# Substrate questions for a paludarium



## Vinicam (Sep 13, 2008)

I know that this would be a question for a aquarism forum, but the people here propably can help me with this...

As the tittle says, I'm making a paludarium. The water system consists of two waterfalls, one in each side of the paludarium. But there is a problem with my subtrate choice... I used pool filter sand because in some pics I saw it looks good, but even after I washed it consistently until the water came crystal clear it become darker after a while. I dunno if it's because of the waterfalls moving the water all the time, but I tought that is better to change it to something more fertile and plant some water plants.

The water is not too depth, just about 15cm, being 3cm of sand, or more in some places. I'll post some pics so you guys can see it and give me some help in what to choose. I'm open to suggestions.




















Sorry for the bad english, I'm trying to avoid using google translator. lol


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## Saviorself (Jun 29, 2010)

No matter what kind of substrate you use if you have water crashing down into the substrate its gonna make it cloudy for a while. Using some filter floss in your water filter will help clear that up. Pool filter sand is just fine for aquarium plants thats all I have ever used. The plants in the water will get there nutrients from the water column. Even heavy root feeders such as crypts or swords.

my 125 gallon with just pool filter sand and no root tabs. I used pressurized co2 and dosed nutrients in the water column.











Great start on the tank btw


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## Vinicam (Sep 13, 2008)

Well, the paludarium is running for 2 weeks now and still the water didn't changed a bit. I was fool and didn't projected it initially with a filter, so I bought a small submersible filter to try clear the water, but I don't think it will work, it's been working since yesterday, I will see the results when I get home...










Maybe it's still cloudy because the waterfalls crashs too close to the water? In the pictures I posted you can see the fall, it didn't move so much underwater to make all that mess...


Also, you use ONLY the filter sand? No other substrate layer? :O


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## Saviorself (Jun 29, 2010)

The pictures you posted of the cloudy water look exactly how mine did when I would stir up the substrate. Is the pool filter sand you bought a silica based sand? You dont want to layer substrate underwater because it will settle (small stuff works its way to the bottom, large stuff to the top)


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## Vinicam (Sep 13, 2008)

I dunno for sure but I think it is silica based... Is this good or bad? lol

And when I put the water in the tank it don't make that cloud, but after some hours it will look foggy and them after 1 day it will look like this swamp you saw in the pics. D:


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## Saviorself (Jun 29, 2010)

Silica based is perfect. I would turn the waterfalls off if it clears up then you know its the waterfalls stirring the dirt up


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## Rhesus Feist (Jan 20, 2011)

What materials did you use to make the background? If it is clay, the water from the waterfalls will wash clay from your background into the water. Another possible source is if you used coco fiber/coir on the background, and the driftwood you have sitting in the water can release tannins (the stuff that makes tea brown) which will also darken your water.


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## Vinicam (Sep 13, 2008)

I gonna try turn off the pump a while...

The background is coco fiber siliconed into expanding foam, but I doubt that is it. The driftwood propably will make the water brown/red, but no so cloudy. You can clearly see the smoke in the water in the first pic is the same color as the sand...


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