# 90g planted substrate



## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

hey im starting up my 90g planted up and was curious which substrate would be easier to setup and which would work better. My choices are flourish,sand,layer of non-fertilized dirt cover by pfs, or ordinary gravel


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

ADA Amazonia! If you can get it. Its hands down the best and most expensive. It can be extremely difficult to find but very rewarding. Your about to be suggested dirt by some other members on the forum. Not my choice but works for some. 

Your choices above are not what I would go with.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

im looking for medium level plants nothing outrageous lol i forgot to specifiy


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

also accidnetly double posted not sure if it can be deleted


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

opps yeah I specialize in outrageous! Well If you are limited to the above options go with the fluorite. Its not packed full of the nutrients you need so add some root tabs and go for it. Even with medium light you will need some sort of CO2 going into that tank. Otherwise in a few weeks you will be starting a thread like this "Black Hair Algae!". Get yourself some Flourish Excel. Its liquid carbon.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

k so flurite as my main substrate no prob. Then find root tabs and flourish excel?

those 3 things with proper lighting and id b set for a decent planted?


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Flourish Comprehensive: Fertilizer

Get that and you will have a great start. Follow the dosing and keep up with it. Consistency is the key. Make sure you get a timer for that light. 8-10hrs MAX! What kind of light are you looking at?


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

t-5's averaging about 1w per gallon possibly stronger


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

what brand and how many bulbs?


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

not sure if u have any reccomendations


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## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

Considering you're going for a wider tank, I'd suggest 2-3 fixtures of 2 bulbs...or if you go with HO bulbs, you would only need one fixture with good reflectors. 

Yeah I like dirt, but it isn't really for everyone. It takes preparation, but if you do it right, you'll save a ton of money. A 50 pound bag costs around 15-20 dollars and is plenty for a 55. You'd need several bags of Flourite to cover the bottom of a 55 and even more for a 90. You could end up spending over 100 bucks on Flourite. I don't know what your budget is, but Flourite will work pretty well. Just be sure to fill your tank really slowly and be extra gentle planting your tank because Flourite will cloud your tank like crazy if you aren't careful. 

I've read good things about other substrates, but i haven't really tried them. You can always go with regular gravel too, but its going to take a while for your fish to load it up with nutrients(root tabs help). Since you're going with medium light plants, I wouldn't really worry too much about what you're using.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

i was reading up alot on substrates i was thinking maybe a top layer about 1.5" of pfs and bottom 1.5" of flourite


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/index.php?cPath=71

These are what I use. They are h.o. With good reflectors. They can be customized with wide reflectors, multiple ballast, hanging brackets, ect. They are great lights


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=71_198_200&products_id=1638 i like this one what do you guys think and what bulb would u reccomend?


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

i've been reasearching a bit and came upon this. A small layer of eco complete then capping with pfs or gravel? ideas?


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Redhead305 said:


> http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=71_198_200&products_id=1638 i like this one what do you guys think and what bulb would u reccomend?


Way to much light! I sold this exact light to a customer a few months ago and only would let it walk out of the door if he had a CO2 system. Catalina had excellent reflectors and therefore does not require as much bulbs. Each reflector refracts 2x much light as a plain bulb. A two bulb sitting on the legs it comes with should work just fine. To much more and you could possibly run into issues. 

However, you could stick with this light because each bulb has its own ballast (switch). So when you first get it you could try running one,two, or three. You could play with a 8 hour photoperiod and a 3 hour 3 bulb burst mid day. 

So go for it! Its the perfect light for what you want now and has room to expand as you expand. Just keep in mind when you run all three you will want to elevate the light.


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

hmm im glad you told me this. i won't have the ability to move it farther it would sit on the legs it comes with or just a few inchs off the tank


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