DEEP DIVE: What is the BEST SUBSTRATE For Planted Aquariums? For Anaerobic & Aerobic Filtration Also 

Hi Alex Another awesome info dump! I have an idea for you for a video series. Build a new tank from scratch, your "ideal/perfect" tank. Take it slow and talk through EVERY aspect. Selecting substrate, plants, tank size, aquascaping, water parameter monitoring, when to add stock, how you decide what to stock, etc, etc. The idea is to get insight into your thought process and problem solving

And then do weekly updates on the progress of the tank. How the parameters shift over time, how you manipulate or counter that shift, plant growth, future plans, live stock progress, substrate stratification, etc...

Also do start to finish on starting white worms blood worms and daphnia and skuds cultures

Sorry I also would like to know I have a planted darted tNk 2 inch organic potting soil with sand capped and some river peoples for some contrast...how can I tell if I need to add those additives liquid and pills or even add more soil into the tank...I have stopped gravel vacs once I realized mulm was good and then just learned that it will create its own layers

Need to watch all videos apparently

Right on my friend! My new "high" is literally learning things that im curious about. It works well long term, after the acute withdrawals slow down. Maybe you should journal your tank and aquarium hobby journey for others too?! Cheers and have an awesome week

It's great that you've become sober, congratulations 🎉 but you've basically just replaced 1 addiction for another (albeit a less damaging one) 😂 Be prepared to suffer from multiple tank syndrome and have every spare surface covered in aquariums soon 😂

Congratulations on your sobriety. Life is so much better when you are awake and alert to enjoy it. Aquariums are a great hobby.

O m g, I love ur story. Congratulations!!

I hope u get dopamine from ur cute dog too

Aww oh why thankyuh! You jist made my day! Im glad you're here as well! Welcome 🙏. Dont be shy if you have questions or thoughts...corrections or critiques. As long as its the truth, as far as science knows it.. it never hurts my feelings to make a correction. I strive to put out unique and solidly researched information here. The algorithm often hates it lol... but just stop by the channel's main page or search a subject with "@fishtory" before it on youtube search bar, and perhaps you'll enjoy one of the 1400+ videos I've created

I have to agree that despite being mainly a "talking head" you're very easy to listen to and stay engaged; the mark of a good presenter/lecturer. I prefer to watch at 2x; it super concentrates both the enthusiasm and the knowledge! I usually "skip around" videos with the 10-second button but with yours I find myself thinking that I don't want to miss anything. Quality, nutrient dense 😂 content.

Thank you. Welcome to the community, and feel free to ask questions or join our facebook group for help from other memebers and viewers!

Same. Absolute same. Your content kicks some serious butt my dude

Im honored and humbled. Thank you. I was fascinated by talking with all these people about the history and engineering of it, and just had to share part of the excitement and details that i felt I've missed until now, and probably many others have also

ALL THE LINKS AS PROMISED! How to Add Nitrogen Active Aquasoil to an Existing Aquarium substrate: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DElDJQi2HD0.html To cap or not to cap substrate: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PotZy4LvC8E.html Understanding nitrifying and de-nitrifying bacteria cycles ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rFXSEIsjvIE.html A seasoned tank vs a merely cycled tank: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pzuaehOMy0I.html Creating a balanced, filterless," no tech" ecosystem in a bowl, jar or nano tank ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K2hxp5PTlUs.html How to safely convert your aquarium into a filterless ecosystem ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-n2Pa2sUUW04.html Why Aquarium Plants Melt and or Die & How to Prevent it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1YV5ltAs9Aw.html When to add plants to an aquarium. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nNtxzt26tjM.html

Yes. You can definitely "charge your deep substrate" its limiting for carpeting plants, and or moving plants around frequently if you propegate....but it certainly is a workable method

hnmmm this video makes me want to try aquasoil as a third layer. Probably midway between the organic soil and the sand.

​@@AnimalAceyeah I have the same set up.why don't the shrimp work?and yes the plant love it!

I'm not sure. Its not temperature I know that. Water chemistry is fine. I even bought them local so the water should be fine. I might not of been feeding them properly maybe. We'll see though.@@randykoch1807

I have dirt/potting soil, sand, then regular rock substrate. Still in the cycling stage of the new setup but water parameters nice, along with plants, barely have to do water changes if any only do it to introduce new nutrients and feed more fertilizer.

100%

I didn't know before a month or two ago... and i felt like it gets misused or under utilized, but for making tiered scapes, nursery tanks with things being moved, or just carpeting scapes, its the best out there in my opinion... all the top aquascapers use some form of it... without exception on ADAs 100 best list annually ( there are a dozen varieties and brands, but pelletized soil is the constant)

Thanks for subbing! Welcome my friend 🙏

Thank you, I try my best

Glad you think so!

Hello i have been trying to get nutri base i am in newyork is their a site u know where i can buy nutri base

Sounds very nice! I still love lasagna tanks!

Hi, how is looking the outcome of the cross? Do You have pics posted anywhere ?

I had extremely good luck with cherry shrimp the last time I had them. Made a good amount of money on the side rehoming them to other hobbyists. I'm thinking about trying kilifish at some point. Some of the African varieties in particular are insanely colorful.

I've thrown Lowes peat under river rock and didn't really think about it again. My water wisteria stems are like tree trunk size, 8th month

Right on! You do what works for you and your fish, the fact you care, means youll do great

My pleasure! Thank you so very much for your support 🙏. It goes a long way! Cheers my friend

Thank you kindly

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for supporting the channel and tuning in

Hey thanks Assiah

Thanks

Glad to hear that! Welcome to the community my new friend!

Thank YOU. and im so glad it was understandable and not too dreadfully boring lol

Thanks my friend

Of course! Im just hoping it gets seen haha. After about 15 hours of work. Its always a nail biter to see if anyone gets the youtube notifications

Haha thank you for thinking of me! Feel free to let me know if im missing a topic too!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks man

Glad it made any sense at all lol...it took me a while

Have fun! Ill get those videos pinned in the comments soon too

Thank you. Its a bit of a puzzle sometimes...and deciding if i want to mention exceptions or 1 offs to rules if rare etc. But im trying my best hebe. Thank you, and have a great weekend

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you kindly. I keep making videos, but only some of them make it out of the gates and into notifications lately hehe

@@Fishtory that's what I figured!!!!

Hahah thanks

Right on! Im in shoreline about 4 blocks north of Seattle city limits. If you ever have questions, dont hesitate to ask me. Cheers and 🙏 welcome

@@Fishtory I am in Forks for the summer and fall and spend winter over in Seattle. Thank you for being a resource for me! 🤩

I wouldnt have either haha

You can do it! I hope the channel can help. Best of luck to you and welcome back, friend 😊

Awesome. Thats what i love about learning about large systems in science.

Yes indeed. Man, i dunno if ive earned Tom Barr approximation at all, but i do admire him, and have for almost ( yikes...2 decades?!) Lol. Thank you as always, though!

Glad your enjoying it! Welcome back!

Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers Alan

Hey im with you...that stuff is like gold...its so damn spendy. But if i were only keeping one or two tanks, itd be a no brainer

You are so welcome!

Best of luck!

It IS Very pricey...i agree. For an aquascape, singular show-tank or community centerpiece, i think it's worth it. If you breed and keep like 10+ tanks, like myself...then it's far too pricey and i use various other sunstrates

I do the same type thing frequently also

Before I ever found Alex or Father Fish I did my first 20g hex like that, it's still the easiest tank I have- layers of layers, but mostly eco complete red with sunset sand on top. So clean looking compared to most of my other ones! (I struggle lol)

Sounds like a plan!

Hmm I grabbed a bucket of mud from a creek and dropped that in my tank, along with 2 inches of sand cap. 2 years later everything going strong only cleaned my sponge once and everything is thriving. Just make sure you have enough fish to replenish the substrate I would have spent over $100 if I were to track down every ingredient.

You guys having gas buildup in your substrates? That stinks and these are big bubbles. When will they finish?

Where were you able to find black sand? I'm having zero luck finding just sand turn off the fancy pre-packaged stuff that's $25 a bag

@pennyrichards8019 its called blasting sand and for pressure cleaning / sanding. But its made from very hard crushed coal which is just carbon crystals almost like graphite. It should be at lowes or home depot. The most common brand is "black diamond"

Thanks Gary

You bet! Thank you for coming by!

You got it my friend

Nitrates low, ammonia still high, interesting to see how it stabilises.

Great to hear

Thank you kindly. I too like usong silt or mud as a boundary or cap

@@Fishtory definitely 👍🐠🐟💦

Understandble. Its also much less expensive

Glad it was helpful! Do what works and what you like the look of

Did you use the little pellets it came with... there are now 2 types...an active one, and an inactive one with root tabs essentially. But if you aren't using high lights, ferts or co2 ... you very well may not unlock the value of ADA or active substrates...as plants need all pieces of growth and stability pyramid in place equally.

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you so much! I did work far too long on such a needy video lol

Right on! Its all about .. the journey and watching the little changes lead to big changes with a little

Good thinking! I have some if you dont find them elsewhere.

Hey im glad to hear it's working better. FF DDS works fine, its just not good for lush or advanced care level/ colorful stem plants, carpets and so forth. I think there's a reason we see all 100 entries into the aquascaping contests around the world ranked...and its 98% aquasoil tanks and high light

@@Fishtory you are correct, some of the plants did good. Water wisteria for instance just exploded but the swords in particular really stunted. When I pulled them the roots looked terrible. The other thing I really enjoy about the aqua soil is no burping substrate. It’s just the better overall method for me but if cost is a hindrance the FF method is certainly a viable alternative. I feel fortunate that I moved in early may and had the resources for aqua soil.

Im So glad this video was of use, then. Cheers

@@Fishtory For me, you always seem to give the best and most complete advice when it comes to this hobby. Thanks

My pleasure!

Right on

Indeed a friend of mine owns a company called aquachar that uses small dense wood limbs and carbonizes them while injecting some of the essential minerals plants need. They use it as filter media, to filter meds out of water, grow beneficial bacteria AND soak it with fertz to create rich substrates over time i think "Alex10" is a discount code i had with them if you wanted to check it out. Also, id love to hear an update on your uni projects! Please keep in touch, my friend .cheers!

Glad you think so!

Yes! So the ash from mount Aso is diatomaceous earth ( aka bentonite ( the difference being it containts silca with magnesium and iron and diatomaceous earth is general silacates and trace minerals of any sort.) But that's why they use it as well. To what extent it works, seems to depend on the ph and additives people add to the water colum as well. Thanks for writing!

Cant hurt :) but do whatever works best for you.

Why thank you! Have a great weekend

Yes! Thank you!

Ive observed very similar outcomes. Thanks for sharing your experiences, my friend!

Thank....YOU

Whoa thanks for your feedback and video ideas first off. Secondly, thanks for tuning in- as always my friend 🙂 ! So once the aquasoil breaks down, it becomes silt with some trace mineral content...it actually settles into a contiguous layer of silt that acts as a muddy cap between layers....which you can choose to simply add more substrate to...maybe an inch or two. ....and below the silt, it becomes a low oxygen environment and nitrates get turned into ammonia by annoxic bacteria. Whereas, the plant roots can feed directly from the sequestered ammonia... and nitrous oxide, methane, sulphur hydroxide and co/co2 are by product gasses as the substrate is totslly broken down by bacteria and archaea. Q#2: has the ammonia been measured? Yes, and it is actively and continually being absorbed and sequestered in any pellet with a 1mm thick exterior layer thats porous and a dense core with a clay or diatomaceous earth /Ash / Clay center. But if crushed, after being matured, most all aquasoils... they will release ammonia and trace amounts of nitrites and nitrates however i cant find the paper off hand... that showed how much in the main brands...ill keep locking. But the graph of Bacteria Colonization / and how much time it takes for ammonia to infiltrate the material is a gradual process that then turns exponential at 6 months for the 6 to 8mm sized pellets ... spiking 3 or 4 x what it has been at 3 or 4 months, then after the 6 months its a plateaus of stabilized ammonia and ammonium

@@Fishtory Thanks much. I wasn't sure if the fines of the aquasoil pellets were capable of absorbing/adsorbing or leeching chemicals.

Nice¡ whatever works best for you and your little ecoststems in your care hehe. Thanks for sharing your winning combo!

I appreciate that. Thank you

Glad you enjoyed it

Haha thank you Mike. I appreciate your take

Glad to help renew the mindset hehe. And yes, i do tanks with a lot of detail as experiments and to learn or witness process ive researched in papers, but at the end of the day... i just love staring into a tank full of life 😌 ☺️

Lol well... congrats its perfect for shellys and or livebearers?!

Right on. Use whatever works best for you!

Right on! Just keep their water hard and the ph close to neutral to avoid swings in ph and reduce ammonia toxicity :)

You got it, haha thanks for actually watching it, as well 😄

Right on. Thanks for coming by

Thank you. Im honored to read this. Im just glad you enjoyed it. Cheers my friend!

@@Fishtory You remind me of Ryan Neil who teaches the fundamentals of horticulture as applied to bonsai. Knowing the why and not just the what/how are the difference between learning and understanding. If I may ask, are you self taught or are you a biologist by training?

I have some biology, geology and meteorology due to an archaeology grad schooling... and then history and anthropology undergraduate. So i was taught the way to research and the way to find good info, more than anything else honestly. Im teaching what i learn often...the week after i feel i fully understand it, so in that way i think we are all learned together on this channel

Hope you enjoyed it!

@@Fishtory Of course! I love your videos! Mostly information you won’t find on other RU-vid channels