Aquarium nutrient substrate: pros, cons and popular manufacturers

The quality of the water in the aquarium, the health of fish and plants, as well as the overall underwater landscape depend on how well the nutrient substrate is selected. But not all aquarists (especially beginners) delve into this topic and understand how this filler works, as it happens. Many do not cover the bottom of the tank at all. And this is a huge mistake, because the nutrient soil is an irreplaceable biological filter.

An aquarium is just an imitation of a natural reservoir, but it must be as reliable as possible for the biosystem to live and its inhabitants do not suffer. This means that all the requirements put forward for a real ecosystem can be fairly attributed to the aquarium.

The nutrient substrate for aquariums has a number of functions:

• it is the basis for plant fixation;
• it is considered a natural ecological environment for both fish and other microorganisms that inhabit an artificial mini-reservoir;
• he is biologically active;
• it is considered a natural storage of caviar.

If the substrate (which is what the soil is called) is correct, many beneficial bacteria will settle in it. They decompose food residues and fish excretions into simple minerals. It turns out that the bacteria contained in the nutrient substrate cleanse the liquid from nitrates and ammonia. The water stops smelling, looks clean. But bacteria can not appear in any composition, but only in a substrate with valuable characteristics.

The soil for aquarium fish and flora is characterized by porosity, bacteria function in the pores. The size of soil particles cannot be more than 3-5 mm.But pebbles and similar material about 7 mm in size are no longer suitable: it is difficult for fish to move it. Too small particles such as sand will be caked, the soil will cease to "breathe". And in the sandy layer, hydrogen sulfide and methane, highly toxic substances, are certainly formed.

Another mistake is to put non-rounded soil on the bottom. Sharp-angled pebbles can be dangerous to underwater inhabitants. The rounded particles do not adhere tightly to each other, they are not dangerous for the inhabitants, stagnation between them is virtually excluded.

An aquarium nutrient layer cannot be too light; quartz, basalt and granite fillers are considered preferable. Plants hold in them more firmly, and it is easier to siphon them.

One of the most preferred types of soil is the expanded clay substrate. It is neutral, a natural product, suitable for the reproduction of valuable bacteria. Expanded clay is not dangerous for fish, because its surface is rounded. It is a well-known natural absorbent, because it copes well with water purification.

The advantages of expanded clay include:

• ease of cleaning the tank;
• porosity of the structure;
• smoothness of the surface;
• biofunctionality;
• elimination of surplus fertilizers and organic matter;
• chemical neutrality;
• good circulation;
• aesthetics and natural appearance.

But expanded clay also has disadvantages - it is too light, therefore not all types of plants can be planted in such soil. And there are no nutritional components in it. Therefore, many aquarists today quite rightly turn to special nutritional formulations that are sold in pet stores.

These are valuable nutritional blends with organics and minerals in the formula. They are used in conjunction with neutral soil (the same expanded clay) in the substrate. The product usually contains porous components, valuable live bacteria, long-acting fertilizers or granules that quickly dissolve in the aquatic environment.

The nutrient soil inhibits the growth of algae and optimizes the bioactivity of beneficial bacteria. But it also has its drawbacks - the lower layers can sour, so the use of such a substrate without a neutral soil is impossible.

There are not so few ready-made soil options in pet stores.

The brand rankings might look like this.

As part of the product porous components, mineral fertilizers, peat and microorganisms. It is an excellent nutrient substrate for any mini-ecosystem, stimulating plant growth and development. The product can also be used as a high-quality feed base for shrimps. The substrate provides favorable living conditions for the inhabitants of the aquarium, guarantees excellent circulation in it, and provides a nutrient base for bacteria. The only drawback of this product is its high cost.

The mixture contains a lot of organic matter and minerals. It contains the most important impurities for plants and high-quality granules with fast dissolution. Minus "Deposit" - in possible acidification of the lower layers and in combination with only empty soil variations.

It is produced by different manufacturers, but there are no special differences between the products. Such a substrate is suitable for pseudo-sea aquariums. It cannot be used everywhere, because the crumb increases the hardness of the water. The structure of the coral chips is porous, it will not harm the fish, the appearance is beyond criticism. However, this may cause the outer layer of the substrate to darken.

There are many recipes for preparing nutritious soil, but they all somehow repeat each other. Some self-made soils are suitable only for certain types of aquariums, others can be called universal.

A popular recipe for two-layer soil has the following composition:

• coal (natural birch or activated granular);
• peat;
• clay;
• sorbent;
• small pebbles or coarse sand;
• coconut fiber or finely chopped foliage.

Coal is an adsorbent that is important for neutralizing the decomposition of organic matter, as well as cleaning the layer from elements harmful to it. But it is important to understand that coal is inherent in the release of collected harmful elements into the environment. Therefore, experts advise changing the entire soil every 8-10 months.

Clay can be different, but for an aquatic environment it is preferable to choose gray. There is a lot of iron in red clay, which is not good for many types of fish. There is a lot of humus in forest or lake clay, it entails a rapid growth of algae. But the formula of gray clay meets the needs of literally all types of inhabitants of the underwater world.

Essential for homemade nutrient and sorbent. Granular vermiculite is more often chosen. This layered mineral tends to retain nutrients in the soil so that they do not rush to quickly dissolve in water.

Peat supplies valuable organic matter to the soil, which the aquarium flora absorbs by the root method. If you decide to use river silt, keep in mind that large doses of it lead to soil acidification. Natural forest peat also suffers from acidification of the soil, therefore it is more logical to buy pressed peat in granules or tablets.

Finally, organic. Fallen leaves are one of the common ingredients in homemade nutritional support. But if you take linden or oak leaves, a lot of tannins will be released into the aquatic environment. Maple leaves, for example, will decompose very slowly, while aspen leaves, on the contrary, will decompose too quickly.

There are several schemes for laying soil in an aquarium. For example, a three-layer scheme is known, according to which many conservative aquarists prefer to lay the soil.

1. Bottom layer. This is laterite or gravel. There is a lot of iron in lateite, and clay in gravel. The thickness of the layer is about 3-5 cm. Some specialists add clay balls with fertilizers to this layer, some prefer to add a mixture of microelements. It is desirable that this mixture contains enough iron, always in a chelated form (for the availability of fish). But iron sulfate should not be used, sulfates change the acidity of the water.
2. Middle layer... It is represented by soil with a peat addition, the layer thickness is no more than 3 cm. If it is increased, the soil will rot. If there is a lot of organic matter in the soil, you should mix it with sand.
3. Upper layer. This is 3 to 5 cm of fine gravel in a sandy mixture. The layer is created so that the earth and peat do not make the water cloudy. It uses all those beautiful stones that you liked at the pet store.

And some important information about substrate for aquarists.

• Glass soil beautiful and even chemically neutral, but still not worth taking. The surface of glass is not considered porous, and it is in such structures that bacteria that are important for the flora and fauna of the aquatic ecosystem develop. The nutrient composition for an underwater garden in such soil will not be fixed, it will be washed out.
• Be sure to evaluate the nature of the fish. If your pets strive to dig at the bottom, such inhabitants need coarse soil, otherwise the water in the tank will be cloudy all the time. But there are also such fish that literally burrow into the ground and stay in the ground for a long time - large-fraction flooring will not work for these pets.
• Regarding the color, there are no strict prohibitions and no obvious preferences. The only thing is that the blue stones in the aquarium, densely planted with plants, will look out of place. For the rest, rely on the laws of color.
• Artificial soil - another popular pet store product. However, this mixture is more suitable for the Dutch aqua systems, in which plants replace fish. For shrimp, it is also suitable.
• As a substrate, no soluble materials are used, the same limestone. River sand is also not used. The colored layer looks nice, but soon the dye is washed out and the water is colored.

For nutrient soil for the aquarium, see the next video.