# Anyone using crushed charcoal as primary substrate?



## a hill (Aug 4, 2007)

Over the past year I've been playing with substrate mixes. I've come to the conclusion that I love crushed charcoal above basically everything else. 

Microfauna love it. 

It's clean. 

It's black and visually appealing. 

It isn't expensive.

Plants like it. 

The other side of things is that I can slowly build up an organic layer "naturally" by having plant trimmings and fruit/vegetable pieces compost. 

Basically, I've started keeping frogs on a substrate that's a big springtail culture. Generally with a layer of damp sphagnum moss over the top as most use in QT tanks. 

I thinking of trying out doing a mix of charcoal and crushed coral or live rock rubble for one of my big tanks and then seeding it with springtails and a few organic bananas over sphagnum. Over time leaf litter from the plants in the tank will accumulate. 

I'm curious as to thoughts and opinions on doing this in a display tank opposed to a at tank. Have you done something similar?

-Andrew


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## Froger2014 (Jun 15, 2015)

Doesn't sound like a bad idea where you getting charcoal from I have a set up that has part in it from when I put a springtime culture in.


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## Froger2014 (Jun 15, 2015)

Springtail ment hate t9 sometimes lol


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## Sammie (Oct 12, 2009)

I would think this would work pretty well. Before adding the charcoal one could let it soak in a nutrient solution for a while to enrich it.

My only concern is that it might be too dry, assuming it doesn't absorb liquid as fast as other more commonly used substrates water may just run straight down to the false bottom leaving the charcoal wet only on the surface.


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## Aldross (Dec 30, 2013)

If you were going to go this route maybe also add 1/3 calcined clay.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I did this in my first azureiventris viv. Actually, it didn't even have a false bottom, but just a bunch of chunky charcoal topped with big pieces of pumice and leaf litter. The springtail population did, in fact, explode. It was definitely an interesting experiment, but I doubt I'd do it again, as it was a very messy viv to break down and the plants never thrived the way they do in abg.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I always mix crushed charcoal (a little) with peat moss and coco humus in my vivs. No ABG mix here (sadly), no false bottoms here, but expanded clay (with a pinch of activated carbon for aquariums), non-woven fabric and then the mix I mentioned above. It works well!


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## jcotterill (Feb 24, 2015)

I use crushed charcoal for the marginal portion of my set up. It sinks in a clean fashion unlike loose ABG. I grow dwarf baby tears there and they seem to be thriving there.


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## a hill (Aug 4, 2007)

Good to hear. I've been using hardwood charcoal that is crushed by hand. I DO NOT recommend crushing dry charcoal without proper protection including a mask that filters all incoming air (not a cheap paper one) it is super unhealthy. 

Right now I'm looking into finding a supplier that has crushed and screened charcoal or activated carbon to use, depending on grain size and shape it may or may not hold much moisture. 

For me substrate is not for growing plants, since I prefer epiphytes, but for culturing food! 

Soaks are a possibility for sure. They could potentially help release nutrients and minerals over a long period of time making things more stable. 

Clay also has a great CEC. 

Currently I tend to start with charcoal and then a light layer of seeded coco fiber that contains Isopods, springtails, and other small stuff. My charcoal is preseeded with springtails as well. So right away it's a booming culture. 

That said, gnats and fruit flies always seem to BOOM the first month of the tank cycling. The frogs tend to like this though. 

-Andrew


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

This subject came up many years ago, should be searchable. The take-away that I remember is that while charcoal removes waste (ammonia, etc) eventually it will become saturated and then leach those same trace toxins back into the soil. I may be mis-remembering but it's probably worth a search.


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