# Help me pick a substrate



## lil-lynx (5 Dec 2010)

Hello i am about to change, my substrate and would like to know what you pros think i should pick.
ADA stuff is out my price range.

The things i have been looking at are:

1. Caribsea Eco-Complete
2. Colombo Flora Base Brown
3. Seachem Flourite 
4. Seachem Flourite Dark 
5. Seachem Flourite Red 
6. Seachem Onyx Sand 

The substrate will need to cover a tank 3 foot long by 15 inches deep.
The tank will have 78w+ or may upgrade to a single 150w MH with presherised co2 and also doesing dry fert all in one mix. 

The substrate will need to be  ok shrimps, as i will have some cherrys and others. Will also have a dwarf plec so dont really want the substrate to go really cloudy when moved.

The plants will be some steams,moss`s, a carpit of hc glosco.


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## waj8 (5 Dec 2010)

Not sure about the Colombo one but the rest are all about the same. The Onyx might harden the water a bit. Those types of substrates are blessed with the right texture for growing plants but do not add anything in terms of Nutrients. They work well though.


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## lil-lynx (5 Dec 2010)

Hmmm I was looking for something that I don't need to cap, with perfect grain size and add Nutrients to the water. But i would also like it to absorb Nutrients as I will be adding dry fert before I add fish  

Cor the things we do for out fish hey . . . . .


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## Mark Evans (5 Dec 2010)

columbo is like nature soil and ADA. 

there's not a lot in it price wise, maybe a bit cheaper. 

for any doubters of columbo, here's a couple of tanks done with the stuff.










There's no doubting it works, but then gravel with good co2 and water column dosing can work also.


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## Garuf (5 Dec 2010)

Good substrate won't help you grow plants if you don't have the other fundamentals in place. 
Co2, ferts and equipment that means you meet or exceed the 10w turnover rule should be what you're investing in before substrate, especially as you'll be highlight with the mentioned lighting. 

Columbo gets my vote, things have moved on a lot since the others were launched onto the market.


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## lil-lynx (5 Dec 2010)

well i think i have 10x turn over. Im running a tetratec 1200 and a seio m620 power head. 
I just don't like planting or the look of plan pea gravel. My pick would be a sand by this compacts the roots stopping roots to grow so that's out the book  
Was thinking akadama but im not to sure. Haven't got access to buying it as well is a big problem.


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