# minimum substrate depth



## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

what is a minimum substrate depth for a planted tank ?

(i could have posted this in one of the other section, but worried about getting rule-of-thumb answers 

i'm curious as trying to keep greenwater alive in the tank

my current tank has about 3" of substrate, ... i had greenwater at one time
i have heard leaving greenwater alone in a tank will cause it to crash on it's own
i had that exact experience, ... surei do things differently, i didn't want it to crash

i have a bucket about 5 gallons with dark greenwater i have left alone for months started in the spring actually, ... and it's healthy

no substrate in the bucket, no fish, no plants (so quite a few differences)

i had previously left the main tank alone for several months, ... adding new greenwater it lasted near a week before the water being clear again

otherwise (and since) the water takes about 2-3 days

my personal guess, ... something is eating/killing it ... that something (i think) is in the substrate

... that's a lot of hunches and guesses on my part 

but to minimize what is going on, i am guessing, ... what's the minimum substrate level to get away with for rooting plants ?, ... i have previously found 2" (3" for heavily rooting plants)

would this sound like a respectable minimum ?, or would less be reasonable (in a low water flow tank, so not expecting the water flow to be knocking plants over, the fish are small & rather gentle on plants as well)


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## beaslbob (Oct 17, 2012)

The only correct answer for the minimum substrate depth in a planted tank is

0.0" (bare bottom).

Being as you could have an algae turf scrubber or external refugium and a bare bottom tank.

That being said I use 3 one inch layers on my tanks.

my .02


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

i don't think that works, ... 0" substrate for planted tank means ... roots have no place to go.

unless they're potted, ... then those potted plants have a substrate depth in the pots (or whatever is being used.


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## beaslbob (Oct 17, 2012)

Flear said:


> i don't think that works, ... 0" substrate for planted tank means ... roots have no place to go.
> 
> unless they're potted, ... then those potted plants have a substrate depth in the pots (or whatever is being used.


 
Psssst

the plants are not in the display.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

the plants are intentional lunch for the herbivore fish


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## rsskylight04 (Nov 9, 2013)

Most of the plants i have dont need any substrate- anacharis, hornwort, anubias, java fern. I do have 3-4" sand bed in all my tanks though.


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