CONFUSED about substrate

[Filzan]

hi guys! i am new here am about to start my journey into planted tanks. I was going to head into iwagumi but kinda changed the idea and wanted to do a moss tree(using java moss) with dwarf hairgrass around it. Going for Low tech planted tank maybe do a DIY Co2.

The items that i have:
1) tank 45cm by 29cm by 30cm
2) Hang over filter 350L/hr
3) 9-13 watt PLbulb with 6500K spectrum illuminatio
4) Air pump with Corner Filter
5) A driftwood (that looks like a mini trunk with branches)
6) Ocean Free New water guard to remove chlorine and chloramine
7) Ocean free Bacteria growth

All i think i am left with is SUBSTRATE!!! and tester kit

I watch so much videos on youtube but i cant see the main point on what substrate to use and what to buy.
I read here that ADA soil seem to be the better option for long term. And yes i most prolly get ADA soil but there are so many products from ADA substrate that i dunno which one to use. I read and it is said that dwaft Hairgrass propagate better in sand type soil ?


first question : Which ADA soil should i get ?
second : Which bottom layer substrate to get? isit a must to get ?
Third : Which aquarium shop in singapore that sells ADA Products? (cause online ordering of ADA products the shipping price is CRAZY!)
Fourth : Top coat to cover the ADA Soil can just me Normal Sand? or can i just use The ada soil without any top coat.
Fifth : Went to one aquarium to look for Dwarf Hairgrass and he selling it to me for $8 one pot is this a good price ? or if not is there any other places i can get it ?

I am left with about $70 budget for substrate hopefully i can achieve this hahaha.

SOOOO EXCITED TO START !!!! MUHAHAHAHA

[tatguy]

Amazonia is the best in my opinion.

For a small tank it is optional if you are not intending to let it survive for more than a year. If you want, get JBL aquabasis or laterite

Many shops sell it, depending on where you live. C328,Y618, Polyart, NA etc. (I happen to have a big new pack of it if you need, 9L of it PM me for details)

You can use it just like that, i prefer to not mix sand in. There is actually a powder form which works better for small plants but since you are new and on a budget i do not suggest using it.

Depending on which hairgrass you were shown and the quantity, the price is different. japanese hairgrass costs about that price , regular ones range from $1.5-3 and those in fancy tubs and gel costs $15.

[Filzan]

Hi Tatguy, thanks for the reply bradda !!

ah ok i actually want to keep it surviving for at least a year or maybe more.

actually i was more inclined on getting the ADA soil as since it is highly recommended. so you have a pack of 9L Jbl aquabasis or ADA ?

ah ok then i think i would go back to the place and try to bargain for a lower price then hahahaha !!

[Filzan]

i was planning to buy this

ADA Amazonia soil 9L
and maybe a powdered fertilizer from JBL?

Since ADA amazonia can be find without any top layer sand

plants i want to keep is just hairgrass carpet isit ok if i just ADA without any top layer sand ?

oh yes i tried to look for a thread that have all the LFS coded. i cant find it so where is C328,Y618? hahhaha damn nub man me

[tatguy]

i was planning to buy this

ADA Amazonia soil 9L
and maybe a powdered fertilizer from JBL?

Since ADA amazonia can be find without any top layer sand

plants i want to keep is just hairgrass carpet isit ok if i just ADA without any top layer sand ?

oh yes i tried to look for a thread that have all the LFS coded. i cant find it so where is C328,Y618? hahhaha damn nub man me

look around here http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...Shop-Directory
328 is the one in clementi 618 is in yishun.

I have 9L of ADA only. JBL you have to get it yourself. It costs about $20 for a big pack.

You do not need to add sand to ADA. It is a good substrate by itself.

By the way, ADA is a substrate itself, and JBL is the bottom layer fert.

[Filzan]

look around here http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...Shop-Directory
328 is the one in clementi 618 is in yishun.

I have 9L of ADA only. JBL you have to get it yourself. It costs about $20 for a big pack.

You do not need to add sand to ADA. It is a good substrate by itself.

By the way, ADA is a substrate itself, and JBL is the bottom layer fert.

ALRIGHT THX BRO!! for deciphering the code LFS for me haha now i get it.

SO it costs about $20 for a JBL Soil or fert ?

ok noted bottom layer of JBL fert and ADA Soil on top.

bro i am gonna PM you with regards to the 9L ADA Amazonia soil

[wongce]

ADA amazonia new soil alone without additive or base fert is sufficient for your needs. There is no need to cover the soil with sand.

9L ada soil cost ard 40 plus. Take note its quite heavy ah...

Ada soil alone is more than enough for your low tech setup.

Further information can be found by looking around the newbie thread or my blog below... hope it helps

[tatguy]

Yes. JBL is a fert, not a soil or sand. It is meant for putting under any substrate you are intending to use. For your information the $20+ size one is too much for a 2feet tank. You can consider asking fish shop if they have smaller packs which if i am not wrong is about 9-15 bucks.

And yes, wongce is right. use the JBL as base only if you are intending for high tech or very long lasting substrate. mine lasted about 1-2 year before i started to add supplements to substrate. Normally i just add to water column until i think my rooted plants need some substrate supplement.

Yes by the way you set your account to not receive email from AQ so i emailed you instead

[Filzan]

Thanks wongce your blog is super detailed and gives me a lot of information on starting up my tank. yes i have been snooping around at the newbies forum alot.

From reading your blog i believe that my low tech tank with just seachem flourish excel would be enough. But i was thinking of setting up a DIY CO2 but i cant find any check valve for DIY CO2 like the ones i see in youtube. Any idea which LFS has this check valve for DIY CO2 ?

OK tatguy i most probably will be going to C328 to check out the JBL fert try to ask the shop for a smaller one. and yes i am going for long term substrate so i got to get he JBL fert hahaha.

[wongce]

Hi Filzan, thanks for checking out my lousy blog..

Check valve can be found in most if not all lfs. Some shops keep them below the cashier cabinet, so its hard to spot. Its easier to ask the shop keeper directly. There are expensive ones and cheap ones..well both serve the same purpose but the cheap one will serve you well since you are not using high pressurized system.

Hmm, frankly speaking ada soil alone can last quite long. If You will be rescaping now and then, ada soil alone is suffice, I know some aq members are still using the second hand soil which was several years old.

In fact , too much fert may cause problems for newbies... if you worry about nutrient loss later stage of the scape eg 2 years down the road, you can add those root balls or fertilizer capsules. Regular dosage of fertilizer will help to slow down the draining of nutrient... but, don't count the chicks yet haha still long way to go to reach that stage...lol

[limz_777]

if you intend to diy co2 , no 4 can be omitted , dont forget a important plug which is the timer

[Filzan]

thanks wongce. i have managed to find the check valve and thanks for the advice.

Thanks limz_777 i have omitted No.4 from the set up.

i have already managed to set up my Tank.

i used JBL florapol fert i bought the $9 for 50L to 80L

firstly i added 0.5cm of the florapol as base. and i added 2cm of ADA amazonia soil. then i evenly mixed it to form my base layer of substrate. then i added 3 cm of amazonia soil on top.

my filter is a hangover filter of 360L/hr. and i put it a max output those the water that was going in form top down to my tank is quite powerful.

left it alone for 5 hours and came back to see to my horror that the whole tank is super cloudy

in the middle my top soil was being washed away leaving the 2cm of base substrate consisting of the JBL florapol to be exposed and being diluted to the water.

any advice on what i should do ?

[tatguy]

thanks wongce. i have managed to find the check valve and thanks for the advice.

Thanks limz_777 i have omitted No.4 from the set up.

i have already managed to set up my Tank.

i used JBL florapol fert i bought the $9 for 50L to 80L

firstly i added 0.5cm of the florapol as base. and i added 2cm of ADA amazonia soil. then i evenly mixed it to form my base layer of substrate. then i added 3 cm of amazonia soil on top.

my filter is a hangover filter of 360L/hr. and i put it a max output those the water that was going in form top down to my tank is quite powerful.

left it alone for 5 hours and came back to see to my horror that the whole tank is super cloudy

in the middle my top soil was being washed away leaving the 2cm of base substrate consisting of the JBL florapol to be exposed and being diluted to the water.

any advice on what i should do ?

Change about 70% water , cover back the hole then get a coarse sponge or something similar to break the flow of the filter

Is the hole caused by the flow of the filter or because you did not add enough water and the downflow caused it?

A picture would be good, because a 360L/hr filter should not be strong enough to make a hole by flow alone

[wongce]

Hmm thats one of the reason I do not like base substrates... can you tune down the flowrate of the HOF or adjust the output direction to minimize damage? Some HOF comes with a LIP attachment to allow suface agitation. Lastly, add something in the filter compartment to reduce the flow...

Haha you may gotten a good and powerful HOF...lol

[Urban Aquaria]

The hole dug out in the substrate is probably due to the water level being lower than the hang-on filter outflow ramp, so the water just dumps directly down into the tank and the vertical flow ended up concentrating in one area and displaced the soil.

To minimise that effect, make sure the water level touches the filter outflow ramp, so that when water exits it flows across the surface, rather than just dropping down. You'll have to make sure the water level is kept up though, or else the soil will get displaced again.

Alternatively, you could also consider getting a canister filter instead, as their outflow can be positioned to avoid messing up the soil substrate.

[Filzan]

Hi thanks all for the very prompt reply.

Bro tatguy, i heeded your advice and i did a 70% water change put more ada soil onto the hole that was created.

Bro wongce, yes i tuned down the output of the filter already hahaha i forgot to check that one out. its working good now and not disturbing the substrate.

Bro urban, yea i guessed as much. and yes i filled up my water to just below the output ramp. yea i will consider canister filter next time hahaha.

anyway this is a photo of what i set up. not sure whether i did it properly with the planting of hairgrass and the baby tears i am hoping that it will spread and grow.

any comments is welcome since i am a newbie

image.jpg

[thebaldingaquarist]

Hi Filzan,
whats the plant thats tied to the wood? is that baby tears?
if it is, i suggest taking it down. i don't think baby tears can grow well on the wood, without soil or something to root in. in addition, you need to dose water column with a good amount of macros and micros.

[wongce]

Bow to GRANDMASTER ERIC....

Hi Filzan, the Hair grass can be planted in less dense form... in fact plant them strand by strand is the best. They grow better individually and you can cover the whole soil area.

[Filzan]

Hi Filzan,
whats the plant thats tied to the wood? is that baby tears?
if it is, i suggest taking it down. i don't think baby tears can grow well on the wood, without soil or something to root in. in addition, you need to dose water column with a good amount of macros and micros.

hi bro erctheanda, nope its not baby tears. the baby tears i put it at the bottom of the DW. The LFS owner told me its dragon moss.. but after i bought it i tried to google it i cant find anything called dragon moss though.

have you heard of it bro ?

well maybe i should take it down

[Filzan]

Bow to GRANDMASTER ERIC....

Hi Filzan, the Hair grass can be planted in less dense form... in fact plant them strand by strand is the best. They grow better individually and you can cover the whole soil area.

hey bro wongce, hmmm if i were to do that and fill with water will it be able to hold ? since i have planted it like this can it still spread? cause i doubt i wanna disturb the substrate again LOL.