Substrate Help

[mbriggs84]

ok I'm starting my planted tank and I purchased a bag of floramax from my lfs. If I wanted to use sand on top how would I clean it? Does it just need to be rinsed in a bucket like gravel? Also, are there certain rocks that can be used? Can I just wash any rocks that I would find in my backyard? And with regards to lighting, I have a 10 gallon tank, what would be a good wattage bulb to use in a low tech setup? Thanks for any help!

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

With regard to washing the sand. Simply rinse it a few times in a bucket, giving it a stir each time and then pour off the dusty water. Then the trick is to put it in the tank and pour in enough water to give it about an inch of cover. Now leave it for for 12-24 hours before adding the rest of the water. When you do add the rest of the water use a large plate or baking tray to pour the water onto so that you do not disturb the sand. The water should be fairly clear, but even a slight milky color will clear in a day. So long as the rocks in your back yard have not been exposed to weed killer or other harmful chemicals they will be fine. Give them a scrub, and a quick soak in a solution of water with 10% bleach to kill any germs.
Wattage of the light really depends on what effect you want, but 24w should be enough.

Hope that helps.

 

[mbriggs84]

awesome, very helpful, thank you. How about the depth of the sand. If its on top of the floramax, how deep should I make it?

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

What depth is your floramax?.....As a guide I would recommend that the sand depth is around 50%-75% the depth of the Floramax, but not so thin that it won't cover the bottom well.

 

[mbriggs84]

probably about 1 1/2 inches. I didn't decide until afterwards that I may want to use sand. Should I take some out and go 50-50, 1 inch each? Would that be enough floramax for the plants?

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Inch and a half will be perfect, so you can cover it with around 3/4inch of sand and that should work just nicely