Substrate choice

[jammedfool]

I'm thinking about substrate...

For my project tank which will be some sort of aquaterrarium/paludarium effect, I'm likely going to just have shrimp and/or nano fish in there, but heavily planted...

Ideally i'd like a complete substrate, I've used tropica soil before but it's a little pricey... so out of the following, are there pros and cons other than price?:

Tetra activesubstrate
JBL Manado
Seachem Flourite
Fluval Stratum

Anything else?

Or... should I just go for dark sand and try root tabs/EI ferts? I will be going for emerged plants and also some completely terrestrial plants higher up the scape

[fr499y]

You’d be better off with river sand and depending on the plants, root tabs or water column ferts.

[jammedfool]

You’d be better off with river sand and depending on the plants, root tabs or water column ferts.

Thanks! I'll go for that as it's cheaper too,

Is river sand just standard aquarium sand or is there a specific brand in mind?
I have only used wave fine quartz off amazon, that was like a natural(ish) cream/white, but was thinking of trying a dark unipac or some other - Silica sand?

[fr499y]

Unipac is what most people go for. I used a brand off Amazon as it was a fair bit cheaper, was down as a sand/gravel mix but it’s basically a course sand. Amtra I believe it was called. It’s what I’m using in ‘back 2 basics’

[jammedfool]

I think thats what I have in my tanks too, I went for the "white" looking stuff so this time will go for a darker sand if they do one, or maybe go for unipac/other if not

The one I have is down as wave, but i'm fairly sure I remember Amtra on the pack... good to know its ok to use

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wave-Fine-Quar ... 4B7D149P89


The one below is what you have I think? Looks the business in review pics and a bit darker, doesnt look like sand/gravel mixed, more like small gravel or as you say coarse sand

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wave-A4CB0002- ... B00ZGKXTPM

[fr499y]

Yes that’s the stuff.