Making your own substrate

[kurtsshotgun]

Has anyone on here made their own substrate before?

I found a mix a while ago with clay but I can't find it again

Does anyone know anything about it?

 

[chonhzilla]

Here you go. This is a good one.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...-mineralized-soil-substrate-aaron-talbot.html

 

[swede]

i've heard of layering first vermiculite, then pool sand.

 

[yikesjason]

i've heard of layering first vermiculite, then pool sand.

That would start well, but the sand would end up settling down below the vermiculite. Products like Turface and Soil Master Select are both similar to vermiculite, but they are a bit heavier, so they don't need to be capped. I believe they run at a similar price level as well. They can be kind of hard to find though. Most of the time you have to find a landscaping store since these are both soil amendments commonly used on baseball diamonds.

 

[kurtsshotgun]

Thanks I think I'm going to try the one you suggested chonhzilla