# Black substrate for a planted tank



## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

I am setting up my 100 gallon piranha tank as a low tech lightly planted tank. I am thinking a bunch of giant val's in the back and maybe some swords or something on the sides with some rock work in the middle. I want a black (or dark) substrate, but I dont think i can afford to buy eco-complete or black flourite for a six foot tank. I have some of the black sand blasting sand from TSC in a non-planted tank and was wondering if I could use it in a planted tank? I have white pool filter sand in a different plated tank that is doing OK, but I really want this one to be dark to accentuate their red bellies.

Anyone know if this stuff would work in a planted environment? Or any suggestions of a cheap dark substrate?


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

How many bags of gravel do you need to fill your tank and at what depth do you need? 2-4"?

Have you considered 50/50 mix black gravel and florite or eco-complete? 

That way you save half the cost of the enriched substrate. Just an idea. I'm going to assume with the saved substrate pricing you'll have to substitute later with root tabs and such.


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## Antoine Doinel (Dec 20, 2010)

Sand works fine. It's obviously not the best choice of substrate for plants, but plenty of species can thrive in it. My Amazon Swords and Vals do great in playground sand. Just make sure you enrich it with root tabs. Go the DIY route too. You'll save A LOT of money that way.


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## Roberacer1 (Aug 21, 2010)

*substrate*

The issue is going to be the plants. I had plants in a tank without flourite and they did not do well over time. Substrate is said to be an important component for long term life of plants. That's been my experience.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

From my experience, plant don't do well sand. They survive (like a plant that survive in Nevada.)

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## mrobson (Mar 5, 2011)

i would mix the sand with some flourite what you'll save on substrate you will end up spending on root tabs.


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## Roberacer1 (Aug 21, 2010)

Hey "Mrobson". I actually use both root tabs and flourite. The root tabs are for my Sword. I found that it was having a very difficult time without the tabs. Lost some of the bigger leaves. It's coming back now though. Does that make sense? I was a bit bewildered about the flourite but the rest of the plants are thriving. (I use liquid flourish as well) I'm told swords are often like that. I have river rock on top of the red flourite. Sort of the illusion of a river bed.


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## mrobson (Mar 5, 2011)

did you rinse your flourite first before you put it in your tank? a lot of people reccomend doing this but in doing so you wash away all the good stuff you paid all that $$$ for. Although i never rinse mine i dont seem to be able to keep vals alive but i think that has more to do with my fish munching on them.


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## Roberacer1 (Aug 21, 2010)

I did rinse it some. A question that I had for the supplier when I bought it actually. They told me that the Nutrients are an integral part of the clay that it is made from. The tank was cloudy for days even after that. The root tabs seem to solve it though. Like I say. I only use them for the sword. It is the only root feeder that I have.


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## Lee_D (Jun 11, 2010)

Just to throw in my two cents regarding sand as a substrate. When was the last time you went swimming off a sandy beach and ran into weeds? I've always found the weeds tend to grow more in the silty regions of a lake rather than the sandy ones.

Lee


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

I have had good luck with PFS, I just dont want the pale colour, I want dark (black) to bring out the red in my red bellies. I have had this tank (65 gallon, DIY CO2) going for a couple of years now with PFS with no troubles at all, I just need a way to replicate it in black.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If you want to cheaply emulate the PFS in black, buy some black blasting sand in either #20 which is what PFS is or #12 which is a little coarser and might be better for plants. It costs around $10 for an 88lb bag, or $7.50 for 50lbs.
You should be able to get it anywhere sand blasting supplies are sold.


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