Before you decide on your aquarium substrate you need to have had a think about the kind of aquarium that your intend to keep.     If you have decided against a planted aquarium then the choice is much simpler and is really about making sure that the substrate is right for the fish and pleasing to the eye.

If on the other hand you intend to start out with a planted aquarium then you need to give some serious consideration to the right aquarium substrate.

In a planted tank your substrate needs to fulfil a few different functions

• It needs to look good and blend with the plants.    Dark aquarium substrate will make your plants look richer, pale substrates will make them look paler. Trust me it’s true.
• It should feed your plants and give the ones with roots something to root into.   Different depths for different plants. Read on for how to lay it out. 
• Be easy to clean.  
• Be right for your fish.   

Like fish there are lots of different substrates to experiment with but whatever material you choose….Do Yourself A Favour! 

Use Laterite with it………Trust me………it works

There is plenty of time for experimenting with other  Substrates as you get more experienced but I am a firm believer in don’t fix what isn’t broken. 

Laterite is a red clay like material that contains iron naturally.  Iron is essential for healthy plant growth and healthy plants go a long way towards maintaining healthy water.Laterite comes from tropical, or once tropical, areas of the world.. Not all red clays are Laterite and not all Laterite is suitable for using as substrate in an aquarium so check.  Some sources contain high levels of aluminium and can contaminate your water.  Some Laterite are very fine and can stay suspended in the water for a long time.  

The best Laterite for aquarium use is high in iron, low in aluminium and coarse enough to settle back to the bottom fairly quickly if disturbed. 

So your aquarium substrate is going to be made up of two or three materials, the one you chose because it looks nice, perhaps something finer or coarser to give variety and Laterite which will help your plants to grow. 

Substrate material should be between 3mm and 8mm in size.  Larger granules can block root growth and smaller ones can actually crush the roots. When you start the aquarium you need to mix your substrate in layers.   So take about a third of your substrate and mix it with your Laterite.(About 25% laterite) Make sure that the substrate has been rinsed thoroughly before mixing in teh laterite. Put this mixed layer in the bottom of the tank. Then add two more layers with the finest granules on top. These top layers do not contain any of the Laterite. 

You need to landscape the substrate as you go to make sure that it is deeper at the back than the front.  When you plant your aquarium you will be putting larger plants that root more deeply at the back and sides and smaller shallow rooting plants at the front and centre.    Also by giving some contours and greater depth at the back you will add interest to the tank. 

Once the substrate is in then add the water.  If you put a plate or saucer in the bottom of the tank and pour the water onto this, you will disturb the substrate less and have clearer water.  POUR SLOWLY!!

A few words of caution.

Always get advice about aquarium  Substrates whenever you can, either online or in your local pet-store 

Always double check the advice 

Choose your sand or gravel carefully.  You need to avoid anything that is going to change the pH value of your water. 

Don’t overdo the Laterite.  Research is starting to show that this can cause green water and algae blooms.   Less is more and you can always add feed to the water as your plants become established.   This is a necessary part of growing aquarium plants successfully.