# What is the best substrate for 5 gallon planted tank with shrimp and endlers?



## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

I have setup a Fluval Spec 5 gallon two months ago, with black sands from aquarium west, all the parameters are fine but RCS and endlers, and plants are keep dying there, the wired thing with that black sand is, it is very magnetic and when ever I clean the glass they are stuck to the magnet cleaner, I took water for test to aquarium west and they did all the test like iron, coper etc.. Nothing found, 

I'm kinda furastrated and want to redo the tank with soil substrate, in the past I used ADA but it was altring PH to like 5.5 6 and I had to always fight with PH.

Any suggestions for a soil substrate which is keep PH at tap level or even raise a bit? Also it is hard enough for shrimp and endlers?

I have upgraded the light to UP AQUA Z -15 for planted tank 9.2 Wednesday

Thanks 
Arash 


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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

I set up a Fluval Spec 5 and used Tropica soil "powder", the granules are approx 1-2 mm in size and a black and this stuff is great for planted tanks, fish and shrimp.
I'm very happy using it, check it out @ Make your aquarium a success - Tropica Aquarium Plants . Aprils aquarium sells it and recommended it to me.


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

The Guy said:


> I set up a Fluval Spec 5 and used Tropica soil "powder", the granules are approx 1-2 mm in size and a black and this stuff is great for planted tanks, fish and shrimp.
> I'm very happy using it, check it out @ Make your aquarium a success - Tropica Aquarium Plants . Aprils aquarium sells it and recommended it to me.


Thank you, I setup another Fluval Spec V with this soil today

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## fireweed (Jan 7, 2013)

I'm not sure if the stock light with that tank can handle more than the relatively easy plants, if your new substrate doesn't bring you results check on your fertilizing and lighting needs. Or just start with easy to grow plants and branch out from there.


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

fireweed said:


> I'm not sure if the stock light with that tank can handle more than the relatively easy plants, if your new substrate doesn't bring you results check on your fertilizing and lighting needs. Or just start with easy to grow plants and branch out from there.


I dont use that crappy stock light , I have mentioned Im using "UP AQUA Z -15 for planted tank 9.2" which is pretty decent for 5 galong long tank.

I belive the issue was with the black sands , when I took them out of my tank it was very oily! and also very mganatic !


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## Redshrimp2709 (Mar 21, 2016)

Hey! It's you. Again, very sorry to hear about your 5-gallon fiasco. Either I missed it in our conversation, or you didn't mention that you pH was 5.5 or 5.6. Either way that's very low. It's great for tetras and some southeast Asian fish, but it's horrible for shrimp and most livebearers from Central/South American mountain streams like guppies and endlers. Fighting pH and getting it to stabilize may also risk killing off livestock and plants depending on the amount of pH adjustment additives you have to put in such a volume of water, without finding out what is the root cause of the acidification. 

A way to keep stable is to use perhaps 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 a teaspoon of crushed coral. Mix it into your substrate. Now that you do not have any fish in there, I would recommend that. If you have shrimp in there, take them out and put them in your other tank for now. Amanos appreciate a more neutral pH. I suggest using just 1.4 teaspoon first. Wait 3 to 4 days. Test the pH. If you need to add more, add another 1/4 teaspoon and wait a week. It's tough to control, but give it that much time and things stabilize. Continue with regular weekly, small water changes. 

The pH in your tank should be between 6.6 and 7.5 (up to you within that range), considering what you want to have in there. Plants will appreciate a bit of kH and minerals buffering the water anyway as it's another form of carbon intake for them without CO2 injection. Our tap water has been artificially set at 7.0 when it's naturally more acidic I think. Also depends on the watershed. Anyhow, Vancouver water in general has no buffering capacity and is void of minerals in the water. It's almost like RO water, except for minute amounts of chlorine. 

Text me further if you have any issues.


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