Substrate for a 55+ Gallon full planted...

[enchanted]

I'm going to look at tanks this weekend and hopefully getting 3+ 55 Gallon tanks. I'm "not" going to try setting them all up at once.

I want to start with a Fully Planted one. I love the look of these.

I'm starting to piece together what I need, since one way or another I'm getting a big tank this weekend (if not these I will go get that 80 from Petsmart I was looking at).


What I'm trying to figure out is should I go sand, natural gravel, colored gravel? If gravel, what size, etc...

Thanks for any advice.

 

[FMZ]

I'm going to look at tanks this weekend and hopefully getting 3+ 55 Gallon tanks. I'm "not" going to try setting them all up at once.

I want to start with a Fully Planted one. I love the look of these.

I'm starting to piece together what I need, since one way or another I'm getting a big tank this weekend (if not these I will go get that 80 from Petsmart I was looking at).


What I'm trying to figure out is should I go sand, natural gravel, colored gravel? If gravel, what size, etc...

Thanks for any advice.

I recommend you buying Eco-complete as your substrate, since you'll be doing a planted tank, normal substrate dont fare too well.

 

[MAM]

in addition to what works best with plants (something i can't help on), keep in mind too what kinds of fish you'll have in there, namely your bottom dwellers...... some do better with sand or fine gravels..........

 

[enchanted]

For this specific tank, I'm planning to move my Plecto there (I'm told he will get too big for my 30 gallon. ).

I was also thinking a couple of corys and maybe a blue lobster.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Youll want at least 4 cories, pref. six, cos they're shoaling fish. if you get them they would be happier with a sand substrate, however, plants may not root so well in sand as in gravel. dilemma!

 

[enchanted]

I've found one good picture of Eco-Complete and it appears to be sort of a finer gravel to an extent in regards to texture.......

http/www.carib-sea.com/catpage6.htm

Very bottom.

 

[The-Wolf]

I've never had a problem with plants rooting in sand on the contary plants in gravel do not grow as well IME.

 

[enchanted]

I'm kind of leaning towards a good plant substrate (like Eco-complete or equivalent) on the bottom and then white sand on top. Will this work? I know the more gravely mix will come to the top slowly, but i think the black w/ white sand would look good.

Also, Blue Lobster (crayfish) is out. Just talked to two different LFS and they both said crayfish and planted tanks don't mix well. They like to be lawnmowers.

 

[konrad05]

If you're going fully planted, your pleco will destroy your plants. Unless he's not afraid of anything, but still, I've heard stories of plecos uprooting. Just a suggestion..

 

[panboy]

i dont think plecos do that...... i have a pleco in a heavily planted 46g and he doesnt even touch my plants, considering he barely moves. lol

 

[enchanted]

Well, no matter what I'm getting 2x55 Gallons this weekend and I'm only setting up 1 first. If he goes to tearing up plants I can just move him.....

He is still young though, only about 2" including tail so hopefully he can adjust.

 

[Nisha]

I would recommend about 2 inches of fertile substrate (such as eco-complete or flourite) with a 1 inch layer of gravel. This encourages the plants to send their roots deep and you won't have to worry about adding ferts for a long time.
It's certainly working for me!

 

[enchanted]

I did it again and misplaced my tape measure, but I have a few questions.......

First, is there anything wrong with laying substrate then covering it with sand?

If not, could I do 2" substrate and 2" sand? I found the eco-complete here:
http/www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/produc...id1=3349;pcid2=

for less money than anywhere else, but flourite is yet still less expensive. Is there that much of a difference?

Next, how do I figure out how much? Sites keep saying, widthxlenghtxdepth but I did this for 2" depth and came up like 104 cu ft. but the bags only .21 that just does not seem right.


Okay, also is a Penguin 330 a good filter for this setup? Or should I be looking at something else?

 

[jams.alaskan]

I have eco-complete in my 38 gal tank. I have pygmy corys (ten in there) as well in the tank. The surface is not as smooth as I would like but I have seen no wear marks on the cory barbals and they seem quite happy. I would not bother to add sand to the top of eco, within a few weeks it would have sunk through and choke off the bottom layer of your substrate in the process. eco-complete is designed to have fines on the bottom and get larger as you get closer to the top as it is so the sand would not really benifit your cory cats as it wouldn't be in their reach for long. I like eco complete in most every way but do find that it lets quite a lot of waste down into the substrate - in a very planted tank your plants should use a lot of this up but just letting you know what I have found with this product...

ALASKA

 

[konrad05]

Just my recommendation, but I would suggest something with a little more filtration power than the pengium 330, maybe another one?