Capping tropica plant substrate

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Andys temperate tank
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As above. I'm going to experiment with tropica plant substrate and tropica aquarium soil in the 2 cubes I've bought. I'm wondering if I can cap the tropica plant substrate with sand.

I've seen the tropica video and george farmer said to cap it with gravel. Would sand on top lead to those bad pockets of air? I've forgot the proper name for it.

I'll probably start a tank log later today.
64l kitchen tank: 16 golden tetra.
5ft 425L: 7 blue angel fish, 30 rummie nose tetra, 20 black neon tetra, 1 longfin bristlenose plec, 2 corydoras sterbai, 2 SAE.
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VikingMummy2015
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I’ve topped mine with sand in my new 54L. I think they generally say gravel because light sand mixed with brown soil doesn’t look nice (i’ve got black sand so it’s not an issue)
240L Fluval Roma with Oase 600 Biomaster: 1 German red bristlenose, 4 male cherry barbs, 6 standard rummynose, 3 golden rummynose tetra, 9 emperor tetra, 14 cardinal tetra, 2 hengeli rasbora, 3 nerite snails, 1 adult Sulawesi snail and multiple juveniles continually appearing.

Parameters: gH2, kH1, pH7.4 (tap).
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Andys temperate tank
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VikingMummy2015 wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 15:22 pm I’ve topped mine with sand in my new 54L. I think they generally say gravel because light sand mixed with brown soil doesn’t look nice (i’ve got black sand so it’s not an issue)
Thanks VM. I've bought a natural coloured sand to go over it. Mainly because all our other tanks are black or brown substrate and I fancy a change.
64l kitchen tank: 16 golden tetra.
5ft 425L: 7 blue angel fish, 30 rummie nose tetra, 20 black neon tetra, 1 longfin bristlenose plec, 2 corydoras sterbai, 2 SAE.
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Stephen
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Andys temperate tank wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 15:14 pm As above. I'm going to experiment with tropica plant substrate and tropica aquarium soil in the 2 cubes I've bought. I'm wondering if I can cap the tropica plant substrate with sand.
That is what I have done Andy. (see my tank log)
Tropica plant substrate (about 1cm deep) and topped with at least 2cm of sand.
I have about 4 cm (may be more) sand at the rear of my aquarium which is where the plant substrate is.
Tropica plant substrate must be capped with sand/gravel.
Tropica plant substrate will not affect the water chemistry.

The Tropica Aquarium Soil is a complete bottom layer, which can be used without any other types of bottom layer, is great for plants as in a shrimp tank.
The Tropica Aquarium Soil will make the water slightly more acidic and slightly affects the water chemistry.

All the best
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)

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Andys temperate tank
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Stephen wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 15:34 pm
Andys temperate tank wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 15:14 pm As above. I'm going to experiment with tropica plant substrate and tropica aquarium soil in the 2 cubes I've bought. I'm wondering if I can cap the tropica plant substrate with sand.
That is what I have done Andy. (see my tank log)
Tropica plant substrate (about 1cm deep) and topped with at least 2cm of sand.
I have about 4 cm (may be more) sand at the rear of my aquarium which is where the plant substrate is.
Tropica plant substrate must be capped with sand/gravel.
Tropica plant substrate will not affect the water chemistry.

The Tropica Aquarium Soil is a complete bottom layer, which can be used without any other types of bottom layer, is great for plants as in a shrimp tank.
The Tropica Aquarium Soil will make the water slightly more acidic and slightly affects the water chemistry.

All the best
Thanks for that Stephen. I know what I'm doing now.

It was your latest tank video that made me fancy natural colour sand in a tank.
64l kitchen tank: 16 golden tetra.
5ft 425L: 7 blue angel fish, 30 rummie nose tetra, 20 black neon tetra, 1 longfin bristlenose plec, 2 corydoras sterbai, 2 SAE.
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Andys temperate tank wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 15:42 pm Thanks for that Stephen. I know what I'm doing now.

It was your latest tank video that made me fancy natural colour sand in a tank.
Did you go with the Unipac Samoa fine sand then or some other colour?
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)

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Andys temperate tank
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No not unipac Stephen. I just got a couple of bags from pets at home. Here it is.

Image
64l kitchen tank: 16 golden tetra.
5ft 425L: 7 blue angel fish, 30 rummie nose tetra, 20 black neon tetra, 1 longfin bristlenose plec, 2 corydoras sterbai, 2 SAE.
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That looks OK.
Can you be kind and give feedback on your view of this sand please?

Thanks
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)

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Lee_k
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MDfishtanks on youtube uses tropica soil and as stephen says he makes a point each time of saying it should be capped
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Andys temperate tank
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Stephen wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 20:41 pm That looks OK.
Can you be kind and give feedback on your view of this sand please?

Thanks
Morning Stephen. The sand is in the tank now. I have to say it was a pain in the backside to clean. I'm guesing one 8kg bag took 30-40 rinses through in a 14l bucket. Also mr butthead here bought 2 different coloured sand and I didn't realise until it was under the tank light. The one that ended up in top looks good though.
64l kitchen tank: 16 golden tetra.
5ft 425L: 7 blue angel fish, 30 rummie nose tetra, 20 black neon tetra, 1 longfin bristlenose plec, 2 corydoras sterbai, 2 SAE.
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