Substrate calculation?

Watcher74

Watcher74

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Feb 5, 2004
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I'm planning on setting up a heavily planted 55 gallon and need to know how much substrate to order online.

With a footprint of 48" x 12" and an 'average' depth of 4" of substrate, how many pounds of Eco-complete would I need to purchase?

I have no idea if anyone knows how to convert pounds of Eco-complete to square inch coverage but...its worth a shot.
 
Do some math :)

48*12*4=2304

You need 2304 cu. inches of substrate.

Take a small box (like 6"x8"x6" or something) and measure it. Get one bag of eco-complete, and fill the box to 4". Weigh the box with the substrate in. Lets suppose it comes out to 6 pounds. If you were using my hypothetical box, you would say your volume is 6*8*4 = 192 cu. inches.

weight/volume = density

weight[test]/volume[test] = weight[real]/volume[real]

Here's your equation. You know all the variables on the left now, so it's simple to figure out how many pounds of substrate you will need.
(weight[test]/volume[test])*volume[real] = weight[real]

Using our mock values:
(6/192)*2304= 72 pounds of eco-complete substrate.

Your mileage may vary, as this is a made up number.
 
Gahhhhh!!!!!!

Dear Lord. I'll have to mortgage the house! ...if I owned a house...
 
is there a particular reason you want a 4" substrate for a freshwater planted tank?

I could understand if it was salt water....but for fresh water I think you'd get more than adequate results with half that (or less!)...
 
Agreed, an average depth of 4" is a lot! I assume that you say average because you plan on sloping it from front to back. Go with a 2" average, that still gives you 3" in the back more or less and 1" in front.

I've never had much luck with a sloped substrate, it flattened on me in no time, but Len has great luck with maintaining the gradient by vacuuming front to back to carry the substrate towards the back.
 
Using happy's suggestion, it will take approx. 70-75lbs. to achieve.
I have 2 55s and used 100% Flourite in one and a mix of 45# Flourite/25# turface(Schultz) in the other. I notice no appreciable difference in growth, or for that matter, in any way but one. It's a little more difficult to keep plants down in the mixed tank, due to the porousness/lightness of the turface.
And after a period of months, you wouldn't know the difference between the two from a visual perspective. The turface actually loads up and gets a bit heavier over time as well. It also has great CEC.

I have no problem with sloping, because I position plants/wood so as to act as anchors which prevents slipping/erosion from back to front.

Len
 
Ok, thanks guys!

I'm getting my information from a book, so that is where the ideas of mine are coming from.

It suggested a sloped substrate from 3" to 5" front to back.

I'll half that at your recommendations.

Thanks!
 
Personally, I do like deep substrates.

Also, I am definitely one of the substrate-inept, as I can only do level changes if I really engineer the thing with wood/stone/glass terraces, etc. - otherwise it ends up dead flat within a year max, usually faster. So almost all of my tanks start out dead flat - then I don't have to fret about it.
 
I'm with RTR on depth. I like at least 4" in the back for the heavily rooted, taller plants that typically grow there.
I would not skimp on substrate. It's the foundation:) (couldn't resist that) of your tank, and the extra depth will pay dividends in the long run.

Len
 
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