# Best value for money substrate



## whinnie (20 Feb 2012)

Hi all

i know this will be divided on opinion but could i get some ideas on the best "value for money" planting substrate, i get the impression that ada powersand topped with amazonia is about the best but its so expensive! opinions please


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## Iain Sutherland (20 Feb 2012)

hey whinnie.

Your right in saying that the ADA substrates are suposed to be the best and the price matches, price has always put me off, will try in a nano soon though.
Eco complete and aquasoil  are both easy products to work with and look pleasing.
Akadama is bonsai potting clay, about as cheap as you can get and seems to deliver good results.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/akadama.htm

A good substrate is important but not the be all and end all.  CO2, ferts, lighting and good maintenance in the right amounts are what will deliver success.  Many people make perfectly beautiful tanks with just sand or gravel, but i would recommend using a decent substrate.


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## BigTom (20 Feb 2012)

Soil and a sand/gravel cap will actually do everything you need a planted substrate to do, and cost almost nothing. That's pretty good value if you ask me.


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## whinnie (20 Feb 2012)

BigTom said:
			
		

> Soil and a sand/gravel cap will actually do everything you need a planted substrate to do, and cost almost nothing. That's pretty good value if you ask me.



by soil you just mean day to day soil/compost?


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## BigTom (20 Feb 2012)

Yup, although you have to be a bit picky and avoid those with added manure, lime or large amounts of wood chipping.
Pond or cutting composts are often a good bet.


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## Iain Sutherland (20 Feb 2012)

Not sure its ideal for a beginner though Tom (i'm guessing your a beginner?) , i think to when i started i was replanting almost every few days and soil can be pretty messy if you playing around with the tank trying out new plants..... your bucket is testiment to how effective it can be though


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## whinnie (20 Feb 2012)

easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> Not sure its ideal for a beginner though Tom (i'm guessing your a beginner?) , i think to when i started i was replanting almost every few days and soil can be pretty messy if you playing around with the tank trying out new plants..... your bucket is testiment to how effective it can be though



im more virgin than beginner, havent even properly dabbled yet, just a little bit of foreplay looking at forums, have a tank and some fish but not much else, slowly building up the bits before i make a proper start


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## whinnie (20 Feb 2012)

might consider tesco cat litter it seems to be a rather cheap alternative, i have aread a bit about putting certain salts etc under the substrate, can these be sourced cheaply online? again the ada ones look to cost a small fortune


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## Morgan Freeman (20 Feb 2012)

Soil, but not if you plan to move plants around.

The second best option seems to be cat litter but it won't have any nutrients in to start.


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## rebus (20 Feb 2012)

There's some good reading here on soil substrates if that's the way you want to go.

http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=18943

Stu.


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## whinnie (20 Feb 2012)

rebus said:
			
		

> There's some good reading here on soil substrates if that's the way you want to go.
> 
> http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=18943
> 
> Stu.



thanks i'll add it to my mass of ukaps articles to read  theres so much info here its unreal


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## Iain Sutherland (20 Feb 2012)

whinnie said:
			
		

> rebus said:
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The secret of success is hiden away in threads on this forum... some of us are still looking for it


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## Alastair (20 Feb 2012)

easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> whinnie said:
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Ha ha that tickled me! 
 Plain old tesco cat litter with a bit of osmocote under for good measure works wonders 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## whinnie (20 Feb 2012)

easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> whinnie said:
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i reckon ill have died of old age before i get all the info absorbed


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## Crispino Ramos (21 Feb 2012)

I don't like to use power sand under AquaSoil substrate.  The power sand looks awful when it pops up from the bottom (it usually happens when uprooting plants).


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## Kristoph91 (21 Feb 2012)

Is osmocote cheap then? What exactly is it?


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## Iain Sutherland (21 Feb 2012)

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
			
		

> Is osmocote cheap then? What exactly is it?



Osmocote is just a terrestrial plant fertilizer and is pretty much the same as root tabs you pay a fortune for.  Comes in pellets which are like tabs or loose balls which can be used under a new substrate.
Its about £14 for a box that will last most people a lifetime.


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## Kristoph91 (21 Feb 2012)

Ah thanks. I see, just fertiliser tabs then? 
I'll need a small amount for a 30L tank . Do they only sell big boxes? Where do you get it anyway?
Thanks,
Kris


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## Iain Sutherland (21 Feb 2012)

Happy to send you enough for a 30L if you like?
PM your address and i can do it this week...


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## Tim Harrison (22 Feb 2012)

> Soil and a sand/gravel cap will actually do everything you need a planted substrate to do, and cost almost nothing. That's pretty good value if you ask me.



I wholeheartedly agree with Tom on this, it works out about 30 - 40 times cheaper than Gucci substrates and is much more effective and will not become depleted of nutrients even after several years of vigorous plant growth. So in terms of best value for money it simply cannot be beaten.



> Soil, but not if you plan to move plants around.



This is not strictly true, if you use a fine meshed gravel tidy or soil retainer between the soil and gravel you can scape and rescape to your hearts desire without disturbing the soil layer. The plant roots will naturally descend through the mesh and in to the soil below under the influence of gravity or geotropism.



> i reckon ill have died of old age before i get all the info absorbed



There is a great deal of good info in this forum from many very experienced aquarists, the link below takes you to a tutorial that might help to put it all in to perspective, therefore, although it is by no means definitive, it is a good place to start. 

It is really a beginners guide to the use of soil substrate, once the basic principles have been grasped it really is child's play and much easier to maintain and get good results than many other methods of achieving a beautiful planted tank (and enormously cheaper, ecologically sound, and carbon efficient); so there is no reason why even a virgin couldn't do well.



> There's some good reading here on soil substrates if that's the way you want to go.
> 
> http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=18943
> 
> Stu.



Good luck, whatever substrate you decide to use.


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## Morgan Freeman (24 Feb 2012)

Troi said:
			
		

> This is not strictly true, if you use a fine meshed gravel tidy or soil retainer between the soil and gravel you can scape and rescape to your hearts desire without disturbing the soil layer. The plant roots will naturally descend through the mesh and in to the soil below under the influence of gravity or geotropism.



That's a great idea. I think I'll try that next time.


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