Substrate help

[Chriseb1]

Getting mixed opinions from lfs’s on substrates and I appreciate everyone has there own way of doing things but now left unsure what to do.
Setting up a my first Aquascape and I’m going high tech with kessil lighting, co2 injection, automated dosing on a 175litre tank, I have the everything ready to start including the hard scape but not sure on the best substrate to use ?
I want a sand substrate and one shop has suggested JBL AquaBasis plus capped with volcano mineral to build height then capped with sand, another shop has suggested nutribase capped with sand.
The plan is to build an Aquascape that will be left for a few years so I want to get the foundations right, I’m going for an island style structure with Corbo catfish wood and dragon stone with jungle style planting, all help greatly appreciated.

 

[martinjcxn]

I’m hesitant to cap aqua soil with sand. My understanding is that doing so blocks flow via the aqua soil and thereby negates its cation exchange properties (which draw nutrients out of the water column to the roots of the plants) as no or limited fresh water flows through the aqua soil.

Disclaimer - I haven’t verified this fact so may well have been sold a lie by big Aquascaping.

But - my suggestion (and what I am doing myself in my 120 peninsula) is to have aqua soil only where you actually want to plant plants (they’ll hide the substrate) and then to have sand where you want sand. You can always have some sections where the sand overlaps somewhat with the aqua soil where you want singular plants that seem to pop out of the sand.

Hope that helps? It may also help future commentators on this thread help you by sharing some photos or drawings which depict what you are trying to achieve.

 

[Zeus.]

What water will you be using and if tap water how hard is the water?
Reason I ask is if its hard/very hard water it will over time block the exchange capacity of the AS, the harder the water the faster it happens

 

[Spartacus]

Hello,

If it helps I had a very similar quandary with my scape (Island style Corbo & Seiryu with lava base topped with aqua soil then sand!)

In the end I went with mesh bags from Swell (XL for the bottom layer then L for the upper tier)

Filled the XL mesh bags with Lava rock and the L bags with aqua soil then capped with about 1” of Silversand.

In the end I think it worked out pretty well 🙂

Sounds like it should be a nice setup!

Thanks,

Murray 😊

 

[PeterBD]

I have no idea whether it is right or wrong but I am just setting up a tank and planning on having nutribase with some aquatic soil on top capped with sand. Similar to the way MD Fish Tanks does it. My water is relatively hard but there are so many different opinions out there I just have to get on with it!

 

[Chriseb1]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. @Zeus. I will be using tap water again due to my lfs suggesting ro water being too baron of any of trace minerals, I have a test kit but haven’t tested the water yet but I will do tomorrow.
@PeterBD I have also watched many MD YouTube videos and thought I had a good idea of what to do but having visited the lfs they just rubbish everything he does.
@Spartacus your scape is a similar design to what I have planned, what soil did you use ? How is the aquarium now and have you had any problems ?

 

[Chriseb1]

@martinjcxn having seen so many great aquascapes on here, YouTube and general web surfing I still find myself liking the look of one of MD’s scapes ‘Acara island’ but I plan on having more stem plants in the background and although island style off setting the island to one side.
I also have bioactive vivariums and love planed biotopes.

 

[Zeus.]

I will be using tap water again due to my lfs suggesting ro water being too baron of any of trace minerals, I have a test kit but haven’t tested the water yet but I will do tomorrow.

Easier to add than take away. You should be able to get a water report from your water supplier, much more accurate than testing. Hard water does make aquascaping more of a challenge IMO esp if going high tech ie CO2

 

[Chriseb1]

Quick google search and found a report for Yorkshire water for my postcode and I have soft water but when you google the average value 18.8 it states that is Hard water on the google search attached, seems to contradicts it’s self.