Celticwraiths Aquarium Forum - What's the ideal depth of plant subsrraight?

Subject: What's the ideal depth of plant subsrraight? Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:06 pm

I just added a combination of fluorite and "Eco-Complete" plant substrate to my 35 gallon long tank. The gravel is about 4 inches deep, and I'm thinking that might be too much. I'm thinking that if the substraight is too deep and plant roots can't use all the depth that anaerobic bacteria may grow. Does anyone know about this?

I just read that the depth of the substrate could be 2 to 4" in depth, so you may be fine. I have heard that some guy have the substrate slope down to the front for appearance. My substrate is around 2" in depth, but its gravel and a finer substrate combined and it's a smaller tank.
_________________

I think I may take a little out. I've had anaerobic bacteria grow in another yank making the substraight black at the bottom. Most planted tanks I've seen don't have too much. I will slope it down in the front a little , but I think with mine now it'll be like 6 inches in the back and this is too much.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, but it sounds like you have it under control. It never fails when you are setting up a tank there is always something that comes up. keep us posted on the progress.
_________________

It's taking forever to clear. the fluorite has a lot of really fine clay like silt in it and I keep stirring up the top layer so the tank won't get muddy again when I start to move things around. I can't wait to see my 100's of minnows school. I already have enough plants to get started. I'll post pics when it grows in a bit and the minnows grow bigger. Suspect

Subject: substrate Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:38 pm

Had too deep substrate over under gravel filter in my danio tank grow mycelium and had to remove layers until it functioned more proper. I had started with close to 2 inch in a 20 gal long and ended with one inch.
In the 65 gal there is a heavy 2 inch with rock work, bigger jet pumps and works like a charm.
I hope these may be some parameters.
Bigger jet pumps may figure into this with thicker gravel.

If you plant in thick gravel with heavy duty pumps, my guess is that the plants will like the conditions. The bad side would be some kind of invited mycelium (probably from excess food) or that black surface stuff.
My feeling is that you could find an optimum depth more shallow than 4 inch and get the plants going. If it starts showing something/anything bad, do some cultivation and remove or add medium.
Gardening.

OK. I have a 20 gallon planted and it has an UGF with mostly fluorite about 4-5 inches deep. I had it clog up pretty good and had to really clean the substraight thoroughly to get good flow with the powerhead. The stagnant areas that were deepest grew black moldy looking stuff, probably what you saw in yours. I'm going to keep this tank going with it's UGF and keep the substraight cleaned even if I have to pull up the plants and replant, but I just started a planted tank w/o an UGF. I wanted to know what a good depth is for a planted non UGF tank. I think now that 2-3 inches would be deep enough for roots and not so deep that there's untapped space anaerobic bacteria or fungus can grow.
Suspect

I like the idea of an UGF, but I'm reading that agitating the gravel releases nutrients algae can go nuts on. I think it's a balance of not having too much nutrients and having lower light requiring plants with an UGF, and keeping the gravel cleanish, and maybe it's best to not have an UGF if you want to increase the light and other nutrients in the substraight for the roots while keeping the water relatively free of nutrients.????

Subject: Gravel depth with UGF Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:03 pm

This balance in my tanks seems to have the factor of excess food molding that can alarm me with spots of white fluff within a few days. (Not a problem with bigger tanks). And the other is how much air (O2) is getting thru the gravel that will keep it aerobic.
I have not had this be a problem but it does concern me. An anaerobic bloom would be a killer.

So far in my non-UGF planted tank I don't see any weird growth in the lowest parts of the Eco-Complete/fluorite mix. Maybe without a UGF nutrients don't get pulled deep into the gravel as was in my other tank of only fluorite and a UGF. The Eco-complete separates into a very fine sand in the lowest areas and that may also keep a lot of detritus from getting down there.

The new tank has about 3 inches substraight average depth and there are 10 shrimp digging in the gravel. It's been going now for about a month and I've had a DIY co2 system running for about a week which has sped up growth nicely.

Subject: Fluorite? Turbidity. Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:39 pm

How much do you want water flow thru the fluorite? For what? I really don't know.

I guess you are siphoning excess stone fines and clay out by now, but the basic gravel, stone fines, fish, food and plant detritus sounds good for plants with what is left being under control by UGF suction on the floor of the tank thru that thick layer of substrate.

This is what I'm playing with in one of my own on a smaller scale without minnows.

Seems you got to get that turbidity under control before minnows suffer.

Less overall subsrate thickness may let the pumps draw down more clay and stone fines, and still leave enough for plant roots that would further stablize the tank.

You got me making more sense of my own 30gal here, in some manner, I hope. cyclops

In my personal opinion, the substrate is best at 5 inches deep, so plants anchor in better. Still, some foreground plants like shallow substrate depth.
_________________
I have been keeping aquariums most of my life. I have kept both fresh and salt water, cichlids, catfish, loaches, clownfish, wrasses, and everything in between. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Visit my forums at http://aquariumuniverse.one-forum.net

I think it depends on the medium and whether you have an UGF or not. When I had 5 inches of flourite and an UGF I had some yucky black moldy stuff growing against the glass.

with the Eco-Complete and no UGF I don't think there would be this problem.

I have an Eco-Complete/fluorite mix that's only averaging 3 inches deep and there is no sign of mold in about 3 months.

I don't like UGFs in my planted tanks, as after a while, the plants roots get tangled in and interfere with the filtration.
_________________
I have been keeping aquariums most of my life. I have kept both fresh and salt water, cichlids, catfish, loaches, clownfish, wrasses, and everything in between. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Visit my forums at http://aquariumuniverse.one-forum.net