What substrate Should I get !!!!

[Torino]

for a new tank 75g

planning to have lots of plants
I use a pyhon to clean my tank i know its meant from gravel but if i was to get pool filter sand would the pyhon suck the sand ?

is pool filter sand even good for plants ??

[Tsukiyomi-sakura]

Whatever you put for substate, I would go with a natural colour, I'm not sure about pool sand It might have absorbed some chemicals or something. also I believe for a good planted tank there is special sand to go underneath the gravel, then you need about four inches of gravel (you can use less but more just helps and gives more room for plant roots)

[zima]

Pool sand, while safe for aquariums (checked), are pretty bad for plants. The very small size of pellets will deprive roots from much needed oxygen, which causes them to rot.

If you are seriously considering a planted tank, you should go for the special substrate that is available in LFS. One excellent substrate that I have great success with is Eco Complete (gray/black colour). Another is Flora Base (brown), and another is Flourite (variety of black and brown). The latter comes in a larger pellets forms, fairly heavy, which is good for keeping plants with finicky roots in the gravel. It also comes in a more "sandy" form, which I've never tried, but people have success with it. All of these substrates are excellent for plants because of their rich composition of nutrients. What you choose is a matter of $$ available to spend, and personal preference based on past experience and aesthetics. What you saw in my 75g, for example, was Flora Base on the bottom, and Eco Complete on top.

If you're an OVAS member, you get 10% discount in Big Al's on substrate. Trust me, it'll save you quite a bit of boonies!

One thing to note - good plant substrate does not mean automatic success in growing plants. Research "planted tank" on OVAS and Internet before you invest in substrate, which is not cheap. You'll definitely need to invest in good lighting system (don't mean to suggest you go high tech, but the starting watts/gallon ratio I would recommend is at least 2). The more lights you add, the more plant growth you induce, which at a certain point will require addition of CO2, and then fertilisers. If not, algae will be your best friend. Welcome to the planted world!