fish. bought the basics in prep for cycling: 10 gal fluval stratum 8.8 lb test kit flourish tabs gravel vac omega one flakes Fluval 50 watt heater thermometer strip seachem water conditioner Aqueon...

Sorry for the bad quality photo. I’ve set up a new 5gal tank using plant substrate for the first time. Everything in there looks gross and dirty. It’s been about a week since I planted it. The rocks were light and all the plants bright green before planting them kicked up all the dust and it...

I'm currently setting up a low tech 55g aquarium and I'm having trouble with the substrate. To cut to the chase, I'm looking for a black sand that won't be harsh on the cories and other bottom dwellers, but will also be a practical substrate for plants without too much extra care. I've heard...

Hi guys, So I have a 200 litre tank on the way and this will be my first “big” aquarium. I currently have planted tanks that are doing really well with root tabs but I want to make sure that this big one is perfect and low maintenance. I am looking to go with a black gravel substrate and have...

Hi, I have an 8 gallon Biorb Flow tank. I've had it for about a year and a half. I love the tank but I hate the filtration system, and the biorb ceramic substrate is tearing up my current Betta's fins (he likes to sleep on the bottom). So I'm wanting to change up the filtration system and...

Hi again, I'm currently in the process of transferring to live plants and as such have purchased a new substrate (as well as plant fertiliser, ammonia test, new light & hardscape). I have bought a normal gravel substrate to mix with a plant substrate, more specifically Golden Tree Aqua Soil. I...

Hi all, I'm considering putting some Corydoras in my 200 L community tank as there are currently no bottom dwelling fish in there, however I heard sand or finer substrates are best for them. Will they be ok with my aquasoil substrate at the bottom? Or will this be harmful to them when digging...

1- I am going back and forth between HOB, Submersed, or Cannister filter. Can somebody explain to me why whether it is worth it or not to invest in a canister filter over a Fluval C Power Series (HOB)? I understand that canister filters can be customizable but could they cause too much hassle...

Hello, I am starting a 20 gallon long tank for leopard danios and some corydoras catfish. In my extensive research, I've decided to go with sand as my substrate for the catfish, but deciding on the sand proves to be a herculean task. Long story short, I have a ten gallon bag of CaribSea Super...

Hello! I'm new to fish keeping and have been doing my research for a couple of months. Got my tank ordered & done water checks. I'm after a bit of advice about what substrate is best for aquascaping as I'm very interested in this, but I'll also be getting some corydoras so I'll also need...

I’m really interested in aquascaping but I’ve also read a lot of different opinions on what substrate corys need so I’m wondering if there’s something that would work well for my plants AND corys? Do fertilisers for the plants affect the fish in any way? What fertilisers are best? Do I need...

Currently, I have a red sea 240 gallon fish tank complete with 4 reefLED 90 lights with mounting arms, a reefer skimmer 600, and 2 units of reefwave 45. I have a heater on the way along with a circular air stone. I also have all the water tests ready along with all the proper nutrients and...

Hey. I have a tank with a top layer of fluval stratum and a bottom layer of flourite black clay gravel. I put it all in there a while ago because I was trying out the flourite black and then it turned out I needed more substrate. but now I realize that I want to do a better scape and add lava...

Hi everyone! I’m picking up my 250L tank tomorrow and I’m wanting to have a lot of live plants. I’m wondering what would be the best substrate for a planted tank. I wanted to get the Carib sea eco complete but I can’t find it anywhere online. I don’t think any aquarium shops near me sell it...

Hello, I was wondering if there any carpet plants (grass or moss) for gravel substrate?

Hi, everyone. can I take beach sand for example and just boil it to kill any microbes and bacteria in it or should I buy purpose-made sand substrates? I am in need of a sandy bottom in my big tank for barbs like corys.

I have 4 Pepper Corydoras in my unheated 29 gallon tank (temperature stays around 72°F). I plan on adding 2 more so they are more comfortable together. Before that though, I had a question about substrate. I have a planted tank gravel in there now with leaf litter covering most of the bottom...

Look, I have a pretty simple siphon, one that online said it was good for 10 gallon tanks. That might have been at the edge of the range it covered, but it was still in there. I have a 10 gal tank with sand substrate that I need to clean, but the damn thing won't work. I've seen all those...

After about 2 hours of struggling, I’m about to give up. I put it in without cleaning because I’m a beginner, now I’ve emptied EVERYTHING. How do I clean play sand so it doesn’t cloud up so bad? Thanks

Hi! This is my 10 gallon killifish and corycat tank. Everyone is doing well, but I'm having trouble with my plants! I thought I'd really like fluval stratum but I don't... the plants won't stay put. Even in my other tank with 3+ inches of substrate, I'm constantly having to replant. Is there a...

Do Mystery and Ramshorn Snails do well with sand as a substrate? Also, what is the best way to wash sand so that it doesn’t cloud the tank?

So now that I've figured out my plant situation for my tank renovation I need to find substrate suitable for them. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe of my choices (anubias, sword, java fern and moss) only the sword is a heavy root feeder so I'm planning an inert substrate for the budget with...

I'm looking to change substrate in my 55 gallon tank. I'm currently planning on doing it in sections (quarters or thirds) with a divider, waiting a week or two between to allow the new substrate to build up some bacteria before removing more of the old. Would this be an effective, unnecessary or...

Hi, I'm planning to start my first planted aquarium but I have alot of questions even after doing a week of research. I wanna make sure to do this right, so if anyone could answer some of these questions that would be great! 1. What hardy beginner plants can I tie on wood and rocks? Is there...

Hi, I am re-doing my 55 gallon freshwater tank. I want to make it more "river looking" and more realistic this time. I have a gravel substrate and was thinking about adding some live plants. Can I just add them in? Are there only specific types I can add? Or do I need a different...

Hey all! I'm setting up a 10g nano tank right now and found these beauuuutiful looking rocks called "Rosy Cloud Rocks" from Petco, brought them home, rinsed them well in hot water and just plopped them in my tank. I'm really new to this hobby so I didn't even know that rocks can change pH and...

Hi, I have some questions on substrate: 1.Is it worth it to pay for expensive substrate? 2.eco complete or aquasoil? 3. pool filter sand or sand from pet store?