![]() ![]() Peat: Peat actually can make a great addition to aquariums, but only if you are trying to drop the pH.Now you’re ready to get your tank planted and set up! This will keep your tank from being a muddy mess every time you clean or plant anything. Step Six: Cap the soil with gravel or sand.It’s ok if there is some standing water in the tank after adding the aquarium soil. Step Five: Add the mud mixture into your tank.Mix well and continue to mix until a thick batter-like texture has formed. Add in water, preferably warm, and begin to combine the topsoil with the clay. Step Four: Combine the topsoil with potter’s clay at a ratio of 10:1.You may need to break large pieces of soil apart by hand. Step Three: Once thoroughly dry, pour the soil through a sieve or strainer to remove debris.Step Two: Lay the topsoil out in a thin layer on a clean tarp or blanket and allow it to dry completely.This will help remove fertilizers in the topsoil that you don’t necessarily want getting into your tank. Allow it to sit for a couple of days, drain, then do this again. Step One: Put your topsoil into a bucket and soak it with clean water until the water pools on top of the soil.Whether your fish likes to pick up mouthfuls of substrate to spit back out or just likes to feel the sand between their toes, so to speak, substrate will improve the quality of your tank. Small invertebrates, like dwarf shrimp, feel safer with substrate and plants, which improves their health and reproduction. Some fish enjoy burrowing in substrate while others enjoy scavenging in and around substrate for snacks. The simplest benefit of adding a substrate to your aquarium is the environmental enrichment it can bring to your aquarium livestock. Most substrates have a high surface area, which increases the real estate beneficial bacteria need to successfully colonize and reproduce. Image Credit: Ladanifer, ShutterstockĪquarium substrate can be a great place for the colonization of beneficial bacteria as well. Many aquatic plants need their roots in soil of some kind, and substrate allows your plants to root and thrive. The first being that substrate supports the growth of plants in your aquarium. Why even put substrate in your aquarium? Substrate is a great addition to aquariums for a number of reasons. ![]() It also ensures you end up with a substrate you like that fulfills your needs. That’s where DIY aquarium substrate comes in! Some aquarium substrates can even be made from things you already have, like topsoil, saving you money. Once you settle on a substrate, you may have to be prepared to shell out a pretty penny to get your aquarium substrate at an appropriate depth for your tank’s needs. Terrariums provide their own nutrients through the natural decay of the potting mix.There are dozens of types of aquarium substrates available on the market and knowing which one to choose can be pretty confusing. Never fertilize the plants in a terrarium. Remove yellowing or damaged leaves and prune plants to a smaller size if they're growing too large for the container.Also, take off the terrarium top if you added too much water. Leave the top off until the condensation disappears. Take off the top at least once a month to increase airflow. Inspect a closed terrarium for condensation.Partially and fully enclosed terrariums retain water considerably longer than most potted houseplants. Feel the soil to see if it's dry and needs water.Perform these three tasks every few weeks: LED or fluorescent artificial lighting generally doesn't produce much heat, so your plants can get as much light as they will need to thrive. If you don't have enough natural filtered sunlight-such as if your house is surrounded by shade trees-artificial grow lights will help your plants thrive. ![]() Slightly shaded south-facing windows can be ideal. Most terrariums will do best in a location that receives plenty of filtered light, but not in harsh direct sunlight, where the terrarium can get hot enough to bake the plants inside.
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