Keeping A Planted Tank Low Cost

[Colonel Mustard]

I am converting my community tank into a more planted tank eventually being high tech. however I would like to keep the price as low as possible. So my question is that: Can you use long tern fertilising tablets put into the substrate as an alternative to having special fertilized substrate. i would like to do this for two reason one, already mentioned and the other to prevent my fish's health deteriorating as a consequence of changing the substrate. i will have co2 and more than 2WPG so is the substrate really necessary ?

thanks for any replies in advance

 

[zig]

Ordinary small size gravel will do just fine if money is an issue,you can run any tank quite successfully by just dosing the water column correctly, it can be highlight lowlight, doesnt matter, once you dose it correctly it will thrive without any special substrate or substrate additives.

I have never used root tabs, better to spend your money on dry powdered fertilisers, these will run you some money in the beginning, but will last a very long time and save you a lot of money over store bought fertilisers in the long run, a no brainer really and the best possible way to save money running a tank.

Read the stickies in this section on how to fertilise a tank correctly and this will tell you how to do it and also where/what you need to buy.

Good luck with your tank.

 

[reggieschuey]

ordinary gravel will be ok , as long as the gravel is no bigger than 'pea' size. You could perhaps try mixing in the gravel with laterite, or the flora root stuff. they bascially clay, rich with iron minerals. But this is not necessary ordinary gravel will work just fine