how important is substrate

If I was doing a 20gal or maybe even a 30gal I would consider plant specifc substrate. However doing a 75-90-110 I wouldn't consider it, at 20$ a bag and atleast 2 - 3 inch substate will cost more than my regulator EASILY.
 
If I was doing a 20gal or maybe even a 30gal I would consider plant specifc substrate. However doing a 75-90-110 I wouldn't consider it, at 20$ a bag and atleast 2 - 3 inch substate will cost more than my regulator EASILY.

haha true. Yeah i'm playin with the idea. I want to use ADA soil but one of the problems is that i hear it can increase ammonia a lot and i'm wondering if that would destroy the shrimp i already have in my 29 gallon.
 
Plant Tabs are inserted every 1-3 months, not every 2-4 weeks.

Any plant specific substrate will become exhausted eventually. It will not last forever. It will definitely last much longer than any root tabs, but not forever. If you are not planning on an high tank, higher end planted tank where the substrate will be your limiting factor, I personally would still stick to an enriched (with root tabs) sand substrate.
 
What is high tech about it?

If it is low light then I wouldn't worry about special substrates, the light will be your limiting factor. It is important to maintain balance with all the components of plants (light, CO2, ferts, substrate, temp, etc.). If it is out of balance that means you have excess of something, which will be used by something (usually some sort of algae).
 
What is high tech about it?

If it is low light then I wouldn't worry about special substrates, the light will be your limiting factor. It is important to maintain balance with all the components of plants (light, CO2, ferts, substrate, temp, etc.). If it is out of balance that means you have excess of something, which will be used by something (usually some sort of algae).

by high tech i mean pressurized co2 and EI fertz. Right now i have a single T5HO bulb 6 inches above my 29 gallon tank and that seems to work pretty well with all the plants i have at the moment. I guess changing substrate is more work than benefit.
 
it can increase ammonia a lot


It does do that...It is recommended for a newly set up tank with nothing in it except plants, until the Ammonia is lowered.
 
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