A Choice Of Substrate

[MstrLinks]

I'm almost ready to cycle my freshwater tank. Now the last thing to decide is what substrate I should use. Recently I decided perhaps I should use a couple of plants. Generally which substrate is vital for the growth of plants? Is it just Vermiculite & Laterite?

Also let's say I get the right substrate for plants but than I decide not to get any plants at time (but maybe in the future) would it still be okay to use just that gravel with just my fish?

 

[john starkey]

Hi firstly i think you should give some thought as to what you want to acheive with your tank because 1) if you decide to go fully planted low tech,medium tech,or high tech, all require different lighting levels, some plants grow faster than other plants and some plants need stronger lighting and so on , there is a large choice of substrates for planted tanks available, i suggest you read the pinned articles at the top of this page they will help you decide what you want, dont be put off by all the jargon in the pinned threads people on this forum will help you as much as they can good luck john.