# coconut, soil and quartz



## eminor (2 Mar 2022)

Hello, I have a very small aquarium of 6 liters, I wanted to create my floor or almost.

I used 3 layers:

the first one is the tetra aquatic compost, I first added water in order to make it a not too liquid sludge and then I put it at the bottom

the second one is coconut shell pieces, I thought the bacteria might like it?

the last one is some quartz gravel to hold it all together.

Do you think the plants will be able to grow in there, knowing that I would not be using a filter or co2? thx

I want to try to grow plants like rotala macandra in it which i know will not be in perfect condition without co2


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## dean (2 Mar 2022)

Can you show us what you mean by 
“ coconut shell  “ 


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## eminor (2 Mar 2022)

dean said:


> Can you show us what you mean by
> “ coconut shell  “
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


like that


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## hypnogogia (2 Mar 2022)

eminor said:


> like that


That to me looks like something that is going to start decaying and putrify your water.


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## eminor (2 Mar 2022)

hypnogogia said:


> That to me looks like something that is going to start decaying and putrify your water.


i thought coco was really resistant in water, it's hard, might take lots of time ?


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## dean (2 Mar 2022)

What is your reason for using coconut shell ?


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## eminor (2 Mar 2022)

dean said:


> What is your reason for using coconut shell ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


well, it looks cool, and it keeps nutrients really well


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## Maf 2500 (3 Mar 2022)

They use it for orchid substrate where (from personal experience) it lasts for a long time, but never tried it permanently submerged. It is also said to be used for hydroponics so that hints it will last well submerged?


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## AlecF (3 Mar 2022)

Is it coir? I've seen videos of people using coir as a substrate


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## PARAGUAY (3 Mar 2022)

The texture looks like a mulch . Looks similar  or same as terrarium substrate.


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## zozo (3 Mar 2022)

Well, Coco fibre is a crushed nutshell, it can be used in an aquarium the same as you could use intact half coconut shells for your fish as a hideout. Ideal if you have Kribs and want to give them a cave to breed. These are used in aquarium hobby already for decades for this purpose. Some fish breeders use this fibre as spawning mobs and the tannins are considered very healthy and prevent moulding of the eggs and the microbial properties function as a food source for the fry.  But using it in this crushed form and in large amounts as a base layer in the substrate for a planted tank will release a massive amount of tannins and will colour your water extremely dark. It might have an effect on the water parameters, especially in the first weeks to months that need to be monitored closely.

For that reason, I personally would use only a small percentage and not too much of it.  How much is best I have no experience with... I only have experience with using several intact half-shells as decoration and caves without any issues. I wouldn't know a reason why there would be issues if I used the same amount in crushed form. But obviously as said, the more you add the more tannins will be released. That's something you need to find out...


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## eminor (3 Mar 2022)

zozo said:


> Well, Coco fibre is a crushed nutshell, it can be used in an aquarium the same as you could use intact half coconut shells for your fish as a hideout. Ideal if you have Kribs and want to give them a cave to breed. These are used in aquarium hobby already for decades for this purpose. Some fish breeders use this fibre as spawning mobs and the tannins are considered very healthy and prevent moulding of the eggs and the microbial properties function as a food source for the fry.  But using it in this crushed form and in large amounts as a base layer in the substrate for a planted tank will release a massive amount of tannins and will colour your water extremely dark. It might have an effect on the water parameters, especially in the first weeks to months that need to be monitored closely.
> 
> For that reason, I personally would use only a small percentage and not too much of it.  How much is best I have no experience with... I only have experience with using several intact half-shells as decoration and caves without any issues. I wouldn't know a reason why there would be issues if I used the same amount in crushed form. But obviously as said, the more you add the more tannins will be released. That's something you need to find out...


thx guys, i actually love water coloration, in terrestrial plant, they love coco, they grow roots quickly in there, i hope it will be the same underwater


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## zozo (3 Mar 2022)

eminor said:


> thx guys, i actually love water coloration, in terrestrial plant, they love coco, they grow roots quickly in there, i hope it will be the same underwater



As said i have 0 experience with using it submerged in large amounts as a growing medium... But there might be things to consider since Coco has some buffering capacities, therefore it needs to be prebuffered before it can be used as a growing medium for plants. The prebuffered variety is generally available to us from garden centres.






						Calcium, Magnesium, and Coco – Botanicare
					






					www.botanicare.com
				




How large amounts prebuffered or unbuffered will affect water parameters might depend on the initial parameters you start out with. I'm not a chemist so I really have no clue what the results will be in a water column.


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## dw1305 (3 Mar 2022)

Hi all,


zozo said:


> But there might be things to consider since Coco has some buffering capacities,


From the mention of calcium (Ca++) and magnesium (Mg++) I'm going to suggest that the un-buffered coir will probably reduce both dGH and pH by swapping two protons (H+ ions)  for a more strongly bound divalent cation.

This would be the same process that <"active substrates work by">.

cheers Darrel


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