[markisashrimp]

I have a 4 section shrimp tank (full dims, 36"x 18"x 12") almost finished being made by Critical Tanking. Should be here within a week or so. All 4 sections is a AIO to have it's own filtration. My wife bought this for me because of me having to take down my reef tanks due to my physical condition is getting worse to preform all the wc and all. Which she shocked on with this awesome gift.

Anyways, I have this in mind for the substrate to get keep the cost down for my wife's purse, so to speak. And hoping this will be logical to stretch out the Fluval Stratum.
I was thinking of going with a layer of MGOPM, then maybe a 1" layer of black diamond sand (to ensure the soil stays where it needs to) and final layer of Fluval Stratum.

This divided shrimp tank will have some plants in there but not fully stocked like a planted display.
The plants I am going with are javas, mosses and banana plants to start off with. Not sure if I will be adding other species of plants or not.


I will greatly appreciate anyone's thoughts on this. And I have no problem receiving any kind of a directive to do this right the first time....since my wife is the one funding this for me.

Thank you for ya time

 

[Raymond S.]

Dirt is good for plants but not necessary for them. I know of lots of people who only have sand for a sub and some of them don't even use root tabs as any plant takes in nutrients from both water and roots.
Now common sense will tell you that using all of any means a plant may have to do this will be easier on the plant for it to get what it needs.
But then most who don't use the dirt or root tabs claim that their plants are healthy/full
and all of the other descriptive ways to say the plants get along just fine without all that.
But plants which don't have roots going into the sub...well how can they use any
possible benefits of any special sub as they get nutrients exclusively from the water column. So far, the ones you mentioned are in that category.
I would think that anyone who wanted super fast plant growth should take advantage of any/all ways for the plants to get their nutrients.
Seems to me that in a shrimp tank...seeing the shrimp is more important.
I would pick based on sub color/price in this case. Use the money on an RO water unit instead of fancy gravel/dirt.
Like I said before, the plants you listed aren't capable of getting any benefit from
a fancy sub and other plants don't "have to have" it...so...
And I really don't get shrimp stratum. If there are no fish or other things that might eat the babies so they would need a place to hide...and this stuff is almost impossible to clean...it's almost no weight in water keeps you from vacuuming it. So how can you clean it ? I'd better leave that part alone as I can see no use for it at all...but have not used it to say that.
I do have RCS in two 10g tanks and lots of breeding and Eco Complete in one tank and Flourite in the other over plain fine gravel.

 

[markisashrimp]

Raymond, I still do have my RO/DI unit when I use to have my reef tanks...all good there.

Everything you have said about the plants I will be going makes sense.
The whole purpose of me thinking of having dirt and sand is to streght out the Fluval SS into the 4 sections of the divided shrimp tank. I have 3 4.4lbs of Fluval SS don't want to but another bag or two if i can get away with the sub I have in mind of doing. All I am trying to do is save my wife some money on this setup if I able to.
My wife is doing this for me so I can still keep something to do with aquatics.

 

[markisashrimp]

Definitely had learned something there. thank you for your time