Subtrate Under Sand?

[Creature Seeker]

Hello,

I'm in the processof setting up a new 180 litre tank and have just got my Black Tahitian Moon sand. I've heard that it needs special substrate below it in order for plants to grow properly. Is this correct? Where can I get this and which one do I use?

Thanks.

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[SarahFish]

in fish shops you can find lots of fertilisers and by adding some in the sand i don't think you need anything else..

 

[Creature Seeker]

Thank you Sarah,

Are these the kind of substrates I should use?

http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z477194.asp

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[scubadoo]

You can use root tabs etc. under your sand, but if you know you're hoing to grow live plants then you can place a layer of plant nutrients beneath.

I used laterite which is readily available from most aquatic stores - a bit pricey, but not silly money.

You can also add pond soil underneath which i've heard works well, or if you feel really flush you can add expensive ADA type susbtrate.

The tetra plant stuff you mention in the link above is really just a mixture of pond soil and sand I think - I'm sure it would be fine, but given the size of your tank, I'd buy the pond soil direct and mix it with play sand myself to save some cash. It'll take a lot of those small tubs to fill up the base of a 180l tank!

I would tend to go for laterite or pond soil but its a matter of choice and it also depends on the type of tank you're after. If you want a densely planted CO2 type set-up, then you're going to want the best substrate possible, but if you want to grow a few plants in a low tech set-up then you will do fine with the other options.

Eventually you will need to add root tab fertilizers though to add nourishment to the substrate once your plants have taken all of the goodness out of what you started with.

 

[Creature Seeker]

You can use root tabs etc. under your sand, but if you know you're hoing to grow live plants then you can place a layer of plant nutrients beneath.

I used laterite which is readily available from most aquatic stores - a bit pricey, but not silly money.

You can also add pond soil underneath which i've heard works well, or if you feel really flush you can add expensive ADA type susbtrate.

The tetra plant stuff you mention in the link above is really just a mixture of pond soil and sand I think - I'm sure it would be fine, but given the size of your tank, I'd buy the pond soil direct and mix it with play sand myself to save some cash. It'll take a lot of those small tubs to fill up the base of a 180l tank!

I would tend to go for laterite or pond soil but its a matter of choice and it also depends on the type of tank you're after. If you want a densely planted CO2 type set-up, then you're going to want the best substrate possible, but if you want to grow a few plants in a low tech set-up then you will do fine with the other options.

Eventually you will need to add root tab fertilizers though to add nourishment to the substrate once your plants have taken all of the goodness out of what you started with.

Thanks for replying.

What are Root Tabs and how do they work? If I opted for laterite or pond soil how deep would I need it to be and how many bags of it for a 180 litre tank?

Thanks.

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[scubadoo]

Thanks for replying.

What are Root Tabs and how do they work? If I opted for laterite or pond soil how deep would I need it to be and how many bags of it for a 180 litre tank?

Thanks.

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Root tabs are basically tablets that you can crush and add direct to your substrate into the root system of plants (eg amazon swords) by shoving them under the sand. Some come as tablet form, others last longer and come encased in a small plastic cylinder for long lasting slow release (say 6 months duration).

How deep depends on what you're trying to achieve - laterite is rich and fairly expensive, so a thin layer under your sand would probably be suffircient. For pond soil, I guess that anywhere from 1" upwards would be OK. Some people use pebbles / stones to form a sculpted base to the tank then add the soil (which will fill the gaps and say 1 or 2" on top with about 1"-2" sand on top again. If you do this though, it would probably be advisable to get some MTS to help keep turning the sand and bury into the soil to alleviate any possible problems with anaerobic reactions under the sand.
The number of bags will depend on their size I guess.

You could raise this issue in the planted tank section - there are a whole bunch of very experienced members there who can give you loads of advice on this stuff too.