The substrate of your aquarium
The basis for your plants and the habitat
Breeders of ornamental fish mostly run their breeding tanks without a substrate to make the cleaning faster and easier. But an aquarium with substrate not only looks more attractive, it also functions much better because the substrate supports the filter with its own significant filtration effect. It is furthermore important for the plant roots, and quite a few fish species use it as a hiding place (flounder, loaches, catfish, rays).
These substrates are available
The different grain sizes of the substrate have different advantages and disadvantages.
Ideal for all bottom-dwelling fish which like scavenging or burying themselves. Plants also root perfectly in the sand but only have a good hold with well-developed roots. With the help of plant pegs ( JBL PROSCAPE PLANTIS PINS ) fixing of plants in the ground is much easier! Disadvantage of fine sand: You can’t create “mountains and valleys” because the sand levels off after a while. Fine sand is not suited for undergravel heating cables. The heat dissipation doesn’t really work in it.
Also perfect for bottom-dwelling fish species because it has no sharp edges. Plants quickly grow healthy and strong roots. For modelling the ground we recommend stones or wood to build terraces. Not ideal for undergravel heating cables, but okay.
Often an inexpensive substrate, but unsuitable for bottom-dwelling fish. Due to its a bit coarser structure the waste enters slightly deeper and needs to be regularly siphoned from deeper layers with a gravel cleaner. Well suited for aquatic plants.
Unsuitable for bottom-dwelling and digging fish. Is often used with large fish to prevent them rearranging the tank all the time. Difficult to clean. For plants only suitable to a limited extent. Better insert the plants into small pots.
Just about the best thing there is! This natural substrate has no sharp edges and is ideal for bottom-dwelling and bottom feeding fish species, such as armored catfish. Plants grow roots very quickly and can be easily removed at a later stage without removing half of the substrate from the tank. The only disadvantage: The JBL Manado substrate is so loose that plants easily loosen themselves from the ground again during their insertion. With JBL plant pegs ( JBL PROSCAPE PLANTIS PINS ) you can easily and reliably attach new plants to any ground.
Looks very natural but is totally unsuitable for bottom-feeders and digging fish! The animals hurt themselves on the sharp edges! Plants root very well inside and it is perfect for modelling the ground design. Lava substrate is often used for the design to form a solid foundation for wood and stones. Sand or gravel would sink or dug away by fish. The lava substrate becomes firmly interlocked and therefore aquascapers always use it as foundation.
Aquarists who like heavily planted aquariums and are fans of sensitive plants have special demands on the ideal substrate: It has to consist of burnt soil and contain lots of nutrients. JBL offers two options: JBL PlantSoil is loaded with a lot of nutrients and ideal for heavily planted aquariums (aquascaping). Whereas JBL ShrimpSoil has not been loaded with additional nutrients and is perfectly suited for aquariums with invertebrates (e.g. shrimps) and plants.
The aquarium substrate: gravel, sand or nutrient substrate?
We show you all types of aquarium substrate from sand to coarse gravel with all their advantages and disadvantages. Why are some substrates unsuitable for undergravel heaters or for burrowing fish? What are nutrient substrates and soil?
How thick does the substrate need to be?
This question cannot be answered generally since there are very different types of aquariums. Generally the substrate layer shouldn’t be thinner than 3-5 cm. In a heavily planted tank, the layer thickness can certainly be 6-8 cm thick.
Try piling the substrate higher towards the back. This will make your aquarium seem more spacious and dirt is more likely to collect at the lowest point. However, it’s no use trying to form "mountains and valleys" with the substrate.
How does the substrate in the plant aquarium need to be layered?
For most aquariums with aquatic plants we advise following the framework: First a layer of long-term substrate fertiliser ( JBL PROFLORA AquaBasis plus ) and above a natural substrate ( JBL Manado ).
Only for extremly heavily planted aquariums (aquascaping) the structure is different: With the help of JBL PROSCAPE VOLCANO MINERAL the landscape can be coarsely modelled. On this lava substrate you can directly place the stones or the wood. It prevents the sinking of the heavy decoration elements. Then everything can be covered with JBL PROSCAPE PLANT SOIL BROWN .
Does the substrate need to be completely renewed?
Sand, gravel and natural substrates, such as JBL Manado don’t need to be replaced. The regular siphoning of the substrate with a gravel cleaner ( JBL AquaEX Set 20-45 ) is a sufficient care measure.
In our experience soil substrates lose their positive characteristics after two years at the latest and need to be replaced. But since aquascapers are constantly recreating their “works of art” anyway, this is not really a disadvantage.