A Little Advice On A Low Maintenance Low Cost Substrate

[Jules H-T]

Wow, a member here for years and my first post in this section! Hello everyone!

My plants have been crap in all tanks I have kept, mostly because I've stuck with UGFs in addition to other filtration, and always had gravel. I'm just about to move house and at the same time upgrade my tank (to a 5*2*2.5).

I'm ditching the UGF but keeping the powerhead for flow.

What I'm looking at is a change of substrate. I was going to move to sand, and leave it at that. However I wouldn't mind encouraging some plant growth. We're not talking "planted tank" in the sense that lots of users mean, and I don't want a high maintenance aquatic flora display, I just hope to allow plants to survive. I've been reading some of the threads in here on all the varieties of compounds available and layers of this and that and felt and what have you, but I don't want to get into that sort of level of complexity. I do not want a substrate that ever needs replacing, is going to risk rotting, or has a special care requirements.

Am I going to be OK with sand on it's own? Is there any value in soaking some compost or other compound and laying that before the sand? Do I need some boundary felt (and in 2 years will this be rotten, the whole thing mix up, and I end up with a massive pain in my arse)?

How will my khuli loaches (and other loaches, and potentially a pair of corys) come into play in the decision making process?

Low cost, low hassle, adequate for low care plants is the objective. What's your advice please?

Thanks,

Jules.

 

[plantbrain]

2-3 mm sand works quite well.
I think you need to focus specifically on your routine, habits and goal here.
Then you can approach the issue better.

What amount of plant growth rate do you want?
How much time/work/labor can you devote to it each week, month etc?
How much gardening do you want to do?
Plant types?
Fish and fish load?

Main point here is to see if CO2 is right for you.
It may not be depending on your goal.

Sediment can be added but there are a few simple tricks to keeping it running well(and certainly without felt).
Main thing is a tank this size should be done right from the start.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Jules H-T]

OK, the objective is the fish. Current stocking is/is going to be in a 125UKG

1 BGKF
1 common plec
5 clown loaches
5 Yoyo loaches
6 Khuli loaches
5 red line torpedo barbs
6 leopard danio
3 Kribs
possibly a pair of corys I might need to inherit.

I suspect that what we are leading towards is high O2 requirement for the fish, so no CO2 dosing, but I'll take recommendations on that.

The objective is low maintenance. Currently I have what I would call a moderately planted river replica setup, but the only plant I've ever got to survive is that really broad dark leaved plant that you buy sewn onto bog wood (so when I say moderately I mean there is a moderate amount of foliage, not that there is a moderate variety of plants). This is due in part to crap lighting but also to the gravel/UGF combo I've always had.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=217267 this gives you some sort of idea, although the pot has gone, and the plant on the far left is much bigger now and fills the area (and provides cover for the BGKF). I post that solely to give you an idea of the style without re-posting that photo, not to drum up responses to my sale.

I do not want to be pruning/gardening any more than once a month or two for 5 or 10 minutes or something like that (I've not pruned a plant in 12 months in the current tank and I'm quite happy with that). I want low growth rate, I would rather stunt a plant's growth than encourage it. The type of plant I've currently got does the job and I have no desire for variety really, my only frustration is having to have it attached to, or held down by, ornamentation. It would be nice if plants rooted and stayed where I put them- that's the sole driver for change for me.

2-3mm really seems like nowhere near enough. Did you mean cm? I was thinking more like 2-3 inches!

Thanks for taking the time to reply by the way, much appreciated.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Looks like anubias. Great plants. There are several kinds to pick from so you can get a good variety if you wish.
You can plants them in the substrate if you are careful to only plant the roots and not the rhiozome.(spelling?)
I have done it, and it worked fine.
If you want plain sand you can simply slip a plant tab under the plant roots every now and then. It probably isn't the best way to go, but it is an option that works. You did say simple...

 

[ben1234]

2-3 mm sand, not how much to add to your aquarium 3-4 inches of it sounds good.

 

[Jules H-T]

2-3 mm sand, not how much to add to your aquarium 3-4 inches of it sounds good.

Got you, cheers.