Substrate

[Scuba Kid]

what is the ideal substrate setup for plants?

[Damon]

In order of best to worst.............
ADA Aquasoil and powersand combined.
Seachem's Eco complete
Seachem's Flourite
Sand with laterite or turface base
Sand alone
aquarium gravel

[fishfreaks]

could you explain why it is that way? i mean whats so great about the first things on your last and whats the worst about the last?

[MyraVan]

Simpte forgot to mention one of the cheapest options, which is also one of the better ones: plain soil, covered with small grain, plain gravel. It's actually very good for growing plants, as there are plenty of organic materials to provide nutrients for the plants, and the soil particles have lots of area for the plants' roots to attach. It mimicks what you would find in real life in ponds and streams.

Disadvantages of soil + gravel? Can turn your water yellow to tea-colored, if you get too much organic material in the soil. This apparently goes away after a few months (my oldest soil + gravel tank is 4 months old and it's still turning the water yellowish). In my experience, it can lead to a problem with green thread algae, since the substrate is so rich. Even if I feed very little I still have this problem, but I'm beginning to get it more under control by feeding less. I think that the final solution to this problem will be to get animals that eat green thread algae. Luckily, they're easy to find, as most livebearers and shrimps eat it. Also it can turn your water cloudy if you stir it up by planting new plants or pulling up old ones. I don't consider this a real disadvantage, as the water clears again in a few hours.

Another disadvantage is the gravel bit, which isn't ideal with corys and some kind of loaches (like kuhli). I don't have a real solution to this problem, as the main advocate of soil + gravel as a substrate (Diana Walstad) recommends strongly against using sand on top instead of gravel (she says it can lead to conditions in the soil below that are too anaerobic).

Despite these drawbacks I would consider soil + gravel as my first choice for a planted tank, mainly because I don't want to pay out the $$$ for one of the top three choices that Simpte recommends.

[Scuba Kid]

so the soil is safe for fish?

[Damon]

As long is it isn't treated with pesticides (don't use miracle grow). I intentionally left soil off the list (as you knew I would Myra) because its not for everyone. It can be messy, and turn your water colors. Really difficult to remove it if you want to tear the tank down also.
The substrates on the list are at the top because they contain nutrients plants need to thrive where as sand and gravel are inert. Wrong size gravel can also make it difficult for roots to develop.

[MyraVan]

When Simpte says that soil is messy, I think this problem is over-rated. As I mentioned, at least with my tanks, if I stir up the soil it settles out in a few hours. The colored water can be a real annoyance. The most annoying part of the colored water thing is that it's not very predictable. I have one tank that has quite yellow water after 4 months, and another that's got nice clear water, despite being set up for only one month. It all depends on the amount of organic material in the soil you use, and it's hard to know what the effects will be.

I would like to mention that soil also contains nutrients plants need to thrive, it's not just the expensive substrates that do that!

I do agree with Simpte that soil isn't for everyone. It tends to be used by people who want to try to mimic nature, and who want to go with a low tech, low cost way of growing plants in the tank. It's used by people who are happy to experiment, who are content to just plant a bunch of different things and see which survives, and then plant more of those!

It is not used be aquatic gardeners who want to control all aspects of their tanks, by adding just exactly the right amount of CO2 and just the right balance of fertilizers.

You might say that soil + gravel is good for lazy, patient people who don't want to spend alot of money, while the expensive substates that Simpte recommends are used by people who are willing to spend alot of time and money on setting up a planted tank, who will do what it takes to achieve the look that they want.

[shev]

eco-complete is great.

[DavidDoyle]

Ask a dozen planted tank folks what the best substrate is and you will likely get 12 different answers. There are many ways one can provide a nutricious bottom. What you choose depends on what style tank and what plants and fish.

I am partial to small gravel mixed with laterite. But I also use fluorite and large gravel in one tank. I rely on tank wastes to put nitrition into the substrate and then suppliment that with spike and liquid nutrients as needed.

My advice is use what you like the looks of and then make it work for plants.