Repost: Upgrading a gravel substarte for live plants?

[alireza]

I guess I posted this in the wrong forum so I post it here again. Sorry if some of you might read it twice:

Currently, my 20g tank has a standard gravel substrate with some fake plants. I am thinking to switch to live plants and I know that a gravel substarte can work for some plants but is not the best choice for live plants. So here are my questions:
1. What is the best way to replace my gravel substarte with one suited for live plants and use the current one as the top layer?
2. What kind of substarte should I use under a gravel top layer? I appreciate any help. Thanks.

 

[djlen]

Anything you put into that tank will eventually get mixed up with the new substrate, no matter how hard you try to keep 'layers'.
My suggestion would be to either get a clay-based substrate such as Flourite or Eco-Complete that will match the color of your current one, or pull the fish and put them in a bucket and pull all of what you've got out and start with an all clay substrate.
If you only have an inch or 2 of substrate presently and Flourite (dark brown) would mix with it nicely and money is an issue, that's the way I would go. A good base for a planted 20 would be about 3" in the back, sloping down to 1 - 1.5" in the front.
If you start over, you would need 2 bags of Flourite which would cost you about $35, but is definitely worth the cost for your plants.
Let us know which way you want to go and we will help you with the actual project which is not all that difficult or time consuming.

Len

 

[alireza]

Thanks djlen for the advice. Very helpful. I want to keep my current gravel substrate. Can I mix the Eco-complete with it? And What's the color of Eco-complete?

 

[justintoxicated]

Anything you put into that tank will eventually get mixed up with the new substrate, no matter how hard you try to keep 'layers'.
My suggestion would be to either get a clay-based substrate such as Flourite or Eco-Complete that will match the color of your current one, or pull the fish and put them in a bucket and pull all of what you've got out and start with an all clay substrate.
If you only have an inch or 2 of substrate presently and Flourite (dark brown) would mix with it nicely and money is an issue, that's the way I would go. A good base for a planted 20 would be about 3" in the back, sloping down to 1 - 1.5" in the front.
If you start over, you would need 2 bags of Flourite which would cost you about $35, but is definitely worth the cost for your plants.
Let us know which way you want to go and we will help you with the actual project which is not all that difficult or time consuming.

Len

Dang man 2 bags of flourite here is $50 and 2 bags of Eco Complete is $60!

Where you getting this stuff from? I looked online and after shipping it usualy comes out to same price as localy.

Eco complete is kind of a black/dark grey color, Looks kind of like soil.

 

[plantbrain]

ADA aqua soil is 26$ for basically what amounts to 2 bags of EC or the flourite..............

See ADG's web site.

Regards,
Tom Barr