Substrate

[Rainmaker69]

I have a 72 gallon tank to set up and it will hold 2 angelfish, 2 Blue Acaras, 1 Common Pleco, 3 Brochis splendens, and possibly a bunch of varied Tetras. I was thinking of planting Java fern, Spiral val, and some swordplant. My question is, would a "kitty litter" clay first layer, a peat second layer, and just enough sand to cover the surface, abou 1/4", be a good start?

[andyg]

Never used Kitty litter so I can't really advise on that one, but from what I've read it's a 50/50 split , some people swear by it other swear they'd never use it again.

The problem with using a layered substrate is that large particles will eventually work their way to the surface layer. So if your kitty litter is larger than the sand it will eventually get there.

Never experienced it firsthand, but from what I've read peat may play havoc with the water parameters if too much is used. So it should be used sparingly as a bottom layer ( you should still be able to see the glass )

My preference in layering would be Aquatic soil (aka Profile ) with similar sized gravel (2-3 mm) in a ratio of 2-1 ( 2" gravel for 1" soil )

Aquatic soil is available at most Home Depot, Rona, ect.for about $7 /5 Kg bag.

[Garhan]

There are many types of substrates that can be built and layered into place. The kitty litter has worked well for me as have many other bottom layer substrates. The same have also failed and it would be easy to say it was the substrate, but the truth is I likely failed in the proper mix or more likely neglegted the tank maintance. One critical point is not to but anything into the substrate that will decompose.

Keep in mind that the end product on a per layer bases should have a consistance of a lose gravel pack. The capping layer or top layer will keep every thing in place for sometime. 1-3 years. At which time you are probably bored with the aquascape and need to rebuild a new design.Settling out does occur and is dependent on substrate particle size in the mixed layers and volume of soft particles, i.e. peat, garden soil, less is more (rule of thumb). Profile is also an excellent alternative to kitty litter. I have found both work equally well. In each case I would mix75 % litter or Profile to 15 % sand or garden soil and 10 % peat. So as you can see the mix is not heavy with peat. But the peat certainly adds benifical nutients via tannis to the tank. Also in this lighter peat volume it will help in algae reduction which is a good thing.

You can grow plants in a very basic substrate, but you cant grow exceptional plants with out a good substrate.

If you have a proper substrate layer(mix) relative to your plant needs, you will see that the substrate will have excellent benifits in your plant developement that are heavy root feeders like any of the aponogeton, cryptocoryne, echinodorus, hygrophila, Nymphaea, vallisneria (there are exceptions to each catagory). It is valuable as it makes certain nutrients soluble in the substrate solution but not in the water column. Additionally, nutrients would be held better and longer in exchange sites on the substrate particles where plant roots can get to them but not the algae.Additionally it is still recommended that under gravel fetilizing takes place with some of these heavy root feeders such as the echinodorus. This can be done with root tabs or injecting liquid ferts into the substrate near the base of each plant.

Garhan