# Substrate ideas



## Miccoh Mendoza (12 Jun 2018)

Hello everyone,

I recently got a 341 Litres (90 US G.) which is  121.9cm (48")x 45.7cm (18")x 61cm (24") and I am starting to plan what item I would need. I am planning to put in a lot of medium demanding plants, which means getting to use CO2. However my water is so hard (GH of 32 and KH of 24) that the CO2 chart doesn’t go that far and my ph is 8.2-8.4. Also, my fish I want to stock do best in lower ph and soft to medium hardness. I was planning to get a planted substrate that would be best to lower my ph and hardness. I was just wondering anyone know any planted substrate brand that can do that?


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## Barbara Turner (12 Jun 2018)

Have you thought about buying an RO filter?  
Pumping in Co2 will drop the PH, driftwood will also soften the water and lower the pH. 
I'm not sure about any substrate that will be the magic fix especially if your going don the planted tank option with big regular water changes.


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## Tim Harrison (12 Jun 2018)

ADA Aquasoil Amazonia will lower pH a bit, as will Tropica Aquarium Soil.


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## Miccoh Mendoza (12 Jun 2018)

I have thought of getting a RO water unit in my house. Any good unit that you recommend? Also, I was looking online that substrate that has peat/clay can lower ph and hardness level which made me want to get substrate rather than RO water.


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## Miccoh Mendoza (12 Jun 2018)

What is your opinion on ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia?
When reading about it, it seems to be what I’m looking for. However, it is a big purchase and want to know how long will it last until it loses it affect?


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## Tim Harrison (12 Jun 2018)

Well, you really don't need to worry about pH that much unless you intend to try and breed specialist blackwater fish. 
Most fish these days are captive bred in tap water and in many cases are already used to high pH, for instance, and will be perfectly happy. 
Same with plants as well, even the so called soft water species.
Also, the high carbonate conc of your water will most likely buffer against any serious pH change anyway.


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## dw1305 (12 Jun 2018)

Hi all,





Miccoh Mendoza said:


> I was planning to get a planted substrate that would be best to lower my ph and hardness. I was just wondering anyone know any planted substrate brand that can do that?


None of them will have much effect, because the active substrates work via ion exchange, they swap a an ion of lower valency in the substrate (usually an H+ ion) for a more strongly bound divalent ion (usually Ca++) in the water. 

If you have very hard water the substrate will very rapidly stop being "active", because all the cation exchange sites will be filled with Ca++ ions. 

I agree with the other posters, some <"fish and plants do much better in harder water">, and they would be my choice.  Have a look at <"Windowsill Nature">. 

I live where we have a hard water supply, and keep soft water fish, but it rains a lot in England so rain-water (which I use) is an option for us. 

cheers Darrel


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## Miccoh Mendoza (12 Jun 2018)

Thank you so much Darrel and everyone for responding! I now understand about the little affect ADA substrate and other substrate have.


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## X3NiTH (12 Jun 2018)

I'm currently using JBL Proscape Shrimp Soil which is a substrate that buffers the water. I'm using about a litre of it in a 12L tank. Over the course of about 3 weeks this tank has had three 90% waterchanges with water @ KH9 GH8, at the beginning it buffered from pH 7.6 down to pH 6.8, now it is no longer buffering the water to much extent, I have another tank next to it that has inert gravel substrate and receives the same water (50% WC per week) and the pH in this tank is only sitting about 0.2 pH above the 12L.

As Darrel says once the exchange sites are filled then the substrate no longer buffers, that's probably going to happen quite quickly with your GH and KH.


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## Sakura83 (13 Jun 2018)

Miccoh Mendoza said:


> Any good unit that you recommend?


I can recommend 100gpd 3 stage RO - its not expensive but much better than 50 and 75gpd


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## alto (13 Jun 2018)

> GH of 32 and KH of 24



You will have a high ratio of waster water, look at RO systems designed for hard water - more $$ initially but given water costs in California, likely worth the investment

You might cost out RO or distilled or deionized water through your local grocery shops (or home delivery system) - this may be the most economic 
You can just mix in 10-20% tap to remineralize 

Tank sounds fantastic
120cm x 45cm x 60cm tall?


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## Edvet (14 Jun 2018)

I would start researching central American fish and biotopes, some beautifull fish there


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