Freshwater Aquarium Substrate Explained

Freshwater Aquarium Substrate Explained.

Substrate refers to the material, frequently gravel or sand, which is placed on the bottom of aquariums. While you can opt for a bare bottom, it is not very appealing. Using substrate provides an orientation point for your fish and eliminates glare from the glass, which is known to cause irritation in many aquatic species.

There is a major difference between the substrates put in a freshwater fish tank and those that can be placed in saltwater fish tanks. The chemical properties of the waters are not the same and to use corals in freshwater tanks will raise the pH to unhealthy levels for most all freshwater fish species.

It is best to use aquatic approved products that are sold as sanitized, inert material from neighborhood or internet aquarium stores. You can collect your own from nature but that alternative should be reserved for those individuals with suitable understanding on the subject of organic materials and their impact on your water composition.

Do not ever use sea sand collected from the beach – it contains living organisms and contaminates that will pollute your tank. If you opt to gather your own material, make sure you conduct comprehensive water tests on it for a few weeks before “springing” it on your fish!

Top Reasons To Use Freshwater Aquarium Substrate.

The the biggest and most overlooked reason for using substrate is for its biological filtration properties. The use of coarse gravel or sand for your bottom material provides immense volumes of growth area for the beneficial bacteria colonies to expand. The size is important not just for the surface area but also for the aeration properties. If the gravel becomes compacted, as tiny substrates are known to do, oxygen deprived zones will be created promoting the development of anaerobic bacteria, the ones responsible for that rotten egg smell. This can prove to be fatal for your fish!

As everyone learns at some point, nothing is ever perfect. The pH needs for many freshwater aquatic species are very narrow and the pH levels of your household water resource may not fit inside that range. Specific compounds can be introduced to your fish tank that will increase or decrease the pH and water hardness levels, enabling you to use water from your tap and still maintain a healthy balance in your aquatic eco system.

What Substrates Are Common?

Gravel is most frequently used. The boxes of vibrantly colored pebbles available to choose from are usually epoxy covered quartz, however there is an ever rising selection of natural products from global locations that are inert, sterilized and safe to use in your freshwater aquarium.

Sand is another popular choice. If you do not use aquarium approved sand, make sure it is either play sand, which has been sterilized or sandblast media. As covered above, do not use ocean sand!

Aragonite, dolomite and crushed corals are three products that can be used to increase your water hardness and pH levels. Exercise caution, these can have a significant impact; there are others, marble being one that has a gentler result.

Peat is an excellent choice for reducing (softening) your water hardness and pH plus plants like it.

Regarding plants, making use of the special substrates offered for aquatic plants is not a requirement however it certainly improves their growth potential. These materials have a high cation exchange rate, basically meaning that they have distinct properties which improves their potential to gather and store nutrients for consumption by the plants roots.

Vermiculite and laterite are two such materials that are put on the bottom of aquariums with additional layers of gravel or sand put on top. Other products offered, such as Fluorite (by Seachem) or Floracor Red (by Activ-Flora) can be added as a single layer.

There are a lot of considerations to take into account when starting a freshwater aquarium and all are equally important, still the substrate you choose will set the theme of your entire aquarium, so be sure to put some weighty thought into it before choosing.