substrate question

[Dave_in_Maine]

I am getting ready to add the substrate to the tank sometime this weekend

Question No : 1
Was wondering if i should use an undergravel filter or not?

question No 2
i read on another forum to use peat moss below the substrate. is that needed??

I have 160 lbs of eco complete ready to go in , just need to find out if
a) a U/G filter is needed
b) peat moss as a bed for the substrate (i assume for roots of plants)

** important info**
I have a 160 gall tank tenecore with overflow box rated @ 1000 GPH going into a Fluval FX5 filter .
Currently the system is running with just water checking the hose connections and the filter for leaks and possible filter failure.
So far so good.
My lighting is an Outer Orbit ....

Any and all answers are welcome !!!
If all goes well pics soon in the section for startups

Dave_in_Maine

[barmby]

Question No : 1
Was wondering if i should use an undergravel filter or not?

question No 2
i read on another forum to use peat moss below the substrate. is that needed??

Q1 - For planted tank, I will not adopt undergravel filteration system, instead I find canister filter is more suitable.

Q2 - Peat Moss? no reason for planted tank because it may alter the PH value and hard to determine CO2 content in the water column.

[beetlejuice403]

Sorry, but may ask if peat moss refer to those type of green colour moss thingy we find on the ground (soil) around trees/ bushes in a park??? Was wondering if we can use these moss found on the ground to grow & be used in a planted tank? If yes, do we need to 'quarantine' them first (maybe grow them on rocks/ DW in a seperate tank 1st) before introducing into the planted tank??

Thanks in advance for all advises/ suggestions...

[Dave_in_Maine]

Thanks for the corrections
and thanks for the answers

Dave

[biweilow]

Question No : 1
Was wondering if i should use an undergravel filter or not?

question No 2
i read on another forum to use peat moss below the substrate. is that needed??

1. In Planted Aquaria, Undergravel Filters are not recommended because it leads to leeching of nutrients from the base fertilizer into the water body. This would cause all sorts of major problems, such as algae outbreak or death of fauna.

Depending on the size of the tank, Canister Filters or Over-Hanging Filters (for smaller tanks) are usually used.

2. I do not recommend that you add peat moss. Peat moss lowers pH of the water, so using too much might not be good.

Most people would just put a layer of base fertilizer under the substrate. Base fert might not be necessary if you're using aqua-soil.

[biweilow]

Sorry, but may ask if peat moss refer to those type of green colour moss thingy we find on the ground (soil) around trees/ bushes in a park??? Was wondering if we can use these moss found on the ground to grow & be used in a planted tank? If yes, do we need to 'quarantine' them first (maybe grow them on rocks/ DW in a seperate tank 1st) before introducing into the planted tank??

Thanks in advance for all advises/ suggestions...

That would depend on the type of moss. I do believe some mosses can survive in a fully aquatic environment, while some do better otherwise.

For the former, it might take some time and effort for the moss to adapt to its submersed form, depending on the conditions provided.

You must be careful when you're using moss found from parks, etc. as you won't know whether pesticides or other harmful chemical have been leeched into the soil and moss.

Personally, I would rather just purchase moss from LFS or hobbyists. It's not very expensive, and a lot safer to use.