This week we will be bringing 2 new substrates to the planted aquarium keeper. Our first is a nice natural toned sand, perfect decorative sand for the foreground or the entire tank.
The second is one of my personal favorites. Crushed lava rock milled to the perfect size to accommodate any plant, even your favorite ground cover such as HC. Easy planting and plenty of room to host beneficial bacteria colonies in its micro pores. It will also work extremely well as filter media in a canister filter, hang on back or even in your sump.
You can also use the lava rocks to build up your soil substrate such as our Shrimp Sand from Up Aqua, or the Aqua Soil from Up Aqua. Using this as a base layer will help keep your slop in place and aid in securing any hardscape such as heavy stone or wood.
Not having a base layer under any soil substrate will eventually lead to your nice slope that you started out with flat and sad. So by adding a dense substrate such as lava rock will keep the slop in its place and prevent that dreaded substrate slide. It will also aid in colonization of needed beneficial bacteria colonization by making there home in the micro pores of the lava stones.
GLA Planted Tank Blog 