Do I need more than a Gravel Substrate?

[Akysten]

Do I even need an expensive substrate to have a planted tank? If I'm not going to do anything elaborate... someone was a big help and told me that these would grow well with what I'm building:

most hygrophila (wisteria, polysperma, corymbosa)
hornwort
anubias (any variety)
most cryptocryne (Wendtii, beckettii)
java fern
java moss
water sprite
anacharis
amazon sword
vallisneria

However, in looking up many of these, most do well in gravel, or attach themselves to rock or wood.

Any recommendations of a combination that will look good? This tank is 24" tall... I was GOING to use BioComplete, but I'm considering just going with Gravel. I'll have to purchase 4-5 bags of Biocomplete, but this will cont between $90 and $110.. is it worth it? Then again, gravel isn't cheap either.

 

[phanmc]

Hygrophilas do really well in a plant substrate but they are just as agressive water feeders as they are root feeders so they can do well in just about any condition.

Hornwort, anubias, java plants, water sprite, and anacharis will do fine with regular gravel, most of them don't need gravel at all.

Crypts, vals, and amazon swords do much better with a plant substrate or root suppliments with regular gravel.

Eco-Complete is one of the more expensive plant substrates, flourite is a cheaper alternative. Flourite is reddish in color. Schultz's aquatic soil that you can find in some home and garden shops is also cheap, but you will need have a layer of gravel over it as it's lighter than gravel and doesn't hold the plants very well.

 

[Quartermain]

Plant by plant:

most hygrophila (wisteria, polysperma, corymbosa)

No. Hygrophia species are stem plants. All stem plants derive most of their nutrients from the water column, but each are treated slightly differently. Wisteria for example is normally a floating plant but will root if weighted down. Hygrophila polysperma can be grown floating but looks best when planted. Hygrophila corymbosa has a woody stem that must be planted. Any of these plants are suitable for aquariums with regular gravel.

hornwort

No. This is a floating plant and derives its nutrients from the water column.

anubias (any variety)

No. Anubias plants grow from a ryzome and should be attached to a piece of rock or driftwood.

most cryptocryne (Wendtii, beckettii)

Yes and no. Crypts draw their nutrients from the soil and benefit from an iron rich substrate but you can use fertilizer tabs in the substrate and some people have found this to be adequate for slow growth.

java fern & moss

No and no. Java fern grows from a ryzome which, just like Anubias, can be attached to a piece of rock or driftwood. Java moss can be floated or weighted or tied to rock or wood.

water sprite

No. See Wisteria (Hygrophia diformis).

anacharis

No. Anachris is a floating plant and derives its nutrients from the water column.

amazon sword

Yes. All species of Echinodoris are root plants that require a rich substrate. Most are fast growing and will be difficult to sustain with fertilizer in a plain gravel substrate.

vallisneria

Yes. Vals are root plants that typically require good light and a very rich substrate. Some people have no trouble growing vals but all varieties I've tried simply melt in my aquariums despite good substrate, generous ferts and light.

 

[Akysten]

So I guess what I'm getting at is this: I'm looking for a planted tank, but the focus is the FISH, I just want a natural look with lots of live plants to support their environment.

So I could probably do just fine with a gravel.. I'm not so much concerned with cost.. I want to do it right... why pay $50 for Gravel if for $40 more you can do it right. On the other hand, I'm not sure how the Eco Complete will look, I hear it will separate itself eventually into layers with the top being dark gravel.

 

[phanmc]

Eco-Complete looks like black coarse gravel, though not completely black like some of the painted and polished gravel you see. It is made up of various size grains from sand-like to medium size pebbles, over time the smaller grains will sink to the bottom but you won't see any noticeable layering.

You don't need Eco-Complete unless you plan on having lots of heavy root feeding plants like lots of crypts, amazon swords, and lawn-like plants. You do want small grain gravel though, so it would be easier keeping plants rooted

 

[Quartermain]

Eco Complete has a very natural look in a heavily planted aquarium. Personally I like the look of eco but you may prefer to go with regular gravel and use stem and ryzome plants that don't require a nutrient rich substrate. Here is what 4 bags of eco looks like in my 40gal.

 

[dorkfish]

just to make you get what you need, canadian tire sells "aquatic plant soil" for a very cheap price(compared to what you would get at a fish store). look around at similar places in your area for this, it should be in the section with the topsoil/terestrial plant soil.

 

[Akysten]

Well, the store is out of Eco right now... they're getting in a shipment tuesday, and I get 10% off. (It will be right around $20/bag) Calculations say I need 4-5 bags 20lb bags. Same for Gravel. If the Gravel is $7 for 10lbs, I'll need around 11 bags.. when the math is done, it's about $20 more for an Eco substrate.. and considering the cost of the tank, that's not much. It's more aestetics than price.

My wife will have a say in this, I don't think she'll like the Eco... but she's more adament about plants than I am. I like the dark substrate, it will bring out the color of some fish. BTW Quartermain, thanks for the photo.

I'm sure that they'll be low on the fine gravel as well... perhaps if I mixed it with a slightly larger size?

Actually, I'm afraid of some of her decisions. Getting approval for the tank was a compromise that it be OUR hobby. I want a solid color background, she wants one with plants... It's a planted tank! ( I think we'll do two backgrounds and attach them with Velcro.. so we can "swap" them out, but I digress)

I think I'll go with the Eco for the flexibility. My wife is always asking the shops about plants that she likes... many of which they are told are hard to grow.

 

[Ray Pollett]

While EcoComplete is better than plain gravel, plain gravel works well for all the plants discussed so far as heavy root feeders. The question is do you want the optimun planted tank or a very nice planted tank. I grow swords and Cypts in just gravel all the time. They do very well, grow slowly, look good, and multiply. I do not vaccumn the gravel. The fish waste and uneaten food work very well as fertilizer for the plants.

 

[rrkss]

Vals are root plants that typically require good light and a very rich substrate. Some people have no trouble growing vals but all varieties I've tried simply melt in my aquariums despite good substrate, generous ferts and light.

Not true. Plants will extract nutrients from the water column given that you supply them with enough nutrients. My vals grow like crazy in plain old inert aquarium gravel. So do my amazon swords, crypts and all the other plants that are said to be *root feeders*. Heck my vals are even sending out runners like crazy.

Here is a photo of how healthy and dense a Val can get in plain old inert gravel with good water fertilization.