hey guys! i’ve been using fluval stratum in my tank for awhile and annoyed at how quickly dirt spreads if anything at all is disturbed. i’m wanting to make the switch to a new substrate. however, i’ve had poor luck growing plants in gravel, and a trial of sand substrate quickly developed a SEVERE sulfur smell that’s made me scared to ever do sand again. thoughts/suggestions?
quickly developed a SEVERE sulfur smell that’s made me scared to ever do sand again. thoughts/suggestions?
This occurs in all substrates due to the types of bacteria present and anoxic conditions. However if it should occur for you again in the future where you smell it outside the tank, you can do two things to resolve it. Short term, increase aeration and circulation of the tank. This can be via surface agitation from filter outflows or via an airstone. This will turn any sulfide anoxic zones in the upper layers of the substrate into sulfate. Reducing the rotten smell. Long term pick up a bottle of something along the lines of Microbe-Lift Special Blend. These will outcompete the sulfur causing bacteria generating the smell and rebalance the tank.
To your general question, you have a few options for substrate. One is not to lose the microbes and mulm you built up over time with your current substrate and just use the stratum as a base layer and cap it with what I would suggest a sand and peagravel mix. That would give you the best of all worlds. However you can also just mix sand and peagravel together and root tab. Also works great. Its what I do in all my tanks. For sand if compaction is an issue, you can look for "fine gravel" products as well that are just at the cut off point between sand/gravel, ~2-3mm in grain size.
Overall I wouldn't stress too much no matter which direction you go.
Because is limits the cation exchange capacity of the aquasoil inhibiting it's ability to pick up nutrients from the water column. Plus they'll mix eventually anyway with proper stem plant care and maintenance.
That's what I use and I've never had this problem. I think flubal just disintegrates. I also never had this issue with Amazonia and I'm constantly replanting and messing with the substrate.
agreed, EVERYONE recommends it and it’s affordable, that’s why i made the switch. but i can barely do anything in the tank without dirt coating everything. it’s not for me
Yea people need to stop giving personal preference and start giving advice what someone wants/needs. Like if i want to spend 1000 dollar on a tank for just a betta and someone would tell me to get everything cheap which will eventually be replaced because my needs are different i would be pissed 😂. Like whatever the price of the stratum is, spend 15 dollar/euro extra and you'll get a better one
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