Mud!

[Rorie]

I have special ADA soil and gravel - fantastic for plant growing.

BUT, every time i touch the soil - to move a rock, or add a airstone like today - it kicks up and takes ages to settle! Not a problem just now as i am still cycling, but i am worried about when i add fish.

I want grass like plants to cover the whole of the base of the aquarium when its finished cycling. Do you think having this type of plant will stop things kicking up? The other option i was thinking was to get a decorative layer of slate substrate. This would sort this issue, but will the grass be able to root through it?

Thanks

 

[ian]

The thing is, as many other expensive plant substrates, ADA and others do kick up. Aquascapers normally, plant and leave, they won't mess around with it. Adding an airstone IMO with make it dust up continually. If you were to cover it, it would still cloud up every time you uprooted or moved the substrate around. It may be chance for you to plan you tank now whilst cycling and then you won't have to move the hardscape around to much.

 

[weezawoo]

A lot of people put a layer of gravel or sand on top

 

[Rorie]

Yeh i have it all planned out in my head I just was not sure how much moving i would need to do once it was planted - its my first planed tank.

I put in an airstone as my tank has been lacking oxygen i think. Trying to help my cycle which stalled. So today i got two long air stones and hooked them up (hence the problem). I am letting it settle before i switch them on. The small airsone i had in yesterday didnt kick up at all TBH. Which surprised me! But we'll see.