when ipurchase my 125g i want to use a natural looking substrate, not purchase gravel, I am stocking a native minnesota tank, has anybody ever actually use or crated a substrate from nature as opposed to buying stuff?
Natural Substrate
- Thread starter Ambervikings91
- Start date
I use sand and gravel from local streams. I get mine from an exposed sand bar. I collect the sand dry so I don't have to worry about stuff. I have collected wet sand but sometimes it has mud in it. I don't do anything to it when I get it home. When I set up the tank I just put it in. I have not had any problems doing it this way.
Get some sand from the river, wash it really well to remove any dirt in it.
Add boiling water overnight to ensure everything inside (bacteria, parasites, critters) are 100% dead.
If you want to buy a natural looking substrate, mix gravel and sand at 6:4 ratio
Add boiling water overnight to ensure everything inside (bacteria, parasites, critters) are 100% dead.
If you want to buy a natural looking substrate, mix gravel and sand at 6:4 ratio
This is a great idea, even your subsrate will be native. I would still rinse it though.
What are you stocking it with?I know a lot of people use cheap potting soil (want to make sure it doesn't have chemical ferts). I like the way it looks a lot, but haven't gotten around to doing it. I have white PFS that is OK, but I am wishing I had something that looked more like a mud bottom in my native tank. I have been tempted to collect some mud from my local pond, which is afterall where I got my fish, but I have been to worried about what might be in it.