What sand/soil to get?

[plantz]

Planning to set up a 5ft planted tank.
Is there any recommended sand/soil that is cheap and suitable for planted tank?? Is under gravel fertilier important or can be left out?? I plan to use liquid fert. only. If undergravel fert is essential, what type to get?

HOw much to get for both, recommended place to get them and pls recommend cheaper stuffs. thks.[:]

[budak]

You are asking for a lot of information. If I had the time, i could spend an hour or so spoonfeeding you, but I don't, so I won't. If you are new to planted tanks, try reading up in the past threads (there is one thread on base fert/gravel just a few steps below), read the very first thread in the Aquatic FAQ, and look through good info sites like www.thekrib.com, and sites like www.tropica.com, www.dupla.com, www.dennerle.de and www.vectrapoint.com.

There are good and cheap, as well as good and expensive base fertilisers and plain gravels. I don't own a shop so I don't know the prices. Maybe it's a far better idea to actually go the shops and see what they have, ask the price and note down the brand, AND THEN post again for the forummers' views (why didn't I think of that!!). That might be more useful as a starting platform for discussion for everybody.

If you plan to use just liquid fert, why bother with soil and base fert then? Read up the countless threads in the planted forum and Aquatic FAQ on fertilisers, and you will probably start off on a better footing.

That cost me about 10 minutes of Surf time, with little spoonfeeding, but lots of pointers to where you can actually research and ponder at leisure. Sure beats hammering out 20-30 minutes worth of stuff that already exists out on the Net or in a good book (by the way, may I recommend Aquarium Plants by Ines Schuermann, available at good bookstores and some LFS - spend the $20 and save yourself a load of $$$ and heartache on bad purchases and worse decisions further on).

Have a nice day!!!

[tawauboy]

pay a visit to various lfs in serangoon north, nature aquarium, biotope and etc. worthwhile to spend some time doing research and look out for interesting gadgets.

i believe a lot of people are using 'monterey sand' and jbl base fert. and there are quite a lot of other stuff around.

[hmph]

my exact sentiments budak....

[bclee]

To give you a head start, I recomend a few... so you can do a search on them.

Base ferts:
Laterite
JBL Aquabasis (www.jbl.de), popular and reasonable cost
Peat moss
Dennerle Deponit Mix (www.dennerle.com)
Sera Floredepot (www.sera.de)

Other gravels:
Seachem Flourite, Onyx (www.seachem.com)
ADA Aquasoil, Powersand

BC

[geoffrey]

Plantz,

Reading some of the articles in this FAQ will help answer some of your questions.

*Things you need to start a planted tank - Vinz
*Article on dosing - Juggler
*Terrestial vs aquatic root fert - Vinz

[Dreamgarden]

Was thinking of using Dennerle Duponit Mix base fert for my new tank. The only thing holding me back is the cost of the fert, it is around 2-3 times more expensive than JBL.

Can anyone advise whether Duponit mix have better result than the JBL fert? Was asking around at Sam Yick and was told that they use Duponit mix for all of their planted tank.

[budak]

I have seen folks get nice results with Duponit, but my own view is that the JBL is no less effective (heavy root feeders like echinodorus, crypts and barclaya seem to thrive in it for me).

[Dreamgarden]

How about mixing both Dennerle Duponit Mix and the JBL,
any chemical reaction/side effect? Anyone try this before?
Thanks in advance for the advise.

[geoffrey]

I don't see why not, they are just soil. Many of us have base mixed with all kinds of stuff, cocopeat, potting mix etc..etc.

[loupgarou]

dirt is dirt. you could use sludge if you wanted to. that's what they are doing to pulau semakau (sic)

[vinz]

Plantz,

Go http://home.infinet.net/teban/ and read the 5 articles there on substrates.

For some of the substrates listed by forumers above, you can search AQ and also www.thekrib.com for more user's experience on them.

Also go to some of the respective websites like www.jbl.de for manufacturers info.

For really cheap base fert, use potting soil, Aquatic Compost or pond soil, peat moss, coco peat and put in some of your own additives like Root Monster loose form, laterite balls. Personally, I'm using Aquatic Compost but I'm reading up more on soil substrates at the first link I provided. My current 6ft tank has been growing Aquatic Compost (two 25 litre bags at ~ $13.00) for a year plus now and supplemented with root fertilisers once every few months.

[loupgarou]

the non cost cutting solution.

use ADA soil (any) for the low ph.
cover with layers of fluorite.

[Kingfisher]

----------------
On 11/21/2003 12:42:43 PM

My current 6ft tank has been growing Aquatic Compost (two 25 litre bags at ~ $13.00) for a year plus now and supplemented with root fertilisers once every few months.
----------------

Can tell me where to get this Aquatic Compost?

[sherchoo]

The last place I got my Aquatic Compost from was Far east Flora. They are actually a nursery.

[Kingfisher]

----------------
On 11/21/2003 10:35:23 PM

The last place I got my Aquatic Compost from was Far east Flora. They are actually a nursery.
----------------

Thomson Road that one?

[sherchoo]

There's one along Thomson Rd another around Queenstown. Maybe you give them a call before going down to see stock availability.

[E33]

----------------
On 11/13/2003 8:48:29 AM

To give you a head start, I recomend a few... so you can do a search on them.

Base ferts:
Laterite
JBL Aquabasis (www.jbl.de), popular and reasonable cost
Peat moss
Dennerle Deponit Mix (www.dennerle.com)
Sera Floredepot (www.sera.de)

Other gravels:
Seachem Flourite, Onyx (www.seachem.com)
ADA Aquasoil, Powersand

BC
----------------

From my understanding, Dennerle Deponit Mix had a special kind of granule called biotrop inside the mix (only for the new packaging). This could help in your base from preventing algae growth and reduce of nitrite.
Another new brand mfr from Dennerle too... Rondex! Not as fantastic as Deponit Mix but due to cost constraint, can try it out.

[Blue Whale]

I forgotten the brand for my sand which I got abt 40kg of em...but the base fertiliser is from JBL one. ^_^" forgot the series too...heh heh...old man, think its what BC said one.

Dun forget the M size and L size drift wood, they make very good companion when mixed together. hee hee.

[avant]

is there a particular brand of aquatic compost??