What do you use for substrate? soil?

ducatigirl

ducatigirl

AC Members
Jan 2, 2010
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Bunbury, Western Australia
I never thought of actually planting the plants from the pots. Now I've seen some photos on here, i am inspired.
what soil?
what plants?
Can I get driftwood from beach?
Oh and do i need to remove all my fish before planting?
i guess it would be best to buy another second hand tank, and set it up with plants first
Ideas???
 
You can use a variety of substrates depending on the plants. The plants you use depend on the lighting, fert, substrate, and co2. What do you have as far as those? Yup, you can get driftwood from the beach but it'd be good to boil it so you can get all the salt out of the wood.
 
Excellent :)
Will go for a late arvo drive to beach for it, will boil-thanks for the tip.
I dont know any of the plant names except foxtail and hyacinth.
I have some reed things...umm might take photos.
 
Not sure how many species available down under but here is a nice list of plants and profiles that I like to look through.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/All_Plants/0/0

You may want to start off low light and work your way up to higher tech. It can get pricey quick with T5HO lights, Pressurized CO2 etc.

Good starter plants are just about anything that is Anubias (anubias nana, anubias coffefolia, anubias lanceolata etc), almost all Crypts. (Cryptocoryne Lutea, wendtii etc.), any Java fern, Java moss, and most amazon swords (Echinodorus osiris, etc) just to name a few.
 
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What kind of fish do you have? My Orandas help me choose which plants will go in the tank :) I got the Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants by Peter Hiscock. It is full of information (the first 100 pages are how plants work in different environments, very detailed and full of pictures)
As for the substrate their is silver sand, laterite based (nutrients last longer), lime-free quartz granules, and pea gravel (which is often used) {this book has a HUGE list of substrates and how they work}
I personally am sticking with regular gravel and will be adding fertilizer tablets.
Strongly recommend having that book as part of a collection.
Good luck with your planted aquarium
Oh and having the tank 1/2 full to put your plants in is so much easier.
 
Oranda/RanchuLV said:
What kind of fish do you have? My Orandas help me choose which plants will go in the tank :) I got the Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants by Peter Hiscock. It is full of information (the first 100 pages are how plants work in different environments, very detailed and full of pictures)
As for the substrate their is silver sand, laterite based (nutrients last longer), lime-free quartz granules, and pea gravel (which is often used) {this book has a HUGE list of substrates and how they work}
I personally am sticking with regular gravel and will be adding fertilizer tablets.
Strongly recommend having that book as part of a collection.
Good luck with your planted aquarium
Oh and having the tank 1/2 full to put your plants in is so much easier.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much will definitely look that book up.
I have angels, guppies,tetras,platys, swordtails, clown loach, dwarf flame gourami.
When I set up a new tank will probably get more angels, or something I dont know yet.
 
you have a nice looking tank already... planting all your plants is a good idea-- but I wouldnt worry to much about the change since your plants are already growing

choose a substrade... I like aragonite sand, black flourite, or tahitian moon sand personally.. but there are many out there

once you have chosen and purchased a substrate... simply remove the old substrate and put the new substrate in (you can remove fish if your concerned.. but I have done it with my fish in before)... then plant the plants in the substrate and enjoy

your tank shouldnt have any cycling issues since the plants will keep the ammonia at bay
 
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