# Deep Valley Substrate Advice



## aquascape1987 (14 Jan 2015)

Hi guys, I'm just about to start forming the substrate and hard scape in my trigon 190, and was hoping for some advice.. I'm going for forming a valley with the substrate raised on either side, and also having the whole thing sloping a bit towards the front of the tank. Eg raised either side to form the valley, and higher at the back sloping down towards the front. I think that the substrate will be 20 or so cm at its highest. My idea is to form the slope with inert gravel/ cat litter contained in net sacks, cover this with some sort of mesh barrier and then have a planting layer of amazonia laid over this, with substrate supports... either the ones from green machine or I may just make my own. The tanks going to be heavily planted with carpeting plants. So really, my main questions are:

1) Any thoughts on the way I'm proposing to build up the landscape? Any better ideas?

2) Would you consider having a reverse under gravel filter under all of this to keep a flow of water through the deep substrate, the idea being to lower the chances of an aerobic activity and gas forming? This would be in addition to two water column external filters, my fluval g6 and second one to be decided.

All advice welcome  and appreciated


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## Tim Harrison (14 Jan 2015)

The way you intend to build your banks is fine IME. You may want to use lots of little bags around 15cm in length then you can build up the slope in a modular fashion which allows greater flexibility and stability to the capping substrate. You probably won't need the mesh as well.
I wouldn't worry unduly about anaerobic spots and H2S build up too much if you intend to use the above banking method; reverse undergravel filtration will in all likelihood be unnecessary.


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## aquascape1987 (14 Jan 2015)

Hi, thanks for the reply. That's exactly what I wanted to do with the smaller bags, and build up modular, but I'm struggling to source any small bags. Smallest I've seen are like 30 x 25cm laundry net bags..  I also cant find these in bulk, and fairly cheaply... They were sold in singles and doubles and were like £3 each.Do you know of anything suitable? I did think that about the under gravel filter not being necessary, but I'm terrified of the dreaded hydrogen sulphide, as the tanks in my bedroom. When I first started keeping fish, I had a bad experience in a smaller tank, and stunk the entire house out whilst it went through the 'new tank syndrome' phase. Even if not necessary, do you think that it would bring any benefits in this regard?


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## X3NiTH (14 Jan 2015)

What about Nylon tights, that way you can make substrate sausage links so it all stays together where you intend to put it.


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## Iain Sutherland (15 Jan 2015)

ebay filter media bags filled with alfagrog works well 

LW3 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr
LW12 by iainsutherland24, on Flickr


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## aquascape1987 (15 Jan 2015)

Hi Ian,
Love the hard scape you have formed there. Are those bags the super fish ones? What size are they, and do they zip up?


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## Iain Sutherland (15 Jan 2015)

Thanks, Don't remember the brand but they are 20cm zip up media bags. Worked a treat. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Andy D (15 Jan 2015)

This article is useful - http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/hydrogen-sulfide


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## X3NiTH (15 Jan 2015)

Andy D said:


> This article is useful - http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/hydrogen-sulfide



^^^ I had an Opheopogon that did that, ooh that was bad. I've just got hold of 3 banana plants and they are all in my CRS tanks, and at the bottom of that article it gets fingered for doing the same, yippee!

Keep or ditch???


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## aquascape1987 (17 Jan 2015)

Thanks for all the responses people. You have really helped me to make some key decisions. I've sourced some media bags, and also some tights and I am going to use a combination of the two to shape my scape. Not going to bother with the under gravel filtration, as it seems from all I've read, including the great article above, that it really isn't necessary. It would just be another cost, on a project a that is already miles over budget, and also another electronic device under a cabinet that already looks like an aeroplane cockpit


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