Neccesary to use additional substrate with pool filter sand?

[Bigfish]

Still trying to finalize my decision on what substrate to use. If I was to go with the pool filter sand is it recommended to use something else mixed in or underneath the sand to give the plants more nutrients? Thanks.
Josh

[davesolo29]

i personally would not use pfs for your planted tank... it compacts too much and will not allow for proper roots to form. It packs too densely. Also.. nutrients would not get in.. AS well as the biggest one... unless you are constantly turning your sand it will get build ups of anaerobic gases and could kill everything once released into the water system.

[sucker4plecos]

I am using pool filter sand in several tanks...... with plants ... no issues....

I have MTS in several tanks with teh sand so there is a lot of tilling of the soil..... but you do need to clean the sand every so often..... simple to gravel wash in my opinion...... and many fish like the sand bottom as opposed to somethig with a coarser grain.....

[davesolo29]

true...but last time i saw your tanks they were not heavily planted... in a densely planted tank it is hard to vacuum.

[zenins]

If you are using sand and no soil underneath, you can insert "Root Tabs".
They are tablets of fertilizer that you push into the sand near the plant roots.
You can also use Jobe's plant spikes the same way.
Just don't put in more than two or three at a time, or you might get an algae bloom

[CamTurner]

I'm with Dave. SERIOUSLY reconsider the sand in a planted tank. I've had nothing but poor growth, random die-offs and cloudy water when I've tried it in a planted tank. For Cichlids it's awesome. Even a SA tank with plants attached to rocks and wood is great, but as a planting medium... not worth the money saved.

[waj8]

I found in the past that straight sand substrate takes a long time to mature. It eventually does start to work well though. I like the fact that it holds plants well. The stuff I am using now is rather light and it is easy to uproot plants. Personally I would definitely add something the the sand to get the tank going faster. I like fish mulm. I have also added topsoil in very small amounts and laterite as well. I believe fish mulm is full of beneficial bacteria the help a planted tank to come into balance quickly. I like the fish mulm the best. Topsoil seems to cause an algae bloom at first but turns out well in the end. Nowadays people like to use mineralized topsoil. I have not tried that but it looks like a good idea. Since pretty much any substrate I have ever tried grew plants I do not think it makes all that great a difference. It all seems to come down to grain size. Too coarse and some plants like crypts don't do well; too fine and the substrate will cloud the water when uprooting plants. Some fine material does really seem to help though.

Wayne

[Tye]

I'm going to have to go against the grain here and say that I get great growth with pool filter sand. To be fair, it is only the top layer of three (mineralized soil capped with oil dry capped with sand). I do have lots of various snails/cories/plecs/rams that keep things well stirred up, and the tank is very densely planted to prevent 'dead' areas for gas build up. Even Rotala macandra takes off in the set up.

So, it almost seems like JUST pool filter sand makes a very poor substrate, but pool filter sand as a cap is okay? For folks who saw poor growth, was there anything underneath the sand?

[h2osanity]

scales14's tank has just pool filter sand but I would classify it as low light, low maintenance. We have MTS and banjo cats.

[ryno1974]

I have a heavily planted tank with just pool filter sand. It is my first planted tank, so I dont have a lot to compare it to, but I have had great growth. In fact probobly too good of growth. I need to thin it out something serious right now.

I started the tank without plants, and changed directions later on, hence the sand. If I were planning from scratch, I might not use sand, although I do find it hold roots very well - at least with some types of plants. I have actually had more problems trying to plant roots into gravel than sand.

It really comes down to personal choice at the end - how high tech do you want to go? Low tech, I say just sand. High tech, use some soil or other growth agent under the sand.

Just my 2 cents