# False bottom/substrate question...



## SuperFastSlug (Jul 17, 2013)

What substrate/false bottom method should I use? I'm planning on constructing a new vivarium for my Leuc, and I'm going to add more. What would be the best substrate and false bottom/drainage layer method that I can use that can withstand the humidity, not rot, and that lets me put tons of plants and mosses and stuff in.And how would I go about constructing it? Here is my current setup:







I'm using a foam insert as the base if anyone has heard of it, but I want to change it up. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

Vivarium Egg Crate Method Pt.1 (Drilling, PVC, Silicone) - YouTube

There are 3 more parts to this video.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Ya I'd do an eggcrate false bottom. It's keeps the weight down, so if you have to move a viv it is easier. 

As for a soil that will last a long time, you can try going with an all inorganic blend like clay, fine lava rock, sand, Turface, hydroton/leca, some of the aquarium soils made for live plants (laterite and/or flourite often I think). Basically I like to mix at least 3 different kinds of stuff, with different particle sizes and mix in some long fiber sphagnum moss. But a lot of plants will just grow in leca/hyrdoton, but I'd cover that with at least a layer of sphagnum moss too if it were me. 

Here is a planted tank substrate that seems good. I recently used it in some remodel work, no disasters yet 
CaribSea® FloraMax™ Planted Aquarium Substrate - Gravel & Sand - Fish - PetSmart

You can do custom soil mixes here... 
Orchid Potting Media
(Bit pricey but you tailor it to exactly what you want.) 

Just stay away from areolite, perlite, vermiculite confused and stuff like that.

Organic components that seem to hold up well are long fiber sphagnum moss, coir/coco chunks, cypress bark, fir bark/orchid bark, and tree fern fiber. 

I've got an 18gal tall sitting to my right here that has been going for probably 7 years almost? ...And it is mostly peatmoss and crap. I've just pulled the plants/moss a few times, pushed down the soil and laid fresh soil on top of that, and laid the moss over it, or a top layer of long fiber sphag and then some moss plugs and replanted the plants and it's still going. 

I don't bother to pull soil usually, I just put fresh soil over the old, seems to be working fine the last 9 years or so, but a mix of organic/inorganic and different particle sizes will help keep the soil aerated and from getting to anaerobic which can lead to build ups of bad bacteria and stuff. I'm sure some of the lower levels of soil have gone anaerobic in my older vivs but with the fresh soil on top of it, doesn't seem to pose much of an issue.


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## Agrippa (Jul 4, 2006)

I like the egg-crate false bottom technique as well, but for smaller tanks, gravel or hydroton work well too, as they won't be adding that much weight given the dimensions of your (current) setup. This option can be easier simply because you pour in the drainage layer, cover it with screen, and call it good.

I would also suggest that substrate choices depend on the plants that you intend to include. If I'm not going to include any heavy root feeders, I don't bother with using peat/coco, etc.- generally, I'll just use a high-drainage substrate like cyprus or fir bark. If I'm going to use some shallow-root terrestrial plants, it often works fine just to lay down some sphagnum over the cypress where I intend to plant these, put some live moss down over the sphagnum, and then place my plant to root in the moss. This drains very well, doesn't break down quickly, and is very easy. This may not be appropriate, though, depending on the plants that you decide to include in your new vivarium.


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