10g Substrate
- Thread starter chrisfromnl
- Start date
I've used a mix of black earth and sphagnum peat cover with a layer of sand with good results in the past and so far in the present. I got both of mine from Rona this time around. Home Depot will have the same stuff if you don't go for the BigAl's option.
Thanks Mr. Good. Not really looking to spend more on the substrate than the tank/filter/hood/light/heater. 
How deep should the various layers be?
How deep should the various layers be?
In my 35 gallon, I have roughly 2-3" of a mix of ~2:1 black earth to peat covered in about an inch of sand. It's a nutritious substrate and still affordable if you're a poor grad student like me 
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Put the earth-peat mix in before the water and mix it around evenly. Then add your sand layer (make sure you wash it first) on top of that. Once you do this, you can place a small bowl or plate on the sand to spread out the flow of water, when you add it. Go slowly if you're using a bucket and try to disturb as little sand as possible.
If you're planting, say, a stem plant like Rotala, the sand should keep the stems in place if you push them 1-1.5" into the substrate. For rosette plants, make a small 'crater' in the sand and sort of 'scoop' the plant into the sand. Keep the crown above the sand. After that, you can push some sand around the roots to keep it in place, kinda like a newly planted tree.
Depending on the root systems of your plants (ex: Echinodorus vs Rotala), it may be slightly tedious to uproot them. If you have an exacto knife, you could try cutting around the plant to sever some deeper roots before you pull up. Whatever you do, pull slowly and gently, allowing for the substrate material to sift back into place. Some dirt will come up but patience will minimize this. Done properly, you shouldn't have too much mixing between the layers.
If you're planting, say, a stem plant like Rotala, the sand should keep the stems in place if you push them 1-1.5" into the substrate. For rosette plants, make a small 'crater' in the sand and sort of 'scoop' the plant into the sand. Keep the crown above the sand. After that, you can push some sand around the roots to keep it in place, kinda like a newly planted tree.
Depending on the root systems of your plants (ex: Echinodorus vs Rotala), it may be slightly tedious to uproot them. If you have an exacto knife, you could try cutting around the plant to sever some deeper roots before you pull up. Whatever you do, pull slowly and gently, allowing for the substrate material to sift back into place. Some dirt will come up but patience will minimize this. Done properly, you shouldn't have too much mixing between the layers.
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Well, if you haven't already purchased everything, I suggest getting a cheap whisper 10i(ebay has the cheapest of coarse, LOL, about 7$ is the best deal you can get on one).
For the lighting fixture/hood, I suggest getting a piece of glass from home depot, having them cut it into shape and drill some holes in it(so you can put a knob or something), getting a regular fluorescent lighting fixture, raising it with a few pieces of wood by gluing them on and getting some aluminum foil as a reflector.
I'm not too sure about heater though, but I can guarantee a good deal on a cooler, just go steal a computer fan out of a "friend's" computer or out of an old computer, buy(or make your own) power supply(can be out of a computer... just some minor modifications to make it work outside of a computer[search it up on google]), you might need a temperature controller(make your own[http://www.radiolocman.com/shem/schematics.html?di=47949]you do need a little electronics experience).
For the tank, just get some deal off of ebay, it's cheap. You can also get a plain and simple 10G
For the lighting fixture/hood, I suggest getting a piece of glass from home depot, having them cut it into shape and drill some holes in it(so you can put a knob or something), getting a regular fluorescent lighting fixture, raising it with a few pieces of wood by gluing them on and getting some aluminum foil as a reflector.
I'm not too sure about heater though, but I can guarantee a good deal on a cooler, just go steal a computer fan out of a "friend's" computer or out of an old computer, buy(or make your own) power supply(can be out of a computer... just some minor modifications to make it work outside of a computer[search it up on google]), you might need a temperature controller(make your own[http://www.radiolocman.com/shem/schematics.html?di=47949]you do need a little electronics experience).
For the tank, just get some deal off of ebay, it's cheap. You can also get a plain and simple 10G
