Options For Substrate?

[RipSlider]

Hello all.

I'm in the middle of planning my next tank build.

It's going to be a semi-black water, amazon setup and I want it to be fairly realistic, so it's planned to have lots of bog wood, few plants etc.

I have been thinking about what substrate to use, and, if possible, I would like something more in keeping with the bio-tope.

I'm wondering what the risks and issues are in using a substrate such as clay or mud, or a mixture of both.

Has anyone tried this? and if so, what sort of issues were encountered?

Many thanks
Steve

 

[SJ2K]

Ive never heard of it being used myself, id imagine it would cloud the water quite alot (and clay would be no good for anything that likes to burrow)...If you want a soil effect then black sand can look quite effective good luck and post some pictures when done!

 

[blue acara]

This stuff here would be good for an amazon tank. Nice natural color and it lowers the Ph of the water.

 

[RipSlider]

This stuff here would be good for an amazon tank. Nice natural color and it lowers the Ph of the water.

1x £25 bag does 60 liters. I'm going to need 19 bags!

Not sure I can afford it. And if I could, I'm not sure I could afford to buy enough shoes for my wife who'll go nuts at the bill!

Soil from the garden is cheaper!

I'm thinking that if I filled an old tin bath with soil, added water, and then left it on the bonfire, it would boil the water, and kill off anything nasty.

Add it to the tank, add water, let it settle for a few days, run a filter full of filter floss for a week, and then do a water change and let the tank strat to cycle.

I guess I'd need to ensure there were no insects etc in the soil before hand.


I've thought about sand, but it looks too clean and shiny, especially the black stuff. I want to see my cory's kicking up little plumes of soil as they feed!

Steve

 

[Biulu]

Have a look at this article: http/www.barrreport.com/articles/433-non-co2-methods.html

Also have a look at this thread: http/www.fishforums.net/lofiversion/index.php/t176683.html

All very informative, and people do use soil as a substrate!

 

[Bignose]

Diana Walstad in her book Ecology of the Planted Aquarium is very high on using soil as a substrate. It's obviously the more common natural one, and it is the best for most aquatic plants. Check out her book at the library.

The biggest thing with using soil is to make sure that there are not any added chemicals or fertilizers added to the soil. The fertilizers are almost always for terrestrial plants so aquatic plants won't use them very well if at all, and they could be dangerous to your fish. Another thing is to have a good mechanical filter, as soil will be easier to wash around than sand or gravel. But, both of these are small issues. Soil is perfectly fine as an aquarium substrate.