Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

I've read that clay can be made into balls, baked, then inserted into
the gravel.

Anyone try this or have any tips ?

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

Phil Dietz wrote:

I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

When you mix small gravel with large gravel doesn't the large gravel tend
to rise to the top? You might try mixing some flourite with your gravel
and stirring it up a bit to get the blue gravel back to the surface. The
flourite seems to be lighter than gravel, though. Perhaps that is just
my imagination there....

Anyway, that might be worth a try since the flourite is an excellent
growth medium.


--

Scott Lewis

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

you can also crush the florite can't you?


"Scott Lewis" wrote in message
...
Phil Dietz wrote:

I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

When you mix small gravel with large gravel doesn't the large gravel tend
to rise to the top? You might try mixing some flourite with your gravel
and stirring it up a bit to get the blue gravel back to the surface. The
flourite seems to be lighter than gravel, though. Perhaps that is just
my imagination there....

Anyway, that might be worth a try since the flourite is an excellent
growth medium.


--

Scott Lewis

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

Haywire wrote:

you can also crush the florite can't you?

Have no idea how well that would work. I think you would end up with a lot of
dust and fines. The Flourite is only 1-3mm anyway.

Scott




"Scott Lewis" wrote in message
...
Phil Dietz wrote:

I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

When you mix small gravel with large gravel doesn't the large gravel tend
to rise to the top? You might try mixing some flourite with your gravel
and stirring it up a bit to get the blue gravel back to the surface. The
flourite seems to be lighter than gravel, though. Perhaps that is just
my imagination there....

Anyway, that might be worth a try since the flourite is an excellent
growth medium.


--

Scott Lewis




--

Scott Lewis

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

The only stuff I see in the stores locally are the 20kg bags and that has
the 5mm+ granules. I've never seen smaller granules, nor have I seen
smaller packaging, which sorta bites, I don't want to add another 10kg of
gravel to my tanks.

"Scott Lewis" wrote in message
...
Haywire wrote:

you can also crush the florite can't you?

Have no idea how well that would work. I think you would end up with a
lot of
dust and fines. The Flourite is only 1-3mm anyway.

Scott




"Scott Lewis" wrote in message
...
Phil Dietz wrote:

I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

When you mix small gravel with large gravel doesn't the large gravel
tend
to rise to the top? You might try mixing some flourite with your
gravel
and stirring it up a bit to get the blue gravel back to the surface.
The
flourite seems to be lighter than gravel, though. Perhaps that is
just
my imagination there....

Anyway, that might be worth a try since the flourite is an excellent
growth medium.


--

Scott Lewis




--

Scott Lewis

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

Hmm,

Someone in my office suggested filling a tube with the substrate you want
and somehow blocking it from spilling out, placing the outlet at the level
you want in the existing gravel and then somehow opening the bottom of the
tube. Now I've used a similar technique when using cement grouts in wall
cavities but maybe the same could be done with a funnel and hose, you'd
probably spill a bunch into the water too


"Phil Dietz" wrote in message
om...
I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

I've read that clay can be made into balls, baked, then inserted into
the gravel.

Anyone try this or have any tips ?

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

We are not talking about the same stuff, then. All of the Seachem Flourite
products I have seen come in 7kg (15 pound) bags.

Another option would be to use Profile Aquarium Soil. This is much less
expensive and seems to be uniformly smaller than Flourite. The down side is
that it is even lighter than Flourite and has the coloring of kitty litter.
You can find this at your local Home Depot.

For your 10 gallon tank, you would only need one bag of either product by
itself to get something like 1.5 - 2.0 inches depth.

Scott


Haywire wrote:

The only stuff I see in the stores locally are the 20kg bags and that has
the 5mm+ granules. I've never seen smaller granules, nor have I seen
smaller packaging, which sorta bites, I don't want to add another 10kg of
gravel to my tanks.

"Scott Lewis" wrote in message
...
Haywire wrote:

you can also crush the florite can't you?

Have no idea how well that would work. I think you would end up with a
lot of
dust and fines. The Flourite is only 1-3mm anyway.

Scott




"Scott Lewis" wrote in message
...
Phil Dietz wrote:

I have a 10 gallon tank already established with plants and fish.
The floor is plain gravel (blue !!) of a larger size.

I'd like to build up a layer of substrate underneath it without
disturbing the tank too much.

When you mix small gravel with large gravel doesn't the large gravel
tend
to rise to the top? You might try mixing some flourite with your
gravel
and stirring it up a bit to get the blue gravel back to the surface.
The
flourite seems to be lighter than gravel, though. Perhaps that is
just
my imagination there....

Anyway, that might be worth a try since the flourite is an excellent
growth medium.


--

Scott Lewis




--

Scott Lewis




--

Scott Lewis

Adding Substrate layers in established tanks
 

"Haywire" wrote in message .cable.rogers.com...
Someone in my office suggested filling a tube with the substrate you want
and somehow blocking it from spilling out, placing the outlet at the level
you want in the existing gravel and then somehow opening the bottom of the
tube. Now I've used a similar technique when using cement grouts in wall
cavities but maybe the same could be done with a funnel and hose, you'd
probably spill a bunch into the water too

Diana Walstad suggest wrapping up paper parcels of soil and pushing
them into the gravel. I've not tried retro-fitting soil, but I'd
recommend it as a growing substrate:

http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/plant/lotech.html

Mike.
--
Mike Edwardes Tropicals
http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net