Substrate Questions

[IrishRonin]

Hey Bill since we're on the subject what do you use for your Aquatic substrate?

[deranged chipmunk]

that really depends on the tank and what i am planting. i am a huge fan of cryptocoryne species, and they are HEAVY root feeders, so any tank that is going to have crypts in it, always has soil as it's base, with a (normally) black substrate capping it. i have used all the name brands, aquasoil, flourite, floramax, ecocomplete, ect. they are all pretty much equal. right now, i am running a crypt/java fern/anubias tank that has a soil/kitty litter base. if i have no root feeders, i will run fluval plant stratum or fluval shrimp stratum.

i use soil whenever there are root feeders, mainly because i HATE root tabs for fertilization. why spend $20 every other month for fertilizer tabs, when soil will do it for 2 years easy? and i have pretty much switched over to this soil exclusively, for both terrestrials AND aquatics:



it has all the goodies a young growing plant needs. worm castings, bat guano, elp, fish bone meal, soy bean meal, and more. here is what my "soiless" soil does: this is a pic of a plant that i have grown in several different tanks, under different conditions. i have grown this in an aquatic state, no growth, and emersed state, the same, no growth. i planted in my 125 palu, and there is dramatic difference. can you tell when the roots hit the soil? remember, there is about an inch and a half of coco fiber covering the soil. but i think the result is dramtic:

that plant has been the same size for almost a year, and now, obviously, it is growing well. funny thing is, neither i, nor the guy who i got it from, knows what the plant is. LOL it was in a clump of plants he gave me. he didn't even know he had it in his tank....lol

[HerpMan]

So, is it better to just buy the ABG mix or should I make my own? Also, I'm wanting to add springtails, woodlice and cleaning insects. How do I go about this exactly?

Travis

[deranged chipmunk]

making your own is good because you have control over what goes in it. it's also great when making up large batches. always nice to have extra rather than not enough. as far as insects go, if you can purchase a culture locally, that is the way to go. otherwise order some online, or buy some from another member here. then you can either culture them out of the tank (preferred) or in the tank. either way, it doesn't matter. but either way, give them a few weeks before adding the predators. they will snack on your critters in between meals, so it's best to give them a fighting chance.

[NewFrogDude]

So here is a question. I have heard that you want the substrate moist but I have also heard that you want it close to muddy as well. Which is right?

[deranged chipmunk]

you only want muddy if you are growing marginals (semi-aquatic). otherwise moist, but not a bog. if your soil is too moist, your plants will rot, unless of course they are bog plants. but for your typical pileas, fittonias, ect, you want a well draining soil that will stay moist, not soggy.