What is the best substrate when on a budget?

[Animal Mother]

Egmel, sounds like you and I have the same way of thinking. It's also good to see someone else has been through it so I don't have to.

Looks like a combination of (maybe) sand (for non planted parts) and some clay baseed substrate for planted parts.

Cheers

 

[Egmel]

Egmel, sounds like you and I have the same way of thinking. It's also good to see someone else has been through it so I don't have to.

Seriously, I really wish I had videoed the look on my face when the clay balls I bought all floated up to the top of my tank through the sand... must have been priceless 😳

Looks like a combination of (maybe) sand (for non planted parts) and some clay baseed substrate for planted parts.

sounds good, if you don't want much then akadama is on ebay (just do a search and look for the stuff like James used http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/akadama.htm ) You'll need to think of some way to separate them out, maybe a search through the forum might be an idea. I've never done it so I don't know what's a good way.

 

[AndyOx]

Hiya, while I've not had the experience of floating clay balls, I did believe what it said on the bag of washed gravel I used many many moons ago....... washed gravel my a*s* Cue one tank full of very very brown muddy water, not quite on the scale of Glastonbury but I was not impressed! I am currently having very good results using JBL Aquabasis capped off with silver quartz gravel. I agree wholeheartedly with Clives comments tho, good circulation, CO2 and a well dosed water column makes for very good green aquatic fingers!!