do i need gravel when using gex soil?

[oldstone]

Hi guys,

I am setting up a 2ft plant tank using gex soil(red package) to keep mainly shrimps.

just want to ask:
do i need to add a layer of gravel on top of the gex soil?
If yes, what kind of gravel should i choose? can i add in those 1cmx2cm gravel?

how about bottom layer? do i need any layer below the gex soil?

thanks

[beetlejuice403]

Hi bro,

the answer to your question strictly lies in your own preference (in terms of hassle & trouble, budget, aesthetics factor etc)...

For me, I have 2 tanks just using plain GEX soil (mixed both Green & Red packs) without adding any other gravel & it's serving me well... [Maybe because I'm the type who goes for simplicity person...] At the base, I simply add in some crushed bamboo charcoal pieces before I poured in my GEX soil... You may choose to add in some base fert also (if your tank will have many plants rooted in the substrate) [Do note that those GEX soil at the most bottom will 'breakdown' into very fine texture over time...]

You may choose to add a layer of lapis sand over the GEX soil if you prefer, but I'm not sure if the fishes/ shrimps have the ability to dig into & mess up such combination in the future...

By 1cmx2cm gravel, are you referring to those small pebbles? If yes, then if may be too big/heavy on your GEX soil... Furthermore, there will be more chances of the fish/shrimps poo getting stuck in between the gaps of the pebbles [Which means that in times of water change, the water will be very dirty if you go & stir/clean these pebbles... unless you intend to siphon out these waste manually & regularly... These is based on my past experiences]

And remember that if your tank is mainly going to be housing shrimps (cherries, crs, others), try not to choose soil/substrate/pebbles that'll prevent or make it difficult for you to 'take stock' of your shrimps in the process...

Just sharing my own experiences & 5 cents worth... Hope it helps...

[oldstone]

hi beetlejuice403,

thanks a lot for the sharing.

what is the purpose of putting the bamboo charcoal in the bottom?
does it help to absorb the smell? or any other purpose?

for the top most layer, if the 1x2cm pebbles is too big, how about those smaller one, like 02-0.4cm gravel? will it help to make the water cleaner, improve the lifespan of the soil?
(I wish i don't need to change the soil, even once every 1-2 years..)

by the way, i won't have a lot of rooted plants in the tank. and i prefer minimal maintanence.

[beetlejuice403]

[quote=oldstone;364283]hi beetlejuice403,


Hi bro oldstone, for the use of bamboo charcoal, there are basically 2 school of thoughts: The "YES" & the "NO" school...

You may do a serch in AQ, there are a few threads that debates about the use of it in planted tanks (be it in the substrate or in the cannister filter)... [http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...mboo+charcoal]

Think it works like the activated carbon some of us use as our filter media... So far, all my tanks (plants & faunas) are doing fine with the crushed bamboo charcoals in it...

As for the gravel, think a smaller sized grains will be more suitable (but may be more of a hassle when you are siphoning out the fish poos when doing water change as the smaller grains will be much easier sucked upwards due to its lighter mass...) Being smaller in size, one thing I believe its beneficial use will be greater surface area in helping to cultivate BBs for the tank... As for the lifespan of the soil (substrate), you may choose to change it if you think that the soil is no longer serving its purpose well (all the soil had broken down; the ferts in it had all been used up etc.]... Personally I think 2 years without changing it is quite a long period... But I can also understand the backbreaking process of changing the substrate...

[oldstone]

hi beetlejuice403,

thanks a lot for sharing. really helpful!

[mario tan]

Hi bro,

the answer to your question strictly lies in your own preference (in terms of hassle & trouble, budget, aesthetics factor etc)...

For me, I have 2 tanks just using plain GEX soil (mixed both Green & Red packs) without adding any other gravel & it's serving me well... [Maybe because I'm the type who goes for simplicity person...] At the base, I simply add in some crushed bamboo charcoal pieces before I poured in my GEX soil... You may choose to add in some base fert also (if your tank will have many plants rooted in the substrate) [Do note that those GEX soil at the most bottom will 'breakdown' into very fine texture over time...]

You may choose to add a layer of lapis sand over the GEX soil if you prefer, but I'm not sure if the fishes/ shrimps have the ability to dig into & mess up such combination in the future...

By 1cmx2cm gravel, are you referring to those small pebbles? If yes, then if may be too big/heavy on your GEX soil... Furthermore, there will be more chances of the fish/shrimps poo getting stuck in between the gaps of the pebbles [Which means that in times of water change, the water will be very dirty if you go & stir/clean these pebbles... unless you intend to siphon out these waste manually & regularly... These is based on my past experiences]

And remember that if your tank is mainly going to be housing shrimps (cherries, crs, others), try not to choose soil/substrate/pebbles that'll prevent or make it difficult for you to 'take stock' of your shrimps in the process...

Just sharing my own experiences & 5 cents worth... Hope it helps...

hi, what is the different between the red and green gex soil? thanks

[berlinjs]

the red packet with bigger grain with shrimp picture gex can be use for planted and shrimp, the green there are two type one for planted and the other planted and shrimp smaller grain then red packet.

I was wondering can we use lower part of the tank with red pack follow the by finer grain green pack on top so that easier to plant or any advise please.

[beetlejuice403]

the red packet with bigger grain with shrimp picture gex can be use for planted and shrimp, the green there are two type one for planted and the other planted and shrimp smaller grain then red packet.

I was wondering can we use lower part of the tank with red pack follow the by finer grain green pack on top so that easier to plant or any advise please.

Hi bro, yes you may do that by first pouring in the Red pack of Gex (bigger) substrate, then followed by the Green pack (smaller grains) into your tank...

I did that but realise that when I try to scape my tank with rocks/DWs, the 2 soil simply get messed up also...