Substrate particle size
For optimum results with plants, sand for the substrate should be between 1.5 and 3mm in diameter.
Substrate Comparison Thread
Contents:
clay, laterite, kitty litter/vermiculite and soil
by Stephen Pushak (Sun, 28 Dec 1997)
clay, laterite, et al
by George Booth (Mon, 29 Dec 1997) ...
Substrate Size
Substrate material should be between 3 and 8 mm thick. Large granules will block root growth and smaller ones can actually crush the roots. It is recommended when starting the tank that you add the substrate in phases.
Substrate Heating Cables
contributed by George Booth
Much of the mystery surrounding heating cables is that Dupla has been careful to hide the rationale to protect their product, i.e., keep it "magic".
Substrate for my 55g heavily planted freshwater tropical aquarium
Report
By aquatropicalfish on ...
Substrate: When do you need it?
Before discussing how much substrate a hobbyist needs, let's look at the times when you may not need it, and then we will look at the times when you do.
Substrates for the Planted Aquarium
Choosing the right substrate for your planted aquarium is an important decision that will have long term affects on your plants.
Sand Substrate
I figured it was time to make the Big Change and remove the existing Under Gravel Filter (UGF) and start off on the right foot for a more healthy planted tank.
Substrate is the sand or gravel in the bottom of the aquarium that creates the natural ocean appearance.
Substrates vary widely in terms of particle size - everything from sands consisting of very tiny particles to larger river rocks.
Substrate Phosphate level (ppm) Ca/PO4 ratio (high numbers are best)
ARM from Carib Sea
2.0
1925 ...
I get a lot of my substrates now from my local landscape supplier. If I bring a small container, they'll usually give me enough for a 10 or 20 gallon tank for free because I buy topsoil, rocks and pavers from them as well.
Freshwater Aquarium Substrate Setup
Ideally, a freshwater aquarium substrate setup is done at least one month before any fish or live plants are added. This ensures adequate growth of good bacteria.
To keep the cable heater below the substrate, cover the cable with a plastic or fiberglass screen before you add substrate. This procedure is best performed when initially setting up your aquarium.
Substrate and Decor -- your choice of substrate and decorative items will influence your tank's pH reading over an extended period of time.
SUBSTRATE:
I use sand and most people do. Some people prefer a bare bottom but I disagree, as sand is a rays defence and security, if it feels threatened or stressed it will bury itself, if it can't do that then it will just get more stressed...
Substrate
This is gravel or sand on the bottom of your tank. Some aquarium critters need a finer substrate so that they may dig around in it. Be sure to use substrate made specifically for aquariums.
substrate - The material used to cover the bottom of the fish tank.
trace elements - Minute substances found in water,that are needed for proper plant and fish growth. Usually replenished with partial water changes.
Substrate: The material making up the base on which an organism lives or to which it is attached. Also, the material used to cover the bottom of the fish tank. Examples include gravel, crushed coral, crushed seashells, and sand.
Substrate: Material used on the aquarium bottom. Examples include gravel, crushed coral, crushed seashells, et cetra.
Substratum: The many different layers of substrates found in nature or in the aquarium.
Substrate: The substance, base, or nutrient on which an organism grows.
Substrate
Any solid object or collection of objects. Very broad term.
Subtidal ...
S: substrate
This section includes recommendations as to the type of gravel to use. "Plain gravel" refers to fine gravel of size (#1 to #3).
P: propagation
This section indicates how the described species reproduces.
The substrate
Fine-grained soils are to be avoided, a size of 2-5 mm being perfect.
A good substrate (Substrate?You what?): To start off with, you've gone and bought some nice, coarse, gravel - no wonder your plants have problems rooting.
Soluble Substrates
Calcareous sands and gravels can be used to increase pH and buffer the water. Crushed coral will slowly dissolve in acidic conditions, neutralizing acid and increasing buffering capacity.
"Rift Lake Salts" ...
Substrate spawners are a little choosier about where they put the eggs. They lay eggs that attach to some sort of substrate. Plants, rocks, wood, and even the aquarium glass may be chosen as a spawning site.
Substrate heaters are the least common of the internal heaters for aquarium use. Substrate heaters consist of a coil or grid of wire in an insulator which is buried in the aquarium gravel or substrate.
Substrate spawner, the female will usually select a cave with a very narrow entrance, which the male cannot enter. The male will guard the surrounding territory. The female will guard the eggs and fry until they are free swimming.
Comments ...
Substrate Term for aquarium base covering.
Encyclopedia 1.0 by Rebecca Smallwood
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Substrate can be either fine gravel or sand and several caves should be added for hiding places. Never use rocks with sharp edges, when scared Frontosa's will dart through the water and they will injure themselves on sharp edges.
Substrate - depends on your water. I believe that KH is the most important ingredient in the water area. If it is 13+, then you need no buffers and can save money. The KH of my tap water is 0, so I have to buffer the heck out of my water.
Substrate for a plant tank is set up differently, first you should put down a layer of fertilizer or Laterite and then cover with your normal gravel. All gravel should be thoroughly washed prior to being placed in the aquarium.
Substrate- ADF's prefer sand but gravel will work as long as it doesn't have sharp edges.
Substrate with a soil under-layer should last many years (~10 years), because fish and plant waste will continuously replenish the nutrients that plants extract from the soil. No need to add fertilisers for years.
Substrate - The base of which an organism grows.
Sump - A separate tank located under the display tank used as filtration and to house heaters, reactors and protein skimmers etc.
A substrate brooding female managuense cichlid, Parachromis managuense, guards a clutch of eggs in the aquarium.
The substrate should be smooth or soft. Don't expect much of this fish. They don't do a whole lot. They're nocturnal so lower light levels should be provided, floating plants work well for this. Caves, rocks, and plants should be provided for cover.
The substrate should be fine and rounded so they won't hurt themselves, and a darker coloured substrate that matches their body colours might help them feel more safe.
The substrate should be underlain with at least 1/2'' of peat. Provide plenty of driftwood as hiding places. They also enjoy a layer of leaf litter to burrow into.
Compatibility
A peaceful, schooling species that is compatible with most fish.
Plant Substrates
Aquarium-Tank Books
Species-Health Books
Fish Tank Kits ...
The ideal substrate for marine, reef or African Cichlids. Ideal for deep beds, plenum systems, reef or fish tank bottom cover. Removes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and other wastes.
The bottom substrate for this aquarium plant should be nutrient-rich. It should not be planted too deeply in the substrate and make sure that the top of the roots are visible above the gravel.
Jubas are a substrate spawner, but will also lay eggs on glass and rocks. Males develop more pronounced trailers on their dorsal fins. Jubas develop deep red highlights in their fins when spawning. During spawning, over 200 eggs can be laid.
What about substrate?
There are many commercial substrates available but I'm not going to go into detail about the majority of them in this article, ...
Live sand is one substrate which has recently gained a fair amount of publicity. This technology is really in its infancy and is not recommended for beginners. You can find more information in the ARCHIVE.
This may apparently be particularly useful for killifish breeders, which have only peat as a substrate.
If it is rocky, what size is the substrate? Does it like to clear sand by "blowing" it away, to reveal some prey within? What kind of cover does it normally find safe haven in? Does it prefer to forage or hunt?
The nutrients provided by the water as it flows through the gravel substrate and under the Undergravel plate are normally suitable to produce enough of a population to remove all the nitrite in the aquarium as soon as it is produced.
Substrates are not preferred, since Trewavasae Cichlids often dig in them, distributing dirt and detritus into their water. The sides of the enclosure should not be scraped during cleaning; however, water should be changed frequently.
cylindricus is a rock-dwelling, substrate spawner. Both in the wild and Neolamprologus cylindricusin the tank, cylindricus stay very close to the rocks.
Wash your substrate well before adding it to the fish tank
Rinse all gravel repeatedly, and especially all types of sand. Place substrate in a clean fish-use only bucket and rinse through with a hose while stirring to agitate debris.
The fish only aquarium would generally have crushed coral for substrate, hiding places made out of rocks, artificial plants, and dead or artificial coral heads.
You can plant them directly in the substrate but if you do so be very careful not to bury the crown of the roots. They will do best if they have at least an inch of their roots exposed.
Once a month, you want to rinse out the gravel or substrate at the bottom to remove fish waste and leftover food because they will eventually rot, increasing the amount of ammonia on the water and eventually killing your it.
OTHER BREEDING INFO: For the basic breeding group of 1 male & 3-4 Females, use a tank with a 12G (50L) capacity without any substrate on the bottom but with an efficient mechical filter and floating plant thickets.
The Jaubert Method (also called plenum method) is one in which thick beds of substrate (crushed argonite, shells, coral, or live sand) and large amounts of live rock allow the aquarium ecosystem to "naturally" break down wastes, ...
Anaerobic bacteria form in the bottom depths of the substrate and in the water below. As anaerobic bacteria cultivate, they remove nitrates. Anaerobic action produces a fair amount of heat. The heat warms the water layer below the gravel.
This type of plant has leaves growing on what is usually a single stem, with the end rooted in the substrate. Leaves may be single, paired, or multiple, growing from nodes along the stem.
The Lamprologus Caudopunctatus Cichlid is a substrate spawner, and breeding is more difficult than most of the cichlids. This is a very slow growing species which may take a few years to reach sexual maturity.
 See also: Fish, Water, Aquarium, Species, Plants
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