Best Way to have a Planted Aquarium

[Ghost]

I am going to be setting up a 130 gallon sometime soon. I'm quite excited. But I'm really wanting a super planted aquarium. I was going to use a sump system with two overflows in two corners. I'm starting to think it's not worth it when i'm using two fluval 404's. One can drain into the sump and one can drain the sump and go back up into the tank.

My real dilemna is substrate to promote plant growth. Someone suggestedI of using peat in the center bottom of the tank, surrounded by gravel, topped with sand or some kind of finer substrate. I know that over time the two substrates will mix from fish movement, gravel cleaning and other things. So maybe I just forget the gravel or sand.

I would love to have plants all over from tall to carpet plants. I will use CO2 and whatever else I need.

Any advice?

 

[drobbins27]

What kind of fish to you plan on keeping in your tank (iits actually quite important)

 

[Ghost]

I'd like to theme the tank around African Ghost Knife fish. So that means i'd have seven school of 10 fish. Preferably ones that school, and a few others. I need to look at the kinds of fish in the same area to be for sure.

I might also be going with a discus tank if i'm so ambitious.

Either way i'm putting my seven year old Leapord Sailfin in the tank. He's older than my son!

So thats the plan.

 

[got_nailed]

If you truly want to set up a tank for high lighting and that will grow some of the best plants. You should find a substrate heater, and top it with 1.5 to 2 inches of play sand. Follow that up with eco complete or florite about 1 inch thick. Top it off with a thin layer of what ever your fish will want in the tank.

This will need at least 2 WPG to start. You will need 3 to 4 WPG for some of the fancier show plants.

 

[stanley]

I would go along with that,i use 100% flourite and have had good results with it.
Light and co2 are your next concerns and remember to plant heverly with some fast growers to begin with this will help out compete the algae.

 

[Lateral Line]

I use a clay pellet and laterite blend to just cover the bottom of the tank, then 50-75mm of swimming pool filter sand over it. I have found that fancy recipes with layers of this and that are great in theory but they all get pretty well mixed together after a relatively short time. The routine stirring to keep the sand aerobic is enough to do this without the actions of fish and plant roots.

I have tried Ultratherm undertank plates and Dennerle in substrate heaters. I have never found them to make the slightest difference.

 

[DN530]

This is how i set up both of my aquariums which are heavily planted. I got this idea from my friend who has the same set up in his 75gal. the bottom layer is 1 inch scentless kitty litter. since it is made of clay, it gives plants a good root base. then a layer of sand, then gravel mixed with flourite or laterite. it has been working out great for me so far and the plants are healthy. i just added co2 injection into my 29g. I've also heard of people using top soil mixed with vermiculite covered by a layer of sand then gravel. i have no clue what vermiculite is

 

[Dubby]

DN350,

Vermiculite is a porous material (mica like?) that can absorb water (and nutrients) and release them slowly.

It has a high CEC (cation exchange capacity). The ability to capture and hold positive ion nutrients such as Mg, Fe, Ca, K, Zn as well as nitrogen (NH4+).

The drawback is it is so light that it floats in water so its a bit tricky to get it to stay under the soil