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Peat under the substrate

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  • #16
    I really hate to tell you what you should do. I have never had any real experance with cory cats and can see where flourite might cause a problem. I do know that ADA substates are more rounded and "softer" than Seachem, so you could do that instead.

    Whatever you use, the heavier substrate will evently make its way to the top, not in great quantities but a little bit. Either from a fish hollwing out a spot or uprooting plants pulling it out, the base substarate will find a way out.

    On a 55G a base of ADA Amazonia would cost around $30, cap that off with sand to your liking and you should be good.
    Houston Areas Aquatic Plant Society

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    • #17
      So going with the ADA amazonia on the bottom and then just using pool filter sand on the top might be the way to go.


      do you think that a 9 liter bag will be enough for a 55g? Is the normal or the powder type better?? And where do I get this stuff at? Can I just show up at the location on Alabama and buy some?

      Thanks for the help!

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      • #18
        ADA Amazonia can be found at city pets or fish gallery...or you can buy it online and pick it up at ADG. Get the normal type if you are going to top it off with sand. Powder type is great for capping off normal type and for small plants.

        Also, the downside with amazonia (for some people) is that it is completly organic. DO NOT add fish right away. Give it a few weeks, and some good water changes. Amazonia will spike your amonia levels. This happens to a much lower degree with Amazonia II.
        Houston Areas Aquatic Plant Society

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        • #19
          Oh man, I think I started another conversation. Amazonia II is designed for hard water conditions. It does not break down as fast in HW but does not give as much explosive growth to the plants. I have used and do like it, I have heard many people say the do not like it. Again, opinion.
          Houston Areas Aquatic Plant Society

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          • #20
            hummm, decisions decisions....

            Thanks for the input!! Anyone else have any other ideas or substrate knowledge/experience/feedback that they would like to share??

            Thanks again everyone!

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            • #21
              Originally posted by wesleydnunder View Post
              I've used SMS in two tanks. The plants grow well, but initially I found the SMS very light and had trouble holding down larger plants unless the SMS was layed in pretty deep, 3" or so. Also, after several months it got soft/muddy. You're right about the affordability. It was around $20, I think, for enough to plant a 75 and a 20H.

              Mark
              Mark,

              What are your thoughts on using SMS on the bottom as a 2" filler and then putting about 2" of pool filter sand over the top?? Would this help keep the plants rooted?

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              • #22
                Peat under the substrate

                Hi Naps,
                I'm not an expert, but I have 4 tanks where I have plants and cories. I use un-fertilized potting soil - about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep and then about 2 inches of either playbox sand or fine pea gravel (it has smooth edges that doesn't hut the cories and they seem to like it about as well as sand) the potting soil is about $2 a bag at Walmarts and the pea gravel is $3.00 for a 40 lb bag at Lowes. For my 55 I used 4 bags of potting soil and 2 bags of the pea gravel, put them both in, filled the tank, drained it once and re-filled it and added Prime. I added fish the next evening and do 50% water changes once a week. Hope this helps.
                Best of luck.

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                • #23
                  Thanks for the input!! I started to get away from the "cheap" part...have to get back down to Earth again.

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by naps View Post
                    Mark,

                    What are your thoughts on using SMS on the bottom as a 2" filler and then putting about 2" of pool filter sand over the top?? Would this help keep the plants rooted?
                    That scenario would probably hold down the plants better, but I think would defeat the capacity of the SMS to transfer column fert to the roots from the sand creating a barrier between the water column and the SMS.

                    Mark
                    What are the facts? Again and again and again--what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore devine revelation, forget what "the stars foretell", avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict of history"--what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your only clue.

                    Robert Anson Heinlein

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                    • #25
                      What did you end up doing?
                      Houston Areas Aquatic Plant Society

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by kwc1974 View Post
                        What did you end up doing?
                        Still thinking about it...right now leaning toward just doing Black Flourite Sand as the bottom layer and then Pool filter sand on the top. I think that that might be the most stable and give a natural look.

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                        • #27
                          Just an observation on my part, but I'm not such a huge fan of the Black Flourite. I was so excited when it came out, but to tell the truth, I've had much better growth with regular Flourite or even EcoComplete for that matter.

                          I'm no scientist, but my tank which has Flourite Black in it seems to have a layer of iron that does not seem soluble with water and looks as if it just leeched out of the substrate.

                          Just saying. :) I've heard a lot of similar reviews for the Flourite Black substrates, and Flourite (regular) is still my favorite, so no one can say I have a beef against Flourite.
                          "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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                          • #28
                            Thanks!! ^^ I have used the regular Flourite and it does a great job. It's just that I know it cuts up the little cory cats too bad and they are a "must have" fish for this tank...I might look at the Eco-Complete then. I think I want a dark bottom layer and then the pool filter sand on top.

                            Thanks for the black sand Flourite review!

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