Alternative Low Cost Substrates?

[Strangelove]

Greetings,

I am preparing to setup a freshwater tank and am wondering about alternatives to the very high priced substrates available at LFSs and Big Als.

Can anyone recommend low-priced alternatives that are LOCALLY available, perhaps varieties of builders sand at hardware stores, etc. Of course, I do not want to sacrifice functionality for cost...

Thank you,

Dr. Strangelove
www.strangelove.com

ALSO,

What is the agenda for the next OCAS meeting in December. I am interested in attending.

[Vizerdrix]

What are you planning on keeping in the tank?  What type of filtration will it have?

I used to go to local quarries and pick up bags or even buckets of small river stones.  I even got them for free in some places, as they dealt in bulk orders, and my "tiny" bucket wasn't worth them weighing in.

[kennyman]

Yep The pea stone Vizerdrix mentioned is very cost effective. bulk is ok from a landscape depot but it also comes in 20kg bags for $5 ea that is a bit cleaner. If you want to grow plants and are looking for an alternative to eco-complete or Flourite try Black Earth covered with a bit of pea stone.

[BigDaddy]

Pool filter sand makes for a very cheap substrate.  Inert, fine grained and very inexpensive.

[beowulf]

Really depends on what you are going to be putting in the tank.  If you are going planted you could use about an inch of earth with some gravel over it and your plants should grow great in it.  After all you cannot grow potatoes in rocks as Babble says.

As for the meeting, the next one is November and you can check out the Club discussion board.

[Dr. Ashtray]

Find any sand hill and dig out a 5 gallon pail that would be enough for a 72 gallon tank after your rinse it.  Buy some flourite and put that underneath the sand.  use local igneous rocks and you are off to the races.  I would just buy the flourite and malysian driftwood normally....


jeffrey...