Which designer substrate to try?

[B Considine]

I'm not adverse to any advice you and Aaron have provided. I've been thinking of taking the NPK plunge, but fear for a return of algae, which I've just recently gotten rid of after several years of algae as the dominant species. I see CO2 in my future, just not yet.

Ideally, I'd like a tank like those seen on APC. Or your 75. I love the Amano style minimalist tanks, though I suspect achieving that minimalism takes more work than expected.

If I can get my wife or firends to give it more than a cursory glance, I'll feel my efforts were not in vain. Something spawning would also be nice.

[RTRJR]

I strongly agree with kris's post above. What you want from the tank and what and how you want to grow is the first and biggest issue, after that you can consider the ways to accomplis what you want.

But RODI without reconstituting minerals and especially KH is high-rish IME unless you are doing a lot of testing, frequently.

[krisw]

You're likely reconstituting your water with the Flourish, and not realizing it. At this point, without high demanding plants, high light, and CO2, your plants probably will look healthy enough. Going ahead to a lot of the contest-level and Amano tanks that you're striving for definitely take more effort, and more attention to nutrient levels in your tank. The nice thing about most of this substrates is that they're perfectly suited for low or high light setups. Especially on smaller tanks, there's not much reason not to spend $20-$30 on the substrate since it's such a pain to change out down the road. Plus, you'll get the added benefits that come with those substrates. In a lot of respects we know about CEC and some minerals contained in these products, but as they're company secrets, we're not given the exact makeup of what's contained. We just know that when we use them, we get better results than plain gravel.

Again, it comes back to what you're looking for. If you like the results you get with your existing setups, then that's the most important thing. But, I think we're encouraging you to experiment with some other stuff to see if you find the same results as we have.

And, on ADA group orders. Somewhere down the line, I'm sure we'll place another order. But, know that Fins and Feathers in Ashburn, VA, the store we've ordered through, will be carrying ADA products in store. I'm not sure of their current stock levels, but I'm sure if you call the store, and tell them what you're looking for, they could help you out.

Finally, for the NPK plunge, when you're ready, I suggest starting with Seachem's line. They have a very convenient dosing chart for their product line, which can be followed easily without fear of algae. One misconception that you may be bringing forward is that NPK causes algae. In fact, the imbalance of NPK causes algae. As long as the nutrients available in your tank stay in proper proportion, you can maintain a relatively algae free tank with very healthy plants. There are a number of different strategies available for this, that go beyond the scope of this thread.

[B Considine]

Set up the 5.5 this weekend using some leftover gravel and laterite. Liberal use of some old plant tabs purchased from Delaware Aquatic Imports back in the day. Planted some sag subulata and sunset hygro from my 30. Purchased a coralife compact fluorescent light and a little hydor heater. Currently stocked with some cherry red shrimp so small I'm not even sure how many I've got.

We'll see what happens.