# Tropica Aquacare substrate with unipac sand? ok?



## aibo82 (14 Oct 2010)

Hi

I have been looking for substrate to restart my juwel rio 125 is UNIPAC Limpopo black sand ok to use to cap Tropica Aquacare substrate? 

I like dark substrate black/grey and want to try sand this time but wanted to use the tropica stuff as the base!

Good choice?


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## George Farmer (14 Oct 2010)

Yes.  I've used this combination with success many times, including my current 160 litre Dutch tank.


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## Dan Crawford (15 Oct 2010)

I've used it a lot, personally i prefer their 2-3mm black gravel. Limpopo is very fine in comparison.


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## ghostsword (15 Oct 2010)

aibo82 said:
			
		

> Hi
> 
> I have been looking for substrate to restart my juwel rio 125 is UNIPAC Limpopo black sand ok to use to cap Tropica Aquacare substrate?
> 
> ...



I have used it actually. a 2cm layer of Tropica Aquacare then topped up with another 2cm of dark substrate. 





There is only one thing for you to look out for, when you uproot plants you need to be careful, very muddy. Especially Amazon's, Cryptos or Lotus bulbs. 

This is how your tank will look like when you uproot the plants, and the dirt will deposit on the leaves:


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## Garuf (15 Oct 2010)

My lfs has gone, and the other one doesn't stock any plain gravels, is it just AE who do the unipac stuff now? I dread to think the price of posting gravel.


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## ghostsword (15 Oct 2010)

Buy online, TGM sells substrates, and they deliver for very good prices.


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## RudeDogg1 (18 Oct 2010)

or try this site www.aquaristikshop.com its in germany but u can get 2 5 litre bags of tropica for the same price as 1 over here and thats including the postage lol. There prices for most stuff is cheap


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## George Farmer (18 Oct 2010)

Garuf said:
			
		

> ...is it just AE who do the unipac stuff now?


Most Maidenhead Aquatics outlets sell Unipac.


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## ghostsword (18 Oct 2010)

RudeDogg1 said:
			
		

> or try this site http://www.aquaristikshop.com its in germany but u can get 2 5 litre bags of tropica for the same price as 1 over here and thats including the postage lol. There prices for most stuff is cheap



Great link..


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## jimmy james (5 Nov 2010)

Sorry to jump in, i also have this particular combination of substrate and sand but what would be the max depth of sand to grow Hemianthus callitrichoides and Eleocharis acicularis due to their shallow root structure? Is it also advisable to use liquid ferts in addition to the substrate? I have some jbl nano liquid fertiliser (1 drop to 5 litres according to the instructions), will this do?


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## ghostsword (5 Nov 2010)

I dont have HC, but I got Hairgrass, and it grows fine on 5cm total of substrate. I also use EI.


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## jimmy james (5 Nov 2010)

Good enough for me. Thanks.


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