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RE: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #823



Hello new friends,

Just started the list and anticipate a very good experience. I've been
reviewing and searching the archives (I believe it was this list) and wow!
So many folks with expertise who also kindly share their wisdom... this is a
very nice community.

I am about to order some plants online. The place most promising so far is
Pet Warehouse but I have no experience with them at all. Ideas?
Alternatives?

Also I've been thinking about adding organics to a two layer substrate. The
bottom layer will be, one part Schultz's aquatic soil (a laterite material,
baked clay) to roughly two parts neutral sand. This layer about 1.5 inches
thick. Covered by regular gravel, another 1.5 inches.

My thought is this: mix some potting soil, say three parts sand to one part
potting soil and one part peat, and laying it on strips of cheese cloth in a
thin layer, perhaps 1/8 inches thick.

I would then roll the covered cheese cloth up and make tubes from 1/2 to one
inch round. Place those in the bottom layer at regular intervals. Idea here
is to make the nutrients available to the roots but lower the risk of
contaminating the water column.

I've also considered laying a strip of plastic, 1/4" gutter guard between
the gravel and the 'substance' layer. This stuff would likely make it very
hard for substrate shifting fish to go beneath the gravel to stir up the
lower layer.

So, what do you wise people think? Workable or do I need to go back to the
books and rethink things?

I'd be very interested in communicating with any fish person near the NE
Tennessee area to compare LFS and share resources.

Enough for a newby. Thanks by the way for making this a very fine list.

Paul