Advice on planting with fine white sand substrate

[ivanthensf]

Hey guys I need some advice with my setup, it has fine white sand about 1.5 inches deep as substrate. ATM I just threw bunches of floating plants about.

What would you guys suggest I do with it? For a white substrate what design and combinations complement each other? Also the white sand is probably inert, so I guess it might really need some nutrition to be a decent planting substrate.

Part of why I need to set it up as planted is because it really is a pain to clean due to the fine grains.

 

[tanker]

1) Are you sure it is "Inert" white sand??
2) What makes you think that a planted tank you do not have to do a sand-vac??
3) No matter what kind of substrate you have, you may still have to add root food for for some plants.
4) Lots of plants, a few small rocks, a driftwood or two and your tank would be fine.
4a) Or a lot of bigger rocks and some African Cichilds and you will still be fine.

 

[ivanthensf]

1. yep i double checked

2. im quite the beginner with regards to handling this sand. its really fine, like beach sand which ''blooms'' when i lightly stir it, but it will settle down (compact) quickly. I think if i vac the bottomi'll end up just vac-cing out my substrate as well though.

Well I kinda found a way around it; I just shifted my filter around the tank and let it sit for a few hours, almost sparkling clean now!

3. But it will never be as good as the standard planting substrates but i'll be able to get by with dosing and root tabs etc? Would these treatments dye the sand over time?

 

[tanker]

The only thing that will dye the sand is algae (either green or brown). I am not saying that it will, there are lots of nice tanks with white sand. Also there lots of very nice planted tanks with sand.

Yes, you can get by with just ferts and dosing---depending on the plant.

 

[mott]

Sand planted tanks can work but the biggest problem I see is you don't have enough depth in your substrate. We planted tank folk usually shoot for a 3 inch substrate depth so the roots have enough room to grow and just don't float to the top of the tank.

 

[tanker]

Good catch Mott, yes 1.5 inches of sand is too little. You will need at least 2+, 3 is better.

 

[ivanthensf]

I'll do something about the depth, should have more sand leftover somewhere...

Also I notice the sand grains compact themselves, it seems that it may not be very root-friendly. What do you guys think?