So im gonna set up a 10gallon purely plants only tank (with mts). I've been searching for weeks and weeks not knowing on what substrate to use.
I can't get my hands on eco-complete but I can get regular flourite and flourite black sand.
So my question is: Is flourite actually better than using plain soil?
I've heard that some people top off the soil with flourite, but is soil more difficult to deal with compared to flourite? I would also have to buy gravel if i decided to go with soil to top it off.
Thanks!

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20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.

I use 1" canadian sphagnum pet moss

1" play sand

1" pc select

layered in that order. put on one layer, wet that layer, level and clean, then add the next layer.

the add the plants

and finally fill the tank with water poured over a dish.

the peat moss is the 1footx1footx3foot plastic cubes from lowes or home depot (not ferts added. It is about $11

the play sand is just the play sand that is about $3 for a 50 pound bag.

pc select is pro choice select here:

Pro's Choice Products

I contact them for a local supplier who ordered a pallet. a 50 pound bag is like $7 or so.

still just my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Sweet thanks! I still don't know whether it's better to have a diy substrate or use flourite instead?

__________________
20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.

I don't either.

But I do know it's alot cheaper.

But then for a 10g probably not much cost difference.


my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Haha yeah, price won't be a big difference.
What's the peat added for? I know it lowers the pH and stuff but is it actually beneficial to the plants themselves?

__________________
20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.

oohh..does it help increase the CEC? is that why?

__________________
20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.

All I know at first is that neon tetras did much better with the peat.

So I finally did some tests and although pH was low at first in a day it was over 7. In a week or two it was over 8 which is typical for all my planted tanks which have no filters, no water changes, no circulation. the plants suck out the co2 which raises the pH.

What I did find is that hardness both kh and gh remained constant (dkh 4 dgh 9) for years but in a sand only substrate both rose to very high levels. in the order of dkh over 20 and dgh over 35.

So I guess that was why neon lived better. With the sand only substrate I couldn't keep neons over a few weeks.


my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Gee what's a CEC?

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Oh I see. I won't be having any fishes in there though so hm..
CEC = Cation Exchange Capacity - The higher the CEC, the more potential it has to hold in the nutrients (cations such as K, Mg, Zn, etc) that can then be absorbed by your plants instead of being released into the water column.

__________________
20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.

yes could be.

Gee after all these years I'm still learning.

Sure you don't want some fish in there to feed the snails?

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

perhaps not.

the fish will eat the snail eggs.

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Or you could just get 1 bag of eco-complete and be done with it. For that small of a tank will probably actually be cheaper and much easier.

Like I said I can't get my hands on eco-complete. I can get a bag of flourite for $20 whereas a bag of eco would cost $30.
Anyone tried fluval plant substrate? looks the same as eco...cept i think that's even more expensive x_x
Yeah im pretty sure i don't want any fishes in there..maybe a small school?..but after having a break-out of ich (yes my bad for not quarantining) in my 20gal im paranoid and don't want to dose the plants with medicine, even if it says it's plant safe x_x..or maybe i'll keep shrimps..though some ferts have copper in them :(

__________________
20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.

I think you will find that with thriving plants you will have little to no problems with Ich.

my .02

__________________
fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

The plants are thriving in my 20gal, hence i was hesitant on using medication. The ich was introduced by new fish because i didn't quarantine.

__________________
20Gallon:
LilaeopsisNovae.WaterSprite.ElodeaDensa.JavaMoss.
2Vallisneria.2MondoGrass.3AmazonSword.
9AnubiasNana.10JavaFern.
Swordtail.Betta.Otocinclus.NeonTetra.CherryBarb.BlackPhantomTetr a.2AlbinoCoryCatfish.2WhiteSkirtTetra.3SilverTipTetra.3LeopardGu ppies.4AquaticDwarfFrog.9Endlers.