# RE: Best Plant Substrate for Low Light Planted Tank



## blazingazn

*RE: Best Plant Substrate for Low Light Planted Tank*

Looking to place some low light Plants in a 6G Fluval Edge.
What is the best substrate or soil for the job?

I was recommended Eco Complete Planted Black Aquarium Substrate
What does everyone think?

Also, I can get it from Petco in the states for $16.99 a 20lb bag?
Anyone want some? Only need to buy 3 for free shipping!


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## thefishwife

I have only ever used Flora substrate, works well for me and is for planted tanks. Its what I have in my fluval edge.

I have heard Echo complete is good!


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## 2wheelsx2

EC and Florabase are both pretty good, but if you want nothing but the best, at all light levels, CO2 or not, you have to go ADA Aquasoil. I resisted for years, but I'm about to set up a tank with some after trying EC and Florabase in other tanks.


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## CGY_Betta_Guy

I use fluorite black gravel in mine. have had no issues growing anything in the Edge. Vals, crypts, swords, pennywort, blyxa japonica, dwarf chain sword, e. tenellus, pogestomon stellatus & helferi are among the plants I have grown in it.


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## arash53

I used fluval shrimp stratum substrate , and I am completely satisfy!


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## teija

Depends what fauna you are planning on putting into it. Eco is what I have in my BioCube, and it looks good...but the black sand gets EVERYWHERE, and some plant roots get too compacted in it. I put some Aquasoil in two of my betta tanks, underneath a layer of pea gravel and the plants seem quite happy with it.

With low-tech plants, you would probably be ok with pea gravel if you wanted to go that route. Maybe use some root tabs to help the plants with nutrients...


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## blazingazn

It will be some low maintenance plants in the tank.

Java Ferns, Java Moss, Anubias, Marimo Moss Balls, Amazon Swords


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## hp10BII

You don't need specialized substrate for those plants, all except the amazon sword, they draw nutrients from the water column. I had an amazon sword in a 120 gallon tank - it outgrew it, so an amazon sword may be just a bit too big for your tank, maybe some microswords.


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## stonedaquarium

hp10BII said:


> You don't need specialized substrate for those plants, all except the amazon sword, they draw nutrients from the water column. I had an amazon sword in a 120 gallon tank - it outgrew it, so an amazon sword may be just a bit too big for your tank, maybe some microswords.


A+ on the amazon swords. all those plants you mentioned i have grown in just ordinary pea gravel (try to get the really fine pea gravel, i have seen some in king eds and in PJs)... if really want to go for specialized substrate... ADA as what one member mentioned is the best... I have used fluval stratum and flourabase both are equally good as well.


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## Shiyuu

Is there any good alternative substrate with a good C/P ratio?
So far I guess Eco-Complete is pretty good consider it's $16.99 from US...

I think I saw somewhere that some ppl in Europe using aquaclay, and said it's pretty good, anyone got any idea what that is??


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## blazingazn

What about Flourite?

I heard it's lower maintenance than all the rest and I don't have to replace it every couple years?


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## 2wheelsx2

Based on your plant list, I would using nothing other than plain sand or gravel. A little column dosing, or if your bioload is high and some root tabs and you'll be good to go. Not need to mess around with special substrate. Save your money for other things.


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## CGY_Betta_Guy

I agree with no special substrate needed for the plants in your list. Plus I wouldnt recommend swords or crypts that could potentially outgrow the Edge. Stupidly I have planted them a few times and the roots tend to grow across the bottom glass and when you want to rip it out you basically displace ALL the gravel from the tank which means major rescaping.

Here is a pic of a sword I just recently took out. It was able to stand on its own because of the roots.


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## Captured Moments

2wheelsx2 said:


> Based on your plant list, I would using nothing other than plain sand or gravel. A little column dosing, or if your bioload is high and some root tabs and you'll be good to go. Not need to mess around with special substrate. Save your money for other things.


Yep.. Imho it is easy to get bought in on the marketing hype surrounding commercial substrate. The more expensive it is, the better it is.. so it seems.
I have allways been an advocate of alternatives and use what is cheaply available, mostly topsoil and earthworm casting. The trouble with it though is that you need to cap with an inert material such as sand or gravel otherwise you will leech too much organic material in the water column and it's easy to make a mess. Granted there are some disadvantages to using such substrate.
Currently setting up a high tech 60 gal planted in my foyer and using Turface Athletics MVP as substrate. It's clay based and it has been fired at high temperature. It has a high CEC capacity meaning it will absorb and retain nutrients from the water making it available for the roots of the plants. The granules are reddish dark brown in colour and average 2-3 mm in size. it's supposedly inert and has no nutrients but since I will be dosing the water column, it should be fine as over time it will enrich itself. I am curious to see how well it actually perform as a substrate as opposed to the soil that I am currently using.


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## blazingazn

Thanks for all the great information.

I found this flourite at JL for $20 SeaChem Flourite Black Freshwater Substrate - 15lb

I will likely pick it up, as it's not much more than what I would pay for any other old substrate.


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## 2wheelsx2

Yes, that's one thing we forgot to factor in, the tank size. The price difference is really irrelevant at that size. Now if you had a 180 gallon, then you'd probably be thinking it over much harder, since a 50 lb bag of playsand is $12.


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## jobber

blazingazn said:


> Thanks for all the great information.
> 
> I found this flourite at JL for $20 SeaChem Flourite Black Freshwater Substrate - 15lb
> 
> I will likely pick it up, as it's not much more than what I would pay for any other old substrate.


Flourite black sand is a good choice. That was my second item on my substrate list. I went with plain old black sand, which has been great for me.


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## blazingazn

So the question is now, Black Flourite-

Sand

or Gravel?


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## jobber

what type of fish are you keeping? And what type of look are you going for?

Remember that the black flourite ($20.95 for 15lbs) " is a specially fracted, stable porous clay gravel for the natural planted aquarium. Its appearance is best suited to planted aquaria, but may be used in any aquarium environment." - _J&L Aquatics_http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/sc-gfsb015/SeaChem+Flourite+Black+Sand+-+15lb.html

Seachem Onyx black sand ($16.95 for 15lbs) - "Onyx Sand is a porous clay gravel for the natural planted aquarium. Being carbonate rich, Onyx Sand provides an advantage to any plants able to utilize bicarbonates. Onyx Sand is most effective when used alone as an integral substrate bed, but it may be mixed with other gravels. Gravel modifiers such as laterite are not necessary." - _J&L Aquatics_http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/sc-gonx015/Seachem+Onyx+Sand+Freshwater+Substrate+-+15lb.html

Black sand ($4.95 for 5lbs) - www.jlaquatics.com/product/as-emsk5/Estes+Ultra+Reef+Black+Marine+Sand+-+5lbs.html
I had the same dilemma when I was chosing between the three: Seachem Flourite black sand, Black sand, and Seachem Onyx Sand.

Should do a quick google search of photos between black sand, black flourite, and gravel. See which type of substrate you like. The Seachem products will help promote plant growth.


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## blazingazn

Neon Tetras and probably Painted Red Fire Shrimp or Blue Pearl Shrimp


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## jobber

With the black sand, your fish are going to look gorgeous. Even with regular red cherry shrimps . Look forward to seeing some pics up on the tank journal.


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