Substrate - planted ten gal

[katienewbettakeeper]

I love everything about my aquarium except my substrate. This being my first aquarium, I pretty much had no idea what I was doing, and used fluval stratum on one side and flourite red on the other. Over time it’s kind of just mixed together, and created an unnatural sort of look that just isn’t what I wanted.

I really admire biotope style aquariums. The more natural it looks the better. That’s the sort of thing I want for my aquarium, but I’m not sure how to achieve it.
I think I want to keep as much of the fluval as I can and take out most if not all of the flourite. Then, add a thin layer of sand in the front. I would like to keep the fluval stratum since my crypt and sagittarius are growing pretty well in it right now.

Problem is, I want the substrate to look consistent with the sandy, botanical look. How can I get that look while keeping the stratum? I don’t think covering the stratum in sand would work because it would probably just fall through, right? Maybe if I push it to the back corners that would work, but the sand and stratum would still mix together.

Anyway, if anyone has tips or advice Is love to hear it! Or if you’ve made that sort of aquarium before just let me know how you did it. Thanks!

 

[Uberhoust]

I too have been messing with substrates over the years. Right now overall I like sand the best, though I haven't been able to get the color profile I want. I gave up on pool filter, florite, and aquarium soil. My best sand has been quikcrete play sand with a lot of washing, @Byron always mentions this sand.

I am currently working with a sand that has a much broader mix of particle sizes from 0.05 mm to 5.0mm in my larger display tank. It looks really nice in the tank but since going to it I have had some issues with cyanobacteria so right now I would not recommend it. There were other issues with the tank so the issue might not be the gravel, I over exposed a number of my plants to a bleach dip (stupid mistake on my part), and much of the plant tissue was damaged, I haven't lost a plant due to the issue but my vals are now little root stubs and my swords had to be heavily trimmed back, I think this started the bacteria issue. I also went from a Aquaclear filter to a Fluval 407 filter, running both at the same time for the first two weeks I don't think this affected anything negatively. I thought that the sand my be releasing phosphates but when I tested I couldn't find any in the water.

For the time being my recommendation would be either straight play sand, it needs to be heavily washed in my opinion before use, or gravel. Some people mix substrates but I would think eventually they will all mix together. I really like your layout better than what I have.

 

[Byron]

My first comment is remember the tank size...a 10g is a small tank, and if the substrate material is not uniform, meaning the same substrate throughout, the tank space will appear even smaller and "unnatural." A uniform substrate, such as the same colour tone of sand, will give the visual impression of "natural" (because this is what occurs in nature) and the space will seem larger (which is usually a positive perception).

Second comment, don't mix substrate materials of different sizes because the smallest will always end up below with the larger on top. This ties in with the above too.

Third, I am in the quite large group of aquarists who do not see any actual benefit in so-called enriched plant substrates, with very few exceptions. There are also issues for fish with some of these, bacterial problems mentioned in above post is one important one, another is the roughness (I almost lost my group of cories over Flourite years back before I realized all this), and in a 10g the fish are going to be small-sized "nano" types which makes this aspect even more crucial.

An inert sand is overall without doubt the best aquarium substrate. The only fish that might not be at their best over sand are larger species of some cichlids for example, but this tank is not going to house any of those anyway. A dark-tone sand, and @Uberhoust is correct, I highly recommend Quikrete Play Sand [not all brands of "play" sand are the same], available from Lowe's or Home Depot, maybe elsewhere too in NA. With this as the "basic" substrate material, various sized pebbles can represent river rock and boulders, and chunks of sunken wood and dried leaves add to the natural feel of just about any tropical watercourse substrate.

 

[katienewbettakeeper]

My first comment is remember the tank size...a 10g is a small tank, and if the substrate material is not uniform, meaning the same substrate throughout, the tank space will appear even smaller and "unnatural." A uniform substrate, such as the same colour tone of sand, will give the visual impression of "natural" (because this is what occurs in nature) and the space will seem larger (which is usually a positive perception).

Second comment, don't mix substrate materials of different sizes because the smallest will always end up below with the larger on top. This ties in with the above too.

Third, I am in the quite large group of aquarists who do not see any actual benefit in so-called enriched plant substrates, with very few exceptions. There are also issues for fish with some of these, bacterial problems mentioned in above post is one important one, another is the roughness (I almost lost my group of cories over Flourite years back before I realized all this), and in a 10g the fish are going to be small-sized "nano" types which makes this aspect even more crucial.

An inert sand is overall without doubt the best aquarium substrate. The only fish that might not be at their best over sand are larger species of some cichlids for example, but this tank is not going to house any of those anyway. A dark-tone sand, and @Uberhoust is correct, I highly recommend Quikrete Play Sand [not all brands of "play" sand are the same], available from Lowe's or Home Depot, maybe elsewhere too in NA. With this as the "basic" substrate material, various sized pebbles can represent river rock and boulders, and chunks of sunken wood and dried leaves add to the natural feel of just about any tropical watercourse substrate.

thanks!! Sand all the way through would definitely look great, and I’ve seen people make it look beautiful with a layer of botanicals and some pebbles like you mentioned. I’m excited to change it up.

 

[Lynnzer]

I've had it with sand and gravel only substrates to be honest. Whatever I plant takes forever to grow and mostly they die back bit by bit. The number of dead plants I've had is frustrating.
Let's face it, plants need nutrients. Sand and gravel are inert with no nutritious value at all. OK, you can inject fertiliser, add CO2 or place root tabs but it's sort of suck it and see.
I have lately re-done 3 tanks. Removed the gravel or sand; put in a bottom layer of pebble sized stone that acts as a sponge for the growth of beneficial bacteria. Then I have put aquatic soil - Tropica Soil Powder - into small mesh bags on top of it and either gravel or sand above that at a suitable depth. In one tank I have the soil as the top layer as I'm grassing the full floor.
Apart from the wait before adding the fish while the water parameters settle down the plants are really doing well. The fish, especially the panda corys, love it too.
With the soil in mesh bags it doesn't mix with the top layer or fall through the bottom layer either.

 

[Uberhoust]

@Lynnzer interesting we both have used the same soil powder, I still have a unused bag here, but got different results. I only used the soil powder alone and I would say initially it worked really well but for me as it got older I had more issues with nutrient accumulations that never got better. If I leave my plants alone they seem to grow very well in sand, one tank doesn't get any fertilizer, my main tank I add some liquid fertilizer and use some root tabs. I seem to get similar growth with either sand or aquarium soil. That said I would say that I find the lighting to be more of any influence than anything else. The smaller and taller 25.5" deep tank is using the LED fixture from the cheap TopFin light that came with the canopy I replaced has always done better with some plants than the larger and shallower 20" deep tank where I have used Nicrew G2 and Nicrew Planted lights. With both soil and sand substrates the smaller taller tank would grow Sagittaria subulata or Helanthium bolivianum, but I have struggled to get those plants to grow in what I feel should be a better environment in my large tank using the same substrate, the Sags just survive and the Helanthium just dies (I have tried many times). But the Echinodorus plants thrive in either substrate in the big main but never amount to anything in the small tank, I have just rescued an Echindorus "Ozelot Green" from the small tank that grows good Sags.

 

[katienewbettakeeper]

I've had it with sand and gravel only substrates to be honest. Whatever I plant takes forever to grow and mostly they die back bit by bit. The number of dead plants I've had is frustrating.
Let's face it, plants need nutrients. Sand and gravel are inert with no nutritious value at all. OK, you can inject fertiliser, add CO2 or place root tabs but it's sort of suck it and see.
I have lately re-done 3 tanks. Removed the gravel or sand; put in a bottom layer of pebble sized stone that acts as a sponge for the growth of beneficial bacteria. Then I have put aquatic soil - Tropica Soil Powder - into small mesh bags on top of it and either gravel or sand above that at a suitable depth. In one tank I have the soil as the top layer as I'm grassing the full floor.
Apart from the wait before adding the fish while the water parameters settle down the plants are really doing well. The fish, especially the panda corys, love it too.
With the soil in mesh bags it doesn't mix with the top layer or fall through the bottom layer either.

this seems like a good idea! I think I’ve seen people use that method before, maybe I’ll try it out

 

[katienewbettakeeper]

@Lynnzer interesting we both have used the same soil powder, I still have a unused bag here, but got different results. I only used the soil powder alone and I would say initially it worked really well but for me as it got older I had more issues with nutrient accumulations that never got better. If I leave my plants alone they seem to grow very well in sand, one tank doesn't get any fertilizer, my main tank I add some liquid fertilizer and use some root tabs. I seem to get similar growth with either sand or aquarium soil. That said I would say that I find the lighting to be more of any influence than anything else. The smaller and taller 25.5" deep tank is using the LED fixture from the cheap TopFin light that came with the canopy I replaced has always done better with some plants than the larger and shallower 20" deep tank where I have used Nicrew G2 and Nicrew Planted lights. With both soil and sand substrates the smaller taller tank would grow Sagittaria subulata or Helanthium bolivianum, but I have struggled to get those plants to grow in what I feel should be a better environment in my large tank using the same substrate, the Sags just survive and the Helanthium just dies (I have tried many times). But the Echinodorus plants thrive in either substrate in the big main but never amount to anything in the small tank, I have just rescued an Echindorus "Ozelot Green" from the small tank that grows good Sags.

I've had it with sand and gravel only substrates to be honest. Whatever I plant takes forever to grow and mostly they die back bit by bit. The number of dead plants I've had is frustrating.
Let's face it, plants need nutrients. Sand and gravel are inert with no nutritious value at all. OK, you can inject fertiliser, add CO2 or place root tabs but it's sort of suck it and see.
I have lately re-done 3 tanks. Removed the gravel or sand; put in a bottom layer of pebble sized stone that acts as a sponge for the growth of beneficial bacteria. Then I have put aquatic soil - Tropica Soil Powder - into small mesh bags on top of it and either gravel or sand above that at a suitable depth. In one tank I have the soil as the top layer as I'm grassing the full floor.
Apart from the wait before adding the fish while the water parameters settle down the plants are really doing well. The fish, especially the panda corys, love it too.
With the soil in mesh bags it doesn't mix with the top layer or fall through the bottom layer either.

would this method work if I put my old substrate into the mesh bags, filled the crevices with pebbles, and then put a layer of sand over everything?

 

[Lynnzer]

The main purpose of having the soil in the tank is to allow the release of nutrients. Although rooted plants do directly benefit as they grow roots to the soil, there's a release of nutrients into the water itself that is beneficial to those plants that don't actually root.
So, bags placed anywhere in the tank will still allow the release of nutrients, but of course if they are directly under the plants that grow roots it will work better for them.
I initially had a problem finding mesh bags so instead I cut up a pair of my wife's tights. They did the job, sort of, but trying to get them to lay flat is a problem as they tend to "round" themselves into tubular bag shapes. I eventually found some bags in Asda, I think, that are used to store fruit in them, then I found even more in Homebase.
Here's a video of the Tropica soil. They use it as the entire substrate, which I also did on one of my tanks, but as I need a lighter substrate on my others I bagged it and covered it with sand