Substrate

What other fine substrate can be used than silica sand? I want to do a planted tank but want some different substrate this time.

 

Ive used Durban beach sand mixed with fine gravel/sand from a river on a friends farm very sucsessfully... Layer of tetra minerilised soil/peat mixture beneath this works realy well... avoid the beach sand if you are trying to create a softwater environment though...

Truely nice fine planting medium however is Seachem's Onyx sand... you can almost HEAR the plants grow...lol

 

Avoid the beachsand, and any sand you may wish to collect from the wild as its against the law to collect without a permit.

Regards
G!

 

Permit costs R50(last time I bought one) from any post office to collect beach sand or rocks.....there is a 10kg per day limit though... permit lasts for a year...