Substrate

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I actually posted in the planted forum last week but I had no reply, and I've changed my mind since then .

Would putting eco-complete down and putting my gravel on top be a suitable substrate for live plants?

I'm looking to get anubias, java fern, amazon swords and maybe some java fern (all relatively simple stuff).

 

[steve...c]

i only use gravel and my plants are doing great!

 

[arobinson1984]

Only problem with using ecocomplete under the gravel is when you come to cleaning the gravel, putting ur gravel vac into the gravel may try suck the eco complete through.

Most plants will grow fine in just gravel as long as they have the correct amount of lights, carbon dioxide and nutrients.

You can dose liquid carbon such as seachem flourish and nutrients such as TPN+



Andy

 

[steve...c]

Only problem with using ecocomplete under the gravel is when you come to cleaning the gravel, putting ur gravel vac into the gravel may try suck the eco complete through.

Most plants will grow fine in just gravel as long as they have the correct amount of lights, carbon dioxide and nutrients.

You can dose liquid carbon such as seachem flourish and nutrients such as TPN+



Andy

yes i do use nutrafin aquatic plant food PLANT GROW.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

i only use gravel and my plants are doing great!

What plants do you use?

Only problem with using ecocomplete under the gravel is when you come to cleaning the gravel, putting ur gravel vac into the gravel may try suck the eco complete through.

I had thought of that; which is why I'm not decided what to do yet .

 

[jacko32]

i just used caribsea eco complete planting substrate in my 25g

 

[steve...c]

i only use gravel and my plants are doing great!

What plants do you use?

Only problem with using ecocomplete under the gravel is when you come to cleaning the gravel, putting ur gravel vac into the gravel may try suck the eco complete through.

i only have 3 plants at the mo (some sort of echinodorus, cabomba and athernanthera reineckii) but they are growing at a rapid rate, ive also orderd some online which are to come this week for a tenner from java-plants ive copyied and pasted the list:

5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Pygmy Chain Sword
5 x Cabomba Aquatica
5 x Vallis Corkscrew sml
5 x Sagittaria Subulta

 

[PDSimon]

How many plants do you want dipsy? You might not need a substrate anyway!

I'm putting in sand with root tabs(well the anubias, bolbitis and taxiphyllum(javamoss) are going on bogwood):

Anubias barteri var. nana
Bolbitis heudelotii
Eleocharis parvula
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Taxiphyllum barbieri (java moss)

echinodorus ozelot
Echinodorus bleheri (amazon swords)
Vallisneria spiralis

I was thinking about putting 1cm of tropica substrate down but decided not to

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

i only have 3 plants at the mo (some sort of echinodorus, cabomba and athernanthera reineckii) but they are growing at a rapid rate, ive also orderd some online which are to come this week for a tenner from java-plants ive copyied and pasted the list:

5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Pygmy Chain Sword
5 x Cabomba Aquatica
5 x Vallis Corkscrew sml
5 x Sagittaria Subulta

I'll have a look into the three you have and see what they look like, but thats reassuring to know that they are growing in gravel.

How many plants do you want dipsy? You might not need a substrate anyway!

I'm putting in sand with root tabs(well the anubias, bolbitis and taxiphyllum(javamoss) are going on bogwood):

Anubias barteri var. nana
Bolbitis heudelotii
Eleocharis parvula
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Taxiphyllum barbieri (java moss)

echinodorus ozelot
Echinodorus bleheri (amazon swords)
Vallisneria spiralis

I was thinking about putting 1cm of tropica substrate down but decided not to

I dont want many plants; maybe around 5 plants.

I was thinking about putting java moss on the rock I have in there.

I was also considering trying to root java fern or amazon swords to bogwood (bog wood size depening); and I fancied a couple of Anubias barteri var. nana.

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

I too just have gravel - sometimes bits break loose due to excitable apple snails - but stuff seems to do well.

Have CO[sup]2[/sup] and dose with nutrafin aquatic plant food each week

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Cool I might just try some hardier plants with gravel then and see how we go

 

[PDSimon]

Cool I might just try some hardier plants with gravel then and see how we go

check out tropica.com its got loads of plants and what conditions they need/how difficult they are to grow etc

 

[OohFeeshy]

Apart from the swords, all the plants listed attatch to things so the substrate won't make any difference. Although swords are heavy root feeders, I've had no problem growing crypts, which do the same, in plain playsand with no problems.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Cool I might just try some hardier plants with gravel then and see how we go

check out tropica.com its got loads of plants and what conditions they need/how difficult they are to grow etc

Thanks, I'll check it out today

Apart from the swords, all the plants listed attatch to things so the substrate won't make any difference. Although swords are heavy root feeders, I've had no problem growing crypts, which do the same, in plain playsand with no problems.

I was actually contemplating just getting more java fern than swords. I might just do that then

 

[waterdrop]

i only use gravel and my plants are doing great!

What plants do you use?

Only problem with using ecocomplete under the gravel is when you come to cleaning the gravel, putting ur gravel vac into the gravel may try suck the eco complete through.

i only have 3 plants at the mo (some sort of echinodorus, cabomba and athernanthera reineckii) but they are growing at a rapid rate, ive also orderd some online which are to come this week for a tenner from java-plants ive copyied and pasted the list:

5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Pygmy Chain Sword
5 x Cabomba Aquatica
5 x Vallis Corkscrew sml
5 x Sagittaria Subulta

I'm curious steve, do you know your KH and GH values (or if not then whether your local water is generally hard or soft?)

Same question goes out to you too Oohfeeshy, if you see this. I have swords that do great with root feeding but I've got a crypt that hangs on but does not flourish, I've always chalked it up to my soft, acid water but maybe I should trying the poor guy a root tab...

~~waterdrop~~