heated substrate necessary?

T

thumannator

Registered Member
Mar 21, 2006
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Looking into setting up a planted aquarium. Haven't really done a planted aquarium before, so I have been researching as I prepare. Some say it is necessary to heat the substrate. Is this really the case?

If it is good to heat the substrate, I have been considering Hydor's Hydrokable or Red Sea's Root Therm. Anyone have experience with these? Do they work well? Does anyone recommend another product?

Thanks.
 
I do have a few tanks with heating cables and a few with out. I do think they speed up the amount of time it takes to get the lower layers of substrate ready for some of the harder to grow plants. If I look under the tanks that do have them you will see thicker and longer roots all over the place compared to with out the heated cables you don’t see as many.

Do I think there needed for a planted tank? One thing that is very important is that you put them down with proper spacing off the glass and to cover them with the amount of sand as required. The cables will add about 2 hours on setup time for a 75 gallon tank. Most of the time you will need about 1/2 to 3/4” of sand for them to work.
 
denali1234 said:
No experience with that, but I have never heated substrate and have heavily planted, successful tanks. I would save my money for additives (NPK, Fourish Excel) instead. Just my two cents.
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Ditto!
 
denali1234 said:
No experience with that, but I have never heated substrate and have heavily planted, successful tanks. I would save my money for additives (NPK, Fourish Excel) instead. Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

I would agree. Spend the money on lighting and CO2 before heating cables.
 
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