# How good is fluval startum



## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Hello everyone,
today I had the idea of having a mini plant aquarium. I have an old critter keeper sitting around which I use as an hospital tank, and I had the idea of making a mini planted aquarium out of it with some micro swords from my bettas aquarium and some other small staying plants. I want to provide the plants with a nutrient rich substrate that isn't dirt like and wanted to know if fluval stratum is a good product? I would also dose with liquid co2 to provide all the nutrients needed. Also, does anyone have an idea on how to provide light for a small aquarium like this? I think it is about 1g. I wont be able to use sun light as I want to keep shrimp in there and they would need a constant temperature which the sun light wouldn't provide. And lastly, what are some nice small staying plants that I could put in there?


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

I personally like it. I can not speak for everyone though haha. It is great for shrimp, and I use it sometimes as an additional media for filters because it is pores, and grows bacteria well. Also with it having plenty of pores allows good oxygen flow to the roots of plants. 

Would it be my first choice in a planted aquarium? No, but it would be my 2nd or 3rd depending on what else I could get.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Thank you for replying. I already bought it so I guess I will use it as it seems good enough for me. I will also be keeping shrimp in the aquarium so that is another plus. Does anyone have an idea on how to light a 0.5g aquarium? I was thinking about fluvals mini power compact lamp (8w version) but that still seems like too much light too me.


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

I have one of those, and yeah they seem REALLY bright! But I don't think it is too much light. I would use it.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Well, I just set it up (I'll post a pic tommorrow as it is late). As for the light I went with a 2700k energy saving 5w light bulb. The problem is that I don't have a fixture for it so right now I'm using a little tabletop light.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Plants: Mosses (great for shrimp) java ferns, anubias (both of those can get bigger but would look great) and pennywort (grows really fast and long but if you cut keep cutting it up you'll have a tank full in no time.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Well, I actually put java fern, and some moss in there already so I guess I was thinking along the right lines. I just took some from my bettas tank.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Well then you've done good


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

As promised heres some pics. But be warned, I suck at taking fishtank photographs so these aren't the greatest. The plants in there are 2 java fern, some type of moss, and two microswords as I want to see if I can get them to grow. To filter this tank I build my own micro canister filter out of a marmalade jar which I will post a thread about in the DIY section. The light will be a 2700k 5w bulb as soon as I can get a fixture for it. I will dose with Liquid carbon and a shrimp safe fertilizer as I plan on maybe adding three red cherry shrimp. So anyways heres the pics.




























As of right now the inhabitant is a single malaysian trumpet snail. I also tossed two shrimp pellets in there to get the aquarium cycled and to provide some food for the snail. I will post updates about this aquarium as I go.


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