Long time away from aquariums, coming back with planted.

[fishorama]

I have to disagree on some substrates not lasting "forever"; soils maybe no, fired clay, sand, gravel...pretty much indefinitely in my admittedly small experience over many years. The CEC doesn't diminish over time as far as I can see.

For a 20g long you'll need 2 bags of Eco, Flourite etc or 20lbs of sand or gravel if you go that route, for ~2 inches depth. Soils, like I said, I have no idea, but similar I think. Pool sand & Turface come in 50lb bags, way more than a 20g needs.

In addition to plants' happiness there's the aesthetic of substrate color. I don't like the "red" colors at all, but that's me. I mentioned the dirtiness of whitish substrates, they can grow algae too in higher light, but that might be my lazy maintenance. Use you 20g to see what you like before committing to your larger tank. Now is the time to experiment....but let me mention the ugliness of mixed substrates, pick 1!!

 

[bren]

From what I've read and seen about the Eco anyway, was it's a volcanic soil with very little small particles in it, and they have black which I like. I figured 2 bags will be needed also, it's just a generic 20g, not long. I still may try the fired clay type depending on how much money I want to spend right off.

I watch a local for sale group on Facebook near me and just missed out on a 90g corner tank I figured I would store it in my spare room until I had everything all figured out and ready to star it up. Oh well, I bet I'll come across another one.

 

[fishorama]

It's not really a "soil" more like the fired clay substrates. I'd say my Eco is bigger than #20 grade pool sand but smaller than any "gravel" I've seen, not really like sand at all. It's pretty easy to plant in & like I said, I like the black color. I think there is Eco "sand" now, but if it's like Flourite sand, meh.

I'm not super big fan of "corner tanks" they're hard to light well & usually quite tall too. Think hard before you buy 1. Do more research on them, there are issues...

 

[bren]

It's not really a "soil" more like the fired clay substrates. I'd say my Eco is bigger than #20 grade pool sand but smaller than any "gravel" I've seen, not really like sand at all. It's pretty easy to plant in & like I said, I like the black color. I think there is Eco "sand" now, but if it's like Flourite sand, meh.

I'm not super big fan of "corner tanks" they're hard to light well & usually quite tall too. Think hard before you buy 1. Do more research on them, there are issues...

Thanks for that, I didn't know anything about the corner tanks. It was advertised as free so I messaged the owner. I did get to thinking this morning that it might have been a blessing anyway, I'm sure it wouldn't have fit in the car. Would have had to make another trip out with my truck. It's a former military truck and rides real hard lol.

I might have been mistaken about the Eco, the pictures on their site didn't look like any type of clay product being round.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Corner tanks are good if you only have a certain space to work with. Bren, that standard 20g as opposed to a 20L is going to change things a bit too. The bigger footrpint and lower height of a 20L is a better plant tank IMO. Better all around tank.

 

[dougall]

Eco Complete is basically gravel/sand (depending on your definition) from volcanic rock.

Most of the clay substrates are fired and then broken up into usable pieces.. as they are made from clay, they will create dust, and will wear down over time... mostly depending on how much they are left to sit, or how much they are disturbed.

No substrates will have nutrients that will last forever, assuming there are plants to use them, or water changes are done to an extent too.

Most of the marine soils will break down over time, most are generally replaced in a couple of years, depending how the tank is maintained, and rearranged, as it will just become powder, mud or cloudy water.

As for a 2OH vs. a 20L, it's a matter of personal preference... t's easier to grow higher list plants with a 20L using the same wattage of light, but it's easier to find a 24" light fixture.. It will more depend on what plants and fish you want to keep as to whether they do well.

Besides... as you found, there will be other tanks in the future.

 

[FreshyFresh]

As for a 2OH vs. a 20L, it's a matter of personal preference... t's easier to grow higher list plants with a 20L using the same wattage of light, but it's easier to find a 24" light fixture.. It will more depend on what plants and fish you want to keep as to whether they do well.

Besides... as you found, there will be other tanks in the future.

I agree, although more options have opened up for fixtures that fit a 30" tank, T8 or LED.

 

[fishorama]

To my thinking a volcano amount of heat is "fired clay"...not at all like Aqua Soil or potting soils, etc . My regular black Eco (not Eco sand) is rounded "bits" not sharp like Flourite etc & my bottom feeders are quite happy & healthy on it

My favorite tank size is a 4ft 75g. Easy to light & to scape, & many fish & plants can be kept. If you find 1 of them for free or cheap, GO, get it ASAP!

 

[bren]

A friend of mine thought he had a 20l but turns out it's a standard like I have. We would have swapped, he only had goldfish when he had it running. I'll experiment and learn with mine. I will stick 100% to lower tier plants for now until I really get a grasp on everything and can afford to get a decent co2 setup. Until then I'll continue reading up on ferts and such.
I just know I can't go back to the generic gravel/sand bottom plain type of tank after seeing so many planted tanks on YouTube. So many absolutely gorgeous tanks!

 

[fishorama]

Nothing wrong with learning on a less than "ideal" tank. In 35+ years I've still never done co2 yet. That doesn't mean it can't be pretty...& lower maintenance There's a trade-off sometimes, it depends on what you want