Substrates in the Fresh Water Aquarium

Choosing an Appropriate Aquarium Substrate

Dec 19, 2008 Jennifer Wagaman

Depending on your goals for a home aquarium, there are several different types of substrates you can choose from.

When setting up a fresh water aquarium, you must decide many things, including what substrate to put in the bottom of the tank. Keeping in mind your goals for the tank, and the fish that you want to keep, you will be able to make a good choice for tank substrate.

Gravel Substrate

Gravel is the most common substrate for a freshwater aquarium. Gravel comes in many different size stones and color options. The advantages of gravel include the fact that it is easy to clean and maintain, the fish cannot move it around, and it can provide a uniform color depending on the type you choose. The disadvantages of gravel include the fact that it is bad for keeping live plants in your fish tank, and fish that like to dig and bury themselves in the substrate cannot do so in gravel.

Sand Substrate

Sand is another common substrate for many aquariums. Sand comes in several colors, and is more often sold for saltwater tanks. The advantages of sand include the fact that it is great for fish that like to dig and bury themselves, and it can be very easy to maintain. The disadvantages of sand include the fact that it is not good for plants, big fish can move it around the tank, it can get into filters and cause damage and if not properly maintained, it can compact and lead to a dangerous build up of gasses, causing your fish to become sick.

Specialty Substrates

There are two specialty substrates that are common, including the African cichlid substrate and the plant substrate. The African Cichlid substrate is designed to help buffer the water to keep the chemistry in line with the chemistry of the African Rift Lakes. This substrate is typically a smaller grain to benefit the digging Cichlids.

Plant substrates are a natural substrate designed to provide plants with many of the nutrients that they need and would normally pull through their root systems in the wild. They also typically vary in grain size to provide a good base for plants.

Bare Bottom Tank

The lack of a substrate is a bare bottom tank. The advantages of a bare bottom tank include the fact that it can be very easy to clean, and it is good for breeding some fish and raising the fry (baby fish) because you can easily see the fry on the bottom. The disadvantage of no substrate is that it can be stressful for some fish, it looks very unnatural and it will limit your decorating options for the tank as you cannot bury anything.

Before purchasing a substrate, remember to think through the fish you want to keep, how you want to decorate the tank, and what look you wish to create.

The copyright of the article Substrates in the Fresh Water Aquarium in Freshwater Fish is owned by Jennifer Wagaman. Permission to republish Substrates in the Fresh Water Aquarium in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Choosing the Best Substrate for Your Aquarium