My tank is testing me....

[Angry_Platy]

I drove a 2 hour return trip today to get laterite and a substrate heater for my tank. I am too tired and lazy to do it all this afternoon but tomorrow I am taking all the sand out of there and replacing it with black gravel/laterite with the substrate heater underneath

Anyways, so today being water change day I did the usual sand vac and pruning of plants. I figured I'd get rid of all the dead leaves off my sword plants and clean up the unwanted runners on my vals. Anyways, the plants now look OK. Not too many deformed leaves, some nice new leaves coming and rapidly multiplying riccia (in a breeding box at the top of the tank)......also to be worked on tomorrow....which may end up being this weekend.

As good as it looks now I am still going to do the switch as I feel the tank will look a LOT better after. Maybe I will even get some new black gravel as the stuff I had before had some weird looking red bits in it......

 

[George Farmer]

Black gravel and substrate heating - sounds familiar

Good luck. You should see better results than the plain sand. How much laterite are you using? I would go for about 1Kg in a 40G.

 

[Angry_Platy]

I bought a 200g container. The container says it is sufficient for a 40gal tank.

I actually had black gravel before switching to sand....do you have black gravel by any chance IMHO it brings out the colours of the plants better than regular gravel

 

[George Farmer]

I bought a 200g container. The container says it is sufficient for a 40gal tank.

I actually had black gravel before switching to sand....do you have black gravel by any chance IMHO it brings out the colours of the plants better than regular gravel

[snapback]871965[/snapback]​

Fair enough then. If you have an idea of your intended layout you could also concentrate the laterite in the relavant areas i.e. more where there are root feeders.

 

[Angry_Platy]

I still don't have an idea and my ideas are prone to change at anytime. Must be those two x chromosomes

The container says to put 2/3 of the gravel onto the base of the tank, then spread the laterite over this then top off with the remaining gravel. I was actually going to do 1/3 gravel then sprinkle the laterite on top since the plants will likely have deeper roots than 2/3 of the gravel (is my reasoning right here).....

Unless you or anyone suggest another way it should be done this is how I will be doing it

I washed the new gravel today (3mm black gravel), I am taking a trip to the LFS tomorrow to see what new plants they have and then *most likely* doing the switch after that...though itmay end up being Thursday afternoon since the BF is home late that night and I won't get the "why are you doing that?" questions constantly.....more peaceful too

EDIT: I meant to add, I have had riccia growing in a breeders net for 2 weeks and it had MASSIVELY grown....I can prolly say it has tripled.....awesome stuff. I have hairnets and a possible project for tonight is to attach it to driftwood and slate

 

[nodding_dino]

EDIT: I meant to add, I have had riccia growing in a breeders net for 2 weeks and it had MASSIVELY grown....I can prolly say it has tripled.....awesome stuff. I have hairnets and a possible project for tonight is to attach it to driftwood and slate

[snapback]873124[/snapback]​

nice one AP...let us all know how you get on!

 

[Yenko]

In mother russia, aquarium tests you...

 

[Mordinbar]

In mother russia, aquarium tests you...

 

[George Farmer]

do you have black gravel by any chance IMHO it brings out the colours of the plants better than regular gravel

[snapback]871965[/snapback]​

Sure do. Combined with a black background it looks great.