Substrate 101 - Sand and Gravel Substrates in Planted Tanks? Understanding Inert Substrate
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ส.ค. 2020
- Welcome to Substrate 101! In This episode we'll discuss inert substrates like sand and gravel. What is good about them, what isn't good and where you should use them.
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I did not know about the link of sand and algae.
Cant recall how I found your channel, but not leaving
I appreciate your direct manner when delivering information. You stay on point, and present options without wandering down a rabbit hole.
@Bentley Pascoe - Hi Bentley, I started in the hobby back in the 60's and jumped on the UGF bandwagon. Way back then we knew to stay away from silica based substrates and only had sand and gravel to chose from. Utilizing proper lighting and root tabs or other fertilizer options we grew plants. I always had really small sized gravel (about 3-4mm) and plants rooted just fine. I just recently tried aquarium black sand with root tabs and all is fine. Stem plants were a little slower to root but did. My amazon swords weren't the least bit bothered by the packing density of sand. I've never tried nor will I those "aqua" soils. My son used Eco-complete and neither of us was impressed. A year later and he's now adding root tabs. Every week or so I vacuum my substrate being careful not to disturb the plant roots to much. I stay on top of adding root tabs and liquid fertilizer so the plants always have their need food supply. What is very important for my water is that I have to add the proper minerals due to my tap water having zero GH & KH. I experimented using my tap water straight and the plants responded quickly and started wilting. I think it's more important for people to try different plants and see what grows best for them in their water. I truly believe that water plays a bigger role than substrate given time. I've seen to many new gadgets enter the hobby that were claimed to be the "must haves". I think aqua soils wall a bit in that category.
Thumbs up for all the great info, I’m just surprised you didn’t bring up root tabs...I have 100lbs of black diamond blasting sand in my 75 rainbow tank and it’s heavily planted and thriving! 3 swords, 5 types of crypts and bacopa. A lot less mess than aqua soil and prefer the slower growth because I don’t have to trim so often...also helps to use some broken up lava stone underneath to help with a anaerobic cycles. Great video nonetheless!
Great information! Thanks for the run down.
Thank you for your wisdom Bentley much appreciated Sir.
As a budding plant nerd, I love this series, and your channel. You rock Bentley!
Thanks for another great video, very informative!
I learned a LOT in this episode, I was seriously intending to set up my next tank with sand but you have given me much food for thought. Thank you!
Active substrates eventually become inert anyways. Youll rely on mulm, detritus or root tabs at some point just like you will with sand.
So the difference in my mind is active substrates allow you to plant root feeders sooner at the cost of taking longer to cycle and requiring more maintenance during the cycling period. Inert substrates also look a little nicer and are generally better for fish.
You can get the best of both worlds by using 1 inch of soil capped by 2 inches of sand.
Thank you.
This was very interesting.
I know this is a older video but I’m new to planted tanks and aquariums in general but this video is so helpful! You earned a sub!
Thanks, Bentley!
Good info!! Thanks!
Great video. As always, thank you for sharing! - Little Bobby
Another awesome video
Awesome video!
I have been keeping fish for almost 40 years, but I am just starting a planted tank. Thank you for the information!
Bentley, you're a good teacher.
Great job explaining. I need more planted tank info for dummies cause I struggle. I'm doing everything wrong. Keep the info coming.
I almost exclusively have dirt capped with blasting sand in both my aquariums and my plant growout setup and it works wonderfully. I would recommend against it across the whole tank for burrowing species like loaches and corydoras, but the plants grow into it very well. The coarse, rough shape of the grains allows gaps for roots to push through without compacting like fine sand, while still being fine enough to act as a cap for the dirt.
Plus it’s a breeze to plant into, stems never want to stay in place with gravel or eco complete.
Hi Bentley, really enjoying this series! I’ve used plain old pea gravel for 20 + years ( mainly due to cost). I grow mostly crypts & some swords. I also use root tabs & easy green for fertilizer.
I find that for me to grow plants in my liquid rock water, I almost always have to use aquasoils. I agree with you, Bentley, that gravels and sands are more for decoration than plant growth. However, I find that Vallisneria and Cryptocorynes take off in gravel tanks.
Same for me, the fine roots of Val anchor very well in sand, The river rock shown is much coarser than the river gravel I have always used and like you, crypts and Vals have thrived requiring thinning about every three months. I would disagree with Bently that river gravel offers less than the typical silica sand used in aquariums. There is a greater variety of trace minerals. That said, plant substrates perform better for a larger variety of plants.
Bentley... I rarely watch a video where I have several points of disagreement and still feel happy for watching the video afterwards... even more oddly to not think that the TH-camr said anything untrue... you’re a talent man... good video, liked it... looking forward to the rest of the substrate series... here’s one for the algorithm my friend. Well done.
Great video, started planted tanks with inert substrates, have good growth but I'm using root tabs for the root feeders and dosing liquids for the stems and rhizome plants. But I also have tanks with aqua soil and it's going well. I'm still learning and slowly changing all tanks to planted
I use many different substrates for both health of plants and fish added benefit for my enjoyment too.
I’ve kept 2 types of planted tanks. 1 with gravel and root tabs and 2 with sand and root tabs. I prefer sand because it is so easy to replant cuttings and insert root tabs. Gravel always gave me trouble during planting, stems would break or the plant would float up. The growth rate of my plants were not much different in sand vs gravel. I do have some algae issues where bright light hits bare sand though, that’s the biggest downfall. I do have very hard water 300+ ppm. I saw you said you heard people do better with hard water and sand in a comment.
Anerobic bacteria process nitrates back into nitrogen gas, which removes it from the tank.
This is how a deep substrate or one locked with sand sufficient to reduce water flow, can eliminate the ammonia from the system.
Some anerobes can also process sulphates, reducing them into hydrogen sulfide. A toxic gas, but one method of removal is aeration, so assume a simple air stone would keep levels insignificant, should any except the sand cap, or leave by slow diffusion into the water.
If one can master this, it's very stable on the level of decades.
Of course I'm no expert, just a science and gardening geek trying his hand at aquariums.
I'm doing all the research I can get on what's the best
substrate for planted tanks so I can decide which will
work & what I have on hand to do a 110 gal stock tank
where I can put plant's in & let them grow out for a year.
I have black diamond blasting sand in a 75 gal 1 inch
nothing else & my plants are growing good with it but I
also have danio's & Cory catfish in the tank that is also
doing good, this is the most luck I've had with plant's.
Thank You for the great info on substrate the good
& bad that goes along with each type of substrate.
I think I see corydoras in the background? So I’m looking forward to following this series and learning what you have in the tank behind you. I love my cories and want them to be able to sift through substrate to feed but I also want to grow plants.
That explains why I got lots of algae with my newly installed sand bed ......but it looks good.......also noticed it’s more harder to gravel vac compared to gravel
Great video, the biggest advantage to gravel, for me, is gravel holds down your plants and they end up floating. I’m be looking for your planted soil video, because I struggle to plant in that stuff unless it’s deep... real deep💰💰
I have very hard water, and have sand capping some aquarium soil. But as you said, I have a lot of Java Fern and Anubias in the tanks. The sand is easier on my Cory cats, which was the first reason I went for it. I just recently picked up some small clay pots, and I am going to try planting Amazon Swords and some other plants into those, filled with soil and root tab or two, to let them get established. I do gravel vac my tanks during water changes. I have noticed much less detritus coming from the sand capped tanks, though. I was thinking it was due to the Mystery snail population explosion. Enjoy your videos, Bentley.
Thank you for the video! I was curious as to your overall thoughts on Seachem Fluorite Black Sand, and under what circumstances would it be a ideal option for a tank.
I think it's a good addition to a tank and not the end all be all solution.
Looking forward to the rest of the series. Any chance of buying a few nice trios of your Guppys. Thanks
I'm not shipping currently sorry
I have a group of Geophagus Tapajos, and wanted the sand so they could dig, etc. I think they keep it churned enough that I haven't had any algae issues (on the sand itself)
I love green algae. I hate the white slime that kills my plants. Maybe I will try a repairum tank where the plant leaves are above the water.
Hi, isn't specialized substrate relatively new? 20 years ago we only had gravel and sand I think. I still use it ,gravel that is, I say it's a neutral start for every aquarist. Thrill seekers use it with dirt underneath but I put roottabs were I need them, easy and one knows when to do that again( every three months or so depending on the plants) . A clay balls substrate has nutrients but only for a while ,after that you need roottabs or replacing the substrate, it's expensive and you are not in control I'd say. When the expensive substrate brakes down( mostly clay) it can be more dense than every inert sand. The ADA substrate ( or any brand)are for aquascapers , high tech setups that has no patience but need immediate fast growing of the plants. They often use the soil for a year or less and than are rescaping the tank with a replacement(new soil) or complete turnover of the substrate , in that case it's perfect. If you are gonna use soil( brand substrate) you often need volcanic rock/ lava powder underneath and expensive substrate that releases ammonia, und substrate powder to hold delicate plants , man before the under layer of your tank is perfect for plants you are 200 dollars further. I think every soil needs a turnover( gravelvac) once and a while. An expensive soil is hard to turn over in the tank , if you gravelvac this you crush the clay balls and it becomes one platform of clay. When the plant course starts I will be trying a soil if it's recommended by you but for a long term setup I stick with plain old gravel. .
The commonly looked at aquasoils were not widely available until the last 10-15 years, but there are things like safe t sorb and turface which have been around a bit longer.
@@BentleyPascoe Whatever happened to that red clay rich in iron that German aquarists pushed in the 80's early 90"s?
@@StanTheObserver-lo8rx don't know
@@BentleyPascoe That was the hot thing then. Must have been made obsolete with Co2 and iron made for aquariums.
So, dirt aquariums is just another version soon to pass...
Good stuff. I only use sand because of my Geophagus, and they churn it like mad.
Very cool thanks. I have been using plenums with kitty litter , laterite, organic soil, gravel or turface and then sand. If i dont need the sand then i use turface . Can you do a video on charging up the clay kiity litter, turface , oil dry. I think if you charge the clay it would be faster process. The main reason i do it this way is to keep the system going longer then 1 or 2 years.
Great video 👍
I was thinking about using sand but I had such good plant health and growth with my other tank that has Eco Complete and Seachem Fluorite that I'm doing that's again but I'm thinking of adding a small amount of Fluval Stadium and all national kitty litter to the very bottom and capping with the others
Do you think that is going to benefit the tank or that it really won't make that big of a difference I would really like to hear your thoughts on it
Thank you
Bentley I had crazy plant success in a gravel cap over the tropica 'powder' aquasoil. That cheap(ish) tropica powder is interesting, they suggest you cap 1cm with with like 6cm+ of inert soil, I wonder if it's like extra concentrated?
The best
I used sand and added seachem root tab
Hi Bently, I've been learning so much with your videos and unfortunately when I got back to the hobby of fish keeping I used fine gravel. I know I'm the one with plastic plants but since then rid the plastic and built up some plants and have in particular amazon swords with root tabs. They seem to be fine but slow to grow. Will they be alright with tabs since I didn't want to tear down the tank for something like aquasoil or such. Thanks again for your lessons on aquarium plants!
Yes, just don't expect super fast growth, but over time they'll look great with steady root tab usage
About to land scap my tank. And my soil won’t be here for a month!! So I was about to put just strait sand instead of waiting. Not doing that now!! Lol. Thanks. I’m going to wait for my soil. Then I will put a very thin layer of sand over that. With a little gravel over that near the drift wood and plants.
One more thing about deep beds? Those scaped aquariums with 12" piled in a corner or raised center island? The lower 9" of that is just large gravel...over that they put the 3" of appropriate sized grains. Even in the Lisbon aquarium? One vid of the back of the aquarium shows just that..no more than 5" or so of growing gravel OVER the larger grained rail road like rock-ha.
So if you like that,just buy gravel yard stuff,ten cents a pound..pile and then put your $$ growing media over it.
Glad I found your channel! How do some people claim they have maintenance free ancient tanks with deep sand beds or dirted? I'm confused.
You can get them established to where aside from topping off the tank, they will be effectively maintenance free, but that takes time and experience
@@BentleyPascoe thanks!
I was going to use that caribsea fine gravel to cap a dirted tank, do you think that's not a good idea?
Capping dirt yes, just make sure you regularly skim the top when water changing to collect detritus
i have about 20 tanks, sand in almost every one of them, with plants. I started using sand a lot more after watching Father Fish and i like it. i used to use root tabs regularly but have fallen off of using them now. Quikrete All-Purpose Sand, well rinsed, works really well for me. The plants that grow well in it i keep, the rest i don't try to force them. With 20 tanks i don't want to tell my wife i am spending $1 a pound for gravel for my dumb hobby:)
Is your water harder out of the tap or well water? I forgot to mention it, but often I see the most sand success done in hard water.
Bentley Pascoe We have city water, hardness ranges between 150-300 depending on the season it seems, not sure what the water company does different in the winter.
I really wanted to disagree with you on multiple points, but I couldn't. Thanks for sharing the good information on substrates. Cheers p.s. adding sand on top of established/dirty gravel seems to be a current trend. Simple plants grow in anything, just not a well.
In 29 gallon planeted I used pool filter sand and it turn green and alge very where. I had to do a blackout for five days to kill it. Now it's fine now. My African cichlid tank pool filter sand doesn't get alge on it. My Oscar tank I used black blasting sand with no problems at all, before I used blasting sand for planted tanks with no problems.
Hemanthius Callitrichoides Cuba does propagate quite well in 1-2mm grain sand too as long as there is enough light and liquid fertilization in the water column. CO2 will help propagate faster but in my experience isn't necessary. Also, many Cryptocoryne species as well as Hemantium Tenellum and many Alternanthera species will grow quite well in those conditions.
I put dirt, cover with cheap sand, then along the sides and on top I use la plata. This adds nutrients and all plants can grow in it, even HC, helferi, crypts, ferns, buce you name it. the top layer of sand is really not that hard for roots to penetrate especially underwater. Try poking your finger in. If you can make a hole, roots can get in. Also I find sand a better environment for critters like daphnea which bottom dwellers love. If you get algae (which I have never gotten) or dirt or even if you have a mulm problem and too much organics it is extremely easy to vacuum up and/or top off with new sand. Also you can use black sand. It is very good at keeping organics locked in the substrate and out of the water column. This quality means you're less likely to have to vac compared to AS or gravel. So to me it's the most versatile substrate. With a rich bottom soil substrate I have high tech and don't even need to add ferts. And finally anoxic conditions to cycle nitrate with deep sand is not that hard to achieve. Just pour in the sand and wait.
Hello Bentley new to your vids and a new subscriber. I have a 3ft 40gal that has been sitting forever and I’m in the process of buying all new accessories. I’m going to do a planted tank. After watching the video it really didn’t give me on what substrate your using. I’m looking at using Fluval stratum It looks very light in weight. I hope when I start planting the roots will hold and the plants want just detach and float up. But if this happens Then I thought about adding some course black sand to it to tighten up the soil a little to better hold the roots. Anyway enjoyed your video any comments and suggestions on which substrate too use would be very helpful.
I've used several substrates, personally I like mixing fluval Stratum and Eco-complete, I've done it several times in my 40g breeder style tanks.
Thank you,ok that’s the plan
Hello Bentley! It's been a while since you made this video. I had a gravel bottom fresh water tank (river gravel from the landscape store) until 5 months ago when i added 2" of marine sand on top. I have no idea if it's helped anything, but i put root tabs under all my rooted plants. i do understand a lot of stem plants actually get nutrients from the water column. Guess what? I'm confused! LOL.
My plants are doing just the same as growing in the gravel for the most part. Heavily planted... I do add Easy Green and i use root tabs. I have noticed one thing - my nitrates don't go as crazy as with just the gravel bottom .. I hope all is well with you and thank you for your videos! :)
Basically what you're doing is sand but with a more coarse under-layer that allows for root growth, different appearance, but likely the various mulm isn't able to get down into the gravel and is getting cleaned out a little better in the tank, hence why you're not seeing quite as much nitrate.
@@BentleyPascoe thank you for giving your input. I totally appreciate this!
I set up my 75 long tank years ago and put gravel. Since, I fell in love with plants. I use the plants that don’t root but want to get more into a more fully planted tank (maybe even co2.). But, I have fish. Can I switch out the gravel to some other substrate in a way that I won’t want to pull out my hair and regret it once I start???
Yes, just make sure whatever you switch to that you rinse it thoroughly before adding. Since the tank is already running
@bentleypascoe I know your focus is on substrate for growing plants, but what are your thoughts on pleco/cory breeding with regards to substrate? I know lots of those breeders only one sand.
I've bred on aquasoil, wild cories live in gravel in many places...
Hi Bentley, how are you doing my friend? I love your your content! I really enjoy this video. But I disagree with your perspective on SAND! #fatherfisharmy 🐟wants your location! New sub! ❤
I wish i had watched this video before i rescaped all my tanks again! 😢
Have had a real sulphur smell coming from 2 tanks and now i know why! Im very surprised that my shrimp are still alive!
What would be the easiest way for me to change the substrate?
Each tank has 2 inches of pond soil and at least 2 inches of very fine sand (more in some places)
Interesting video. My 280g tank is starting soon, I wonder if you could comment. It will be under gravel filtered. From the bottom up, I intended to have 1” of pea gravel then 1” of sand, the 2” of aquasoil and finally a 2” cap of flourite sand (which isn’t sand) my thought of having the sand (real sand) was to have a “firewall” to maintain the ADA soil so it would not find its way under the filter. The sand could also provide additional resistance from a filtration point of view. Would you ditch the sand if you were in my shoes?
I personally would not use sand
@@BentleyPascoe those echo my newest thoughts as well. Does the remaining plan, sans the actual sand layer seem sound to you? And, oh yea, I am thinking I will increase the ADA soil level to 3 inches.
I've always wondered about beach sand. Is it considered inert or crushed coral? My thinking is towards the crushed coral. It will slowly cause the water hardness to go up
Depends on the sand, each is a little different due to how it formed (white vs yellow vs black for example)
If you like to raise a certain area of your tank, like for example, the back of the tank, could you use gravel under the aquasoil for this, and then still make a nice finish with a thin layer of coarse sand on top of the aquasoil? - Can this work for plants who needs the soil, and how safe would it be, when it comes to creating dense areas below with bad pockets of bacteria?
Yes you could use gravel or my personal favorite is the smaller lava rock from a gardening store. Then put layers of aquasoil over the top
@@BentleyPascoe thanks a bunch :)
Silica information about sand was good to remember. I'm thinking of using sand, but with a nutrient 1cm layer underneath. I have corydoras and plecos and think sand may be better for them. Thanks for info.
I have two tanks in Chattahoochie gravel and four in sand, two being brackish.
I want to set up another just so I can experiment with the Walstad method.
What are your thoughts on this method?
I personally don't like it, but if you follow it correctly it can be very effective
Would you not consider Seachem Fluorite or Eco-complete to be inert substrates, as they don't affect water chemistry? Depending on their CEC value, they should be pulling nutrients out of the water column and holding them at the root zone.
Flourite adds iron, eco-complete has and can pull nutrients, which does cause some effect on the water column.
@@BentleyPascoe Interesting. I haven't used the Fluorite yet, but I've always had good luck with Eco-complete. Thanks for the video dude!
Is everyone sure that flourite doesn't lower pH? I have 4 tanks. My sand and gravel tanks are both 7.4 to 7.6 and the two with flourite are 6.8 to 7.0. all tank are set up the same with same plants m same ferts.
Great info! Q. How do you know if the sand you got will release Silica? I got the Carbsea Sunset Gold sand 😬
Should be fine with carib sea, usually it's pool filter sand and cheap play sand that have the silica issues
Ahh I see. Thank you for the reply! 👍🏻
Opinion on sand compaction? My crypts were doing fine before I decided to add another 50lbs of sand. 5 inches of sand now lol. But after about 2 months they don't seem to be doing well and the roots are very very thin. People tell me not to worry and the compaction has nothing to do with it. It's been like this for the last 6-8 months. I fertilize with dry ferts with a low tech ei from rotalabutterfly.
You might try getting root tabs and upping your magnesium to help with root growth and nutrient delivery at the roots. Typically compaction comes at the 5-6+ inch range, but not so much it's detrimental until something like 8-9"+
I enjoy the look of stones and gravel, but want plants too, can you put an auquasoil layer under a full polished gravel substrate?? Or is that a nightmare for vacuuming. In my mind the aquasoil should naturally settle below gravel? Or is that incorrect 🤔
You can put it under gravel and it should remain under if you don't dig too much vacuuming
Any thoughts on caribsea peace river substrate for a planted tank? I know it's inert, but it's also very root friendly. If I were to put a 1" cap of it over a soil like Stratum, would I still get the benefit of the stratum?
Yes you should still get the benefits except in the case of short root structure carpet plants like Monte Carlo or dwarf baby tears. Anything else should do just fine
@Bentley Pascoe wow, you are on top of replying dude! Just started watching the second part of this. Very informative.
I am all over the place here. I want something more natural and Brown looking than the stratum, but I've done well with stratum in another tank in the past.
Also considering Seachem Flourite original, but I understand that this is inert, but I like that it lasts forever.
I used the dirt for the tank
And capped of it with sand
So for Corydoras In a planted tank what’s better stratum Ada or sand ?
Either is fine, if you want slight more acidic water use ADA
I have always used gravel, but I am setting up a new tank for breeding Cory cats and think that it will be sand.
Hello, i would like to hear your thoughts on kitty litter substrate , have you tried it or heard of any negatives ? i have recently put it in four of my planted pleco breeding tanks,
I'll discuss kitty litter and some other alternatives in this series!
looking forward to it, five tanks where i rinsed and used a flour sifter are beautiful, a forty breeder i just poured it in it is a cloudy mess when the plecos move, i read the minerals from the clay is good for plants and fish, love your videos so helpful
Your opinion on baked clay?
Well, large number of the aqua soils are some semblance of a clay product. I guess I would say it depends on specifically what type of bake clay you're looking at because there's a lot of range in baked clay products. If you mean something more like, montmorillonite clay then that's perfectly fine. Just keep in mind it's going to increase your water hardness.
It would help if you define sand. I think coarse sand and fine sand are totally different
I can agree the difference in grain size matters but in general i'm just not a fan of sand, personal thing.
Been wanting to do a sand substrate for so long! I'm thinking black water with few low tech plants, some rocks and branches. Any experience with black water tanks and/or sand in general?
I've done a few sand tanks, I personally don't like them. Have had issues.
@@BentleyPascoe is that due to algea like you spoke of? or just because you prefer heavily planted tanks, which sand isnt good for? etc? BTW, love how active you are in the comments!
@@Nutakins algae mostly, but slows up a lot of growth too.
@@BentleyPascoe Do you know if the algae was due to the type of sand used? I watched Balazs' video on substrate as you suggested and he mentioned the need to use high quality sands to prevent algae growth.
And does it slow growth specifically in the sandy areas only, which is to be expected, or also in areas where you use aquasoils too, for instance?
@@Nutakins type of sand is part of the algae issues. Growth was due to compaction in sand.
I use sand but only stem plants and not root feeder
What do you think about a gravel/sand mix?!
It's decorative and can work, but will not supply nutrients. If you mean for a cap to dirt, it will work.
Goldfish loves sand
Inert substrates are useful as a cap.
Well, I strongly disagree about your sand opinion. I use basalt sand (cheap, dark/blackish). Low silicates. I keep from Cabomba furcata, to A.Reinickii to Rotala or Vallisnerias. Many red plants. They grow fast and good. I just add fertilizer tabs and liquid into the sand/water. Plus neither my Corydoras nor (another tank) the gobies are nice to the plants. Soil is an absolute no go for me as I don’t wanna change the bottom every 3 years (we have rather soft water here). Did that once in my caridina tank. Never again. I use a bit of peat instead (little bag or in filter).
As the Mulm stays on the sand these is ground for my breeding successes in the community tank. I talk about 20 corydoras /month with tetras, snails and the old ones in the same tank. In good years I vacuum it once. In very good years.
All my (established, >6 month) tanks run very stable.
I've been listening to Father Fish a lot on this subject. I'm thinking that you are saying nearly the opposite to him. To have an inch of soil and then cap it with 2 inchs of sand is what he recommends as a minimum depth of substrate for a planted tank. He says that the way the sand compacts is a benefit to creating an environment for anaerobic bacteria to establish. This anaerobic bacteria is what converts nitrate into nitrogen which then is consumed by the plants. He recommends a deep substrate for planted tanks, the deeper the better for this whole process to perform and to never ever touch or clean it. . What are your thoughts on what he's saying as this is my plan for my tank in the near future.
So this is just the basics of what's needed for a dirted tank and not necessarily a discussion on deep sand bed and creating anaerobic environments. If your goal is anaerobic bacteria then you'd want a much deeper layer of sand to facilitate that.
@@BentleyPascoe thanks for your reply. Well he is saying that this is enough but the minimum to get anaerobic action going with time. It's this that converts the nitrate into the nitrogen that the plants can therefore use. That's all I'm saying is that he is saying sand is far better than gravel as gravel is to open and not anywhere near as able to become home for anaerobic bacteria, so the nitrate will just climb higher and higher in the tank. I would also say that I personally have never used sand .......only ever gravel or hard bottom. He says that plants do well in sand as long as there is a soil layer for their roots to get the nutrients from. This is why I'm going to try it.
@@Les-OZZYTHEOSCAR plants consume nitrate. So if the goal is planted tanks, you don't need anaerobic bacteria. Plants do the work for you.
what about sand for shell dwellers?
Almost a necessity. Usually most shelly tanks don't tend to have a ton of plants, but don't let that stop you!
Inert substrate as a cap on soil?
Can do fine, depends on what you're capping, which will get covered
@@BentleyPascoe I've been capping organic potting soil with river sand (coarser then pool filter sand) its working well in my low tech, but I'm moving into high tech and im not sure how it will work
@@passiver high tech you may struggle to keep nutrients long term to the roots. The cap limits cat-ion exchange. Low volume co2 should work well
Thank you for the advice, keep up the good work. Loving the vids!
I've had success with Eco-Complete capping potting soil(organic and non-organic). The non organic worked better from the jump for obvious reasons. That being said, i did neglect the organic set up so cant say for sure. But i do know that it did work with me doing nothing to it at all. Great for walstad set up.
Shouldn't the 2nd Episode be 102?
We're not that formal here 🤣
@@BentleyPascoe rebel....
Keep up the great content...
When you talked about the love caress the bell, it made want to spend a evening listening to Chuck Mangione with you. lol not!
I hear he's got a concert coming up at the Mega Lo Mart
sorry im a poor boy
I'd rather start smoking again and vote Republican than use hot pink gravel in my tank! 😆 🤣 😂
Not using pink gravel seems pretty misogynist
@@danzo5521
😆 🤣 😂
sry dude buy you got sand 100% wrong