What kind/amount of substrate for plants?

[StanTheBetta]

I'm redoing my 10 gal when I get my 20 sometimes this week and I'm going to hopefully make it a planted tank. I can't/don't really want to do plants in the 20 because its got an UFG. The light in my 10 is flurescent (sp?) but its from wal mart so I can only assume its not the greatest. So I figured I'd be safe with going with a java fern or two or three. What kind of substrate is going to be the best and how much? I assume gravel but what size pebble? also how deep should it be? Are there any other low light plants that would work?

 

[drobbins27]

Westeria (Hygro Difformis) and I reccomend Play Sand, availableat any hardware storefor 4.99 / 50lbs bag! Just remember to wash it!

 

[StanTheBetta]

Hmm thats good to know. For some reason I really wasn't expecting sand to be an acceptable substrate for plants. Anyways how deep should it be?


Edit:

BTW just how exactly do you wash sand lol. I can't exactly use a pasta strainer like I did for my gravel I'm pretty sure I'd lose a lot washing it in a bucket too cuz a lot would get out when I tried to poor the water out.

 

[drobbins27]

Mine is 1 1/4'' deep

http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?sh...showtopic=32601

Thats mine, its really rigid at the front cause all my fish like to scavenge at the front for food.


To wash sand, you can do two things:

1) Put it in an old pillow case and let a hose run insdie the pillow case for 15 mins.

2) Put the sand in the tank, add 6-10 inches of water. Stir up sand. Siphon out water. Repeat until water stays clear.

I did it the second way, I had the hosecoming in through the window adding fresh water, while my siphoning tube was sucking the water out the window. I would stir it up every 10 mins for a while until it cleared up.

 

[AquaSeaFoam]

I would stick with 2-3" layer of small gravel. Sand will compact, which is bad for plants roots. Plus you aren't going to use very much of a 50lb. bag in a 10 gallon and you can't use it in the 20 b/c of the UGF.
You don't "plant" java ferns though, their roots need to be exposed. I use a rubber band to attach mine to driftwood (or a rock) until the roots take hold, then you can remove the rubber band.
If the bulb is more than a year old you will probably want to buy a new one.
Other low light plants include crypt wendtii, java moss. I have cabomba and anacharis in my 10 gallon with only the light it came with.

 

[Lateral Line]

I use swimming pool filter sand. It has a more even grain size and shape so doesn't pack down as tight as some other types of sand.

Most plants in the wild are found in a muddy, sandy, silty, (and from personal experience), smelly sludge, I can't see where...

>>> Sand will compact, which is bad for plants roots.

... that comes from. I've never collected plants from a gravel substrate. In nature, gravel substrates usually indicate high energy regimes which are not conducive to plant growth.

 

[scott1000]

I would guess that part of the problem with sand compacting is the fact that in the wild there are other animals (fish, snails, crabs, etc, etc) that will sift their through the sand and generally keep it moving. Not to mention the constant water currents that move the sand. The problem is that in an aquarium the sand isn't moving and will begin to settle, but most importantly, pockets of air will form under the sand and "sour" (not the most accurate description, but you get it) causing those black spots in the sand. Then when you poke it to release the air you are actually releasing harmful gasses into the water.

Or, so I've heard.

 

[Lateral Line]

The gunky sludge the plants grow in is a very low energy, (no current), and largely anaerobic environment, (that is why it smells so bad). The point really is that any anaerobic build up is dilluted by the large body of water. In any substrate, anaerobic areas can develop, the finer the substrate the more likely that is to happen.

Gravel naturally is more open, but suffers from the fact that waste food and other material can find it's way down between the grains closing it all up - you keep it open with a gravel cleaner.

Sand is a lot less porous and waste material tends to sit on the top rather then pentrate, it is thus easier to clean a sand substrate. It is true however, that you need to poke and prod the sand about a bit to keep it open, I use a chop stick.