(Part 2) Best aquarium substrate according to redditors
We found 77 Reddit comments discussing the best aquarium substrate. We ranked the 37 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Hi there,
Please consider my revised additions/changes to your lists as I see some things that could be better/improved. - - - - - PLEASE FISHLESS CYCLE!!!!!- - - -- - http://injaf.org/articles-guides/beginners-guides/the-nitrogen-cycle-and-the-fishless-cycle-getting-your-aquarium-ready-for-fish/
DO NOT BUY that 5g TALL Marina brand tank (I had the smaller 3g version in the past and ended up ABSOLUTELY HATING it because of the built-in internal filter compartment that took space away from the betta + was a pain to maintenance + the flow was difficult to modify)...
I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING TANK KITS!!! (They're even cheaper than your other mentioned options and far better for the betta by providing it with much more HORIZONTAL SWIMMING SPACE:
https://www.petsmart.com/fish/starter-kits/top-fin-essentials-aquarium-starter-kit-5262256.html it's ON SALE NOW AT TIME OF MY COMMENT FOR JUST $24.
THE TOPFIN 10g KIT IS GREAT TOO! - FOR JUST $45.49 (Right now at time of comment) - https://www.petsmart.com/fish/starter-kits/top-fin-essentials-aquarium-starter-kit-5262353.html
About live aquatic plants:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/plantsetc
https://www.petmd.com/fish/care/5-live-aquarium-plants-even-beginner-can-care
https://modestfish.com/best-beginner-aquarium-plants/
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/top-5-easy-aquarium-plants
https://www.theaquariumguide.com/articles/10-best-freshwater-aquarium-plants-for-beginners
**** ALSO anything I hadn't commented on from your original list to offer alternatives = fine by me, keep them in your to-buy list :)
Have disposable income. :) I had gotten some overtime hours at work, so I went ahead and took the plunge back into saltwater (pun intended).
These were the steps I took so far. I'm not sure if I did it right or not, but I've been able to keep things alive without any die-off, so I've got that going for me. In total, I've spent probably around $300 for the whole setup. Couldn't be happier!
Step 1: Acquire aquarium. This one is the Aqueon Cue 5 gallon, which has a stock led light of whites and blues with "moonlight" option. Put your aquarium on a sturdy, level surface away from sunlight (or in indirect sunlight if you must).
Step 2: Add pump for flow. I'm using the 80 GPH Uniclife found [here on Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZW6OHHY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Step 3: Mix saltwater. I use distilled water from the store and Kent Marine Reef Salt Mix. It dissolves so quickly! I seriously use a white 5 gallon bucket and a spatula to mix it. I keep my salinity at 1.024.
Step 4: Let the water come to room temp. Measure salinity with a hydrometer (like the Instant Ocean brand). Be sure to rinse it off with fresh water every time you use it.
Step 5 (optional): Add barely 1/2 inch of live sand. I used CaribSea, 5 lb bag. Yes, you will have LOTS left over. Use it for craft projects!
Step 6: Add live rock. Not just any old live rock, I'm talking about the stuff that's been at your lfs for freakin' ever in the dark, unloved corner. This is more established rock and will help your cycle move along. Currently I have about 3.5 lbs in there.
Step 7: Put some live rock where filter floss will go and skip out on filter floss or carbon. Seriously, somehow this works.
Step 8: Add water. Wait several hours for your ensuing sand storm to die down. You're welcome to leave your extra pump off for this part. I did use some filter floss in the filter to catch loose detrius, but once the water was clear, I threw it out. Once your water is clear, turn the pump back on. By now you should have a thermometer in there, too. My tank stays at 73-74F most days.
Step 9: Make a tiny mark with a permanent marker where your "full" water line is. Every day, top off your tank with fresh distilled water up to that line. That way you can stay ahead of evaporation and keep your tank water at a stable salinity.
Step 10: Wait about 2-3 weeks. Watch your rock spring to life! I had all kinds of fun critters crawling on mine.
Step 11: Take a water sample to your lfs or pet store to be tested (Petco does it for free, which is where I went). If your parameters are good, move on to the next step. If not, wait another week. If it's still no good, consult reddit or start over.
Step 12: Add your cleanup crew! This can be an assortment of hermits, different types of snails and so forth. I've listed my current stock in another comment in this thread. My only complaint would be to have more things that eat more hair algae.
Step 13: Wait another 3 weeks. Ensure your livestock is still alive.
Step 14: By now you may notice brown algae clinging to your glass and rockwork. It's the ugly phase, but it'll pass. Scrub lightly on the glass to get rid of the algae. I use a piece of filter floss (but I'll be upgrading to a magnet cleaner today).
Step 15: First water change! Follow the water mixing procedures from above. Then, drain out 90% of the water from your tank and refll it back to your "full" line with the new fresh water.
Step 16: Wait a few days, then get your water tested again. If it's all good...
Step 17: Add corals. This setup doesn't really allow for hard-to-keep corals (unless I upgraded the light...), so try to go for easy, low-light ones that aren't particularly aggressive. You can get them from your lfs, from frag trading groups or online at larger retailers.
Step 18: Wait about a month. By now, you'll see some die off and some growth on your corals. That's great!!
Step 19: Stay on top of your monthly water changes. Remember: the more livestock you add, the less time you'll be able to get away with between water changes.
So far, that's what I've got. I want to add some chaeto or other saltwater plants to liven up the space some more. Might get a yellow clown goby or more frags, then I think I'll call it all good.
I change my water once a month and scrub my glass when the algae starts to be too much. The tank is constantly growing and changing. I'm new to the hobby but I'll be happy to answer any questions you have!
let me preface this with, i highly recommend you drill your tanks and turn the 10g into a sump. sumps are by far the best filtration for saltwater tanks. i feel like the cost of pumps, plumbing, and the glass/acrylic would come to about $100+ but it really its the best in terms of saltwater filtration. id look up a few guides on like drilling tanks and making sumps and see if its for you.
If not, you could use your aquaclear with sponges and filter floss (no need for biomedia, maybe carbon now and then though) as mechanical filtration.
the heater should be fine but you need a really reliable one. a lot of people like eheim jager or cobalt neotherm as they have good reliability as a temp swing or spike, while would be ok for a lot of freshwater fish and plants, can kill corals easily. yours should be fine if you want to stick with it though.
You are not going to need or want that canister. they have no place in saltwater as they are just nitrate factories.
So heres a few basic things youre gonna want:
red sea test kit - $40. the api freshwater actually works for salt if you have it, but red sea is more accurate.
the red sea foundation test kit is good if you want corals and stuff to test your kh, Ca, and Mg. - ~$50 - some people also use salifert test kits. up to you which one you wanna do.
hanna phosphate checker $50- down the line youre gonna want one if you do corals. a lot of people use it. i dont even have mine yet but good to keep an eye on as phosphates are pretty important to monitor in your reef.
rodi system - ~$140. this is super important . you could buy your saltwater premixed from your lfs but that will add up after a while. with this you hook it up under a sink to make rodi water (similar to distilled) and use that to mix your saltwater.
salt $75 for 175gallons of saltwater worth - red sea is seen as the best for corals but you can use the instant ocean sea salt as well. red sea just has better nutrients for coral growth. `
powerheads - honestly like $50 for two koralia 425's to $500+ for high end. id suggest this set of two jebao sw4's. they are wavemakers and you can control the flow and waves. they alternate on and off to make a current which fish and corals really like. this is like $100.
___
On to rock and sand, these are your biological filtration and where all the bacteria live. for sand you want probably 1.5-2" of sand unless you plant to do a deep sand bed (look it up for more info) and you want 1-1.5lbs of rock per gallon. all live rock and sand is more expensive than going like mostly dry rock and dry sand and adding a tiny bit of live. doing this will mean that you have to wait for the bacteria on the live rock to spread throughout all the other rock and sand. in larger systems its a LOT cheaper this way but as my tank is small i went all live from the start.
live sand ~$40-50 - you can probably find it cheaper local. amazon marks sand up high cuz of shipping cost. 30lbs will probably give you a good depth. you could also do dry sand for slightly cheapr
live rock- this depends on where you live. around me the stores sell it for $6-7 a lb but if i go on craigslist i can find it for like $3 a lb. id look around tbh and see what you can find.
dry rock on the other hand can be found pretty cheap for like $2-3 a lb. like it said, i think its a bit slower but def cheaper to do dry vs live.
__
this next part is dependent on whether or not you plan to do corals, which ill assume you are (cuz who doesnt want corals?!?!)
a light: there are SO much variety for reef lights. you can do t5, led, metal halide, and so much more. the light also depends on what type of corals you want to do and their light requirements.
id probably suggest something like a mars aqua if you want to go cheap. you power the whites and blues on a separate times so you can have em on two timers. id look around for advice on lighting schedules and such like this. the light is $100 and you are gonna want to find a way to hang it btw.
if you want to do high end lights, look into something like the aid prime hd or even a kessil a160.
always check ebay/craigslist cuz you can find some good deals for these on there!
if you dont do corals, honestly whatever light to light the tank up works.
if i missed anything, someone else chime in or ill add it later if i remember
If its a small enclosure, you can also opt for this as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Natural-Premium-Substrate-Mixture/dp/B00NG61JS2
I will be using play sand for my next upgrade, but the current tank I have, I have this mixed with coconut fiber in a 1:1 ratio. I know its wrong and it wont be repeated, now that I know the correct ratios, but wanted to let you know i have had no issues with this sand and it came in sand castle consistency out of the bag. It's just very expensive compared to a 50lbs bag of play sand.
Would this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076FVMK2T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Yk26BbHW87RC5 work? On mobile so I can’t edit the link
https://www.amazon.com/Caribsea-Flora-Max-Sand-12-Pound-Midnight/dp/B0002APMNI?th=1
The original is the color I have.
I try to dose whenever I remember to do so. It probably ends up being like every other day or so. I am trying to do a 2x weekly water change right now because I have a ton of particulate just sitting around.
CaribSea Aquatics Super Naturals in black. I got two bags of it from my LFS for $25 per 20 lb bag. It wasn’t cheap, but it looks nice. I like that it’s fairly coarse and heavy, which means I suck less of it up during tank maintenance compared to finer sand.
One downside: my young black moor can turn invisible.
CaribSea Aquatics Super Naturals Aquarium Sand, Tahitian Moon, 50-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7HGB4S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1Gt3Db56P9XCG
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, I’ve heard good things about using black diamond blasting sand from the hardware store, but you have to treat/clean it really well it first.
I like both and I like them mixed. Let me get a pic of my tank for you. Im one of the weird people who like both.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/316086328167104512/497883768367874051/Screen_Shot_2018-10-05_at_3.31.46_PM.png Ignore how messy my tank looks... I just put in a new rock that apparently had dirt on it.
But for you id say a heavy sand fits your needs best. https://www.amazon.com/Caribsea-Naturals-Aquarium-20-Pound-Sunset/dp/B00M4Q6MPK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1538781705&sr=8-3&keywords=caribsea%2Bsand&th=1
It's Dennerle scapers soil, here
Thanks for the feedback, this definitely seems pretty easy to do.
I don't have a filter yet, and don't even know what kind it is. The tank I'm getting comes with one, it's this one (local place has it for $50, new and unopened) I'll be upgrading it later, but for now I'd just like to get everything planned out and set up. I already said the light I'm getting in the previous comment, is this good enough for a first tank?
Also what do you recommend for substrate? Is [this stuff](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GYXB2W2/ref=asc_df_B00GYXB2W25446676/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395009&creativeASIN =B00GYXB2W2&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167154348866&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5010305991818644999&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029602&hvtargid=pla-316279229435) any good? They have this and a more coarse version that's more like gravel, but my uninformed mind thinks the sand would be easier to grow things in.
I can't answer questions on sand maintenance, since I dont have sand in any of my tanks yet. However, I normally get all of my substrates (and the vast majority of everything else) through Amazon.
This is one of the highest rated sands I've seen/heard of. I'm using their gravel in a tank I'm currently cycling, and I would recommend it, so I don't see why their sand would be any different.
It normally takes a day or two longer to ship substrate than normal, even with prime, but the three or four times I've ordered substrate, it's usually ended well.
Edit: Also, only slightly related, I'm not sure how big your tank is, or what your stocking levels are, or your budget, but if you're looking for an affordable canister, the Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 is rated for tanks up to 100 gal, and it's only $70. I have their 500 (up to 30 gallons) for a 20 gallon tank, and it's incredible.
this one looks like a nice clean white.
There's also just white sand
Or this
Nature's Ocean Aragonite Sand for Aquarium, 10-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K72COM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mP3LxbC004VSP
put a cup of this in a mesh bag in your tank. google pH buffering. Enjoy your reading.
Yes I did, not sure on the salt though. Link below to what I purchased a few months back
https://www.amazon.com/Caribsea-Instant-Aquarium-20-Pound-Crystal/dp/B0027IZCFG/ref=sr_1_23?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1469488337&sr=1-23&keywords=caribsea+sand
Estes Gravel Products AES06606 Este Marine Sand Black for Aquarium, 5-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LOIIKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BhR1DbPBJZVMN
Stoney River White Aquatic Sand Freshwater and Marine Aquariums, 5-Pound Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OTW77K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QhR1Db4PDGA90
I got 40 pounds at petco for $40. You might not want to add live sand, as it has die off in it and could cause an ammonia spike. If you've got a QT for your livestock, don't worry about it, if not you might want to consider clean sand. Your tank will seed it on it's own, all you would need to do is put a handful of the crushed coral in it.
Here's one brand. and here's an idea of how fine it is If you want something finer, argonite is the way to go.