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Getting
Started with Planted Aquariums:
Substrate
Cavan
Allen
Finformation,
June
2003
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While
not as important to good plant growth as good lighting, nutrient levels
in the water, and carbon dioxide, the substrate of a planted aquarium
does play an important part in its success.
Gravel that is fine grained and does not have undesirable buffering
properties should be the key ingredient for any planted aquarium substrate.
Avoid using sand or gravel bordering on pebble size. Neither is suitable,
as the former will become compacted and the latter will hold down
plenty of rotting food but does not provide a good rooting medium
for plants. Sand may be used to top appropriately sized gravel when
delicate foreground plants are used, but that’s it.
Substrate additives are just as important as the gravel itself, especially
for plants that absorb much of their nutrition from their roots. Soil
is sometimes recommended as a sub-gravel layer, especially for lower
light tanks, but I don’t advise using it. Finding dirt low in
organics and free of pollutants can be difficult, as can cleaning
up the mess created when a large plant is uprooted.
Laterite is an iron-rich clay often used beneath gravel and is a better
option than soil. Besides providing iron, it helps plant roots gather
nutrients from the water column. Unfortunately, it still has one of
the same main drawbacks as soil in that things can get messy when
plants are uprooted.
Seachem’s Flourite is a baked clay gravel has the same benefit
as laterite but does not contribute to a messy tank. It also has a
good grain size and a nice appearance. Plants do quite well growing
in it. The only downside is its expense, but I think it is worth it
and I like it a lot. If you do decide to use it, wash it thoroughly
before use to remove the abundant dust.
Although both laterite clays and Flourite are rich in iron, they will
likely not provide enough for tanks with strong lighting and plant
growth. A liquid iron supplement should then be used.
Plants that are heavy root feeders like sword plants and Cryptocorynes
can be fed with macro or micro nutrient balls in addition to water
column fertilization. This applies more to tanks where vigorous plant
growth can result in shortages of needed elements, but can give a
boost in almost any case. Any root fertilization tablets (especially
those composed of macro nutrients) should be buried deep under the
gravel, lest they leak into the water column and cause unanticipated
consequences. For my heavy root feeders, I use Jobes Spikes for ferns
and palms and Seachem Flourish Tabs for micro nutrients, although
the Seachem tabs may not be necessary since I supplement the water
column so heavily.
In an aquarium with many plants, it is not necessary to vacuum the
gravel deeply. Simply lightly dusting over and between them with the
siphon is adequate. |
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