Substrate questions????

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I'm setting up a 15 gallon fluval flex. I want to plant it heavily with easy low tech plants. Eventually once it's cycled and stable I plan to put a cherry shrimp colony in it. My water is fairly hard with a ph of 7.5. I'd like to keep my water on the hard side. People say that stratum won't lower my hardness too much because it's fairly hard. Iv never planted a tank before except for rizhome plants.

So the options I'm considering is dirt with a cap

Dirt capped with flourite black and some crushed root tabs

Or try stratum or aqua soil. Maybe even cap that to try to slow the buffering effect.

What have others been successful with? am I on the right track here?

 

[Caperguy99]

Fluorite black and root tabs with some Seachem dosing has worked really well for my planted tank. Just make sure to rinse it well first before putting it in the tank.

 

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That's kind of my too option right now. Thank you for your input it's appreciated

 

[phreeflow]

Yeah don’t use any of the soils, they will mess with your water params. Fluorite or EcoComplete would work great and easy to maintain

 

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I hadn't considered eco complete. I think I'm going to do a light layer of potting soil capped with flourite. From what I understand the flourite will suck up nutrients from the soil and a light dusting of soil with root tabs shouldn't mess with my parameters. I hope. Thanks for the info!

 

[phreeflow]

Potting soil has a lot of organics and will drop pH as much as Aquasoil. If you’re using easy low light plants, you won’t need more than EcoComplete or Fluorite.

Any of the soil substrates have way too many nutrients that slow growing lowlight plants can’t uptake quickly enough. Therefore, you’ll be struggling with algae which will quickly outcompete your plants.

Also, cherry shrimp can handle lower pH. What’s more important is the gH and kH levels so they can absorb minerals and molt correctly.

All that to say, imho, you’re over thinking it for a low tech tank. Go with an easy inert substrate like fluorite or EcoComplete and dose fertilizers as needed. Also, don’t overdo your lights with lowlight plants. It’s all about balance

If you’re looking to go with fast growing stem plants, CO2 injection, high tech lights, daily dosing, or shrimp that want softer water like caridina, that’s when you should consider soil substrates

 

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Thanks. That was helpful