Substrate Question

[milindsaraswala]

I have 18 Gallon tank doing fish-less cycle. I am planning to make my tank low tech Non-CO2 tank. So kindly can you suggest me good substrate for me, including how much I should add.

I also like to know from your experience, how to add substrate when tank is fill with water

 

 

[techen]

Heya Milindsarawala. There aren't any substrates that are the best, They all work it really, It depends if you want looks or if you want super plant growth. But looking at the post you made, You are after something plant wise, Which is fine.
 

 

 

 

 
 
Just a few I'd recommend looking into, There's so many to pick I can't list them all. Just keep in mind that plant substrate costs a fair bit compared to sand or gravel. But for good reason, It allows plants roots to suck up all the good stuff far easier than just normal fish tank gravel etc, So it's well worth it to give that extra boost for a low tech tank. If you can spare the cash

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Agreed with the above.  Concerning 'low-tech' planted tanks, if you are looking at that, the easiest way to do it is by having a rich substrate, and then the plants can draw nutrients from the substrate, not the water column (meaning you don't have to worry about fertilizing). 
 
 
As for adding substrate to the tank when full of water, the easy answer is: Don't.  Empty the water from the tank, then add the substrate - its easier to scape the tank when its empty anyway.  Then if you have plants, add them.  Then refill with water - gently. 
 
 
As for how much substrate to have, 2 inches deep is a good mark to shoot for.  But, that can be hard to know... the rough estimate is 1 lb for every gallon.  So, for your tank, roughly 15-20 lbs would be enough. 

 

[TwoTankAmin]

It is generally better to add the substrate before you cycle since a decent portion of the bacteria tends to colonize there.

 

[milindsaraswala]

thank you for support. Is it possible to get price for all this ?