cheap substrate

[mad about fish]

hi i have a spare tank that is 60 x 30x 30 and was wondering what subtrate i should use to get maxium growth the only trouble is budget, i have not got much money :cry: .
i have heard of using kitty litter but am unsure

also i dont like sand much i would rather have gravel with a sanded area for bottem sifters (beach for corys)

[SCMurphy]

Avoid kitty litter, you can't be sure you are getting the one that is the correct clay composition.

What kind of plants are you hoping to grow? What kind of light are you gonna supply? Are you going to use CO2?

[Wasserpest]

Originally Posted by mad about fish

hi i have a spare tank that is 60 x 30x 30

Just to make sure... is that inches or centimeters?

[mad about fish]

I am going to use diy co2 which i have used in another tank.
its a juwel record that only has one tube but it would be a good idea to up the amount of light so i am open to sugestions on what type of light to use as long as they are not to much money

oops forgot cm

[Nordic]

He is from the UK, must be cm...

[Raul-7]

Go with laterite topped with sand

[Wasserpest]

m.a.f. --

You will find a wide variety of opinions and prices. Many have tried a certain substrate and for one or more reasons like it and think it is best. One and the same substrate works for one, and is a total disaster for another. Examples: soil, kitty litter...

For a rather small tank, buying an "expensive" substrate might be a good option, since you don't need that much. For a 10 gal tank, 7-10 lbs could be plenty of substrate.

The cheapest option is to go with coarse sand/fine gravel, and add root tabs or fertilizer sticks around the root feeders (rosette plants).

Adding a layer of laterite underneath as Raul suggests still keeps it inexpensive and improves the nutrient availability compared to pure sand/gravel.

I like to add a layer of "baked clay" under the gravel which improves nutrient exchange capability. Examples for that are Profile, Schultz aquatic soil, and certain types of kitty litter. There is also a laterite type which doesn't turn into mud, which fits the category.

[malkore]

for a 10 gallon, if you can afford about $30 US dollars, I'd get a bag of Flourite. One bag will be plenty for a 10gallon tank and isn't nearly as messy as laterite...and laterite won't last forever...flourite will.

[SCMurphy]

Originally Posted by malkore

for a 10 gallon, if you can afford about $30 US dollars, I'd get a bag of Flourite. One bag will be plenty for a 10gallon tank and isn't nearly as messy as laterite...and laterite won't last forever...flourite will.

I agree that for a small tank someone new to the hobby should go with the flourite or eco-complete, they will see success and happily get addicted with the rest of us. :lol:

I'd like to start a thread later about laterite and the thought that it won't last forever. I want to disagree but I am not sure of the reasoning behind that characterization of laterite, and I think we could have a good discussion of that in another thread. I don't want to side track this thread.

[mad about fish]

thanks everyone for all your sugestions

i may go with florite if i can find it