Fluval 12693 Plant and Shrimp Stratum for Freshwater Fish Tanks, 4.4 lbs. – Aquarium Substrate for Strong Plant Growth, Supports Neutral to Slightly Acidic pH

This has become a standard in my substrates, I blend it in with gravel, sand, whatever type I'm setting up. Planted tanks are the only way I roll, fully bioactive, and (virtually) changeless system set-up; soil is vital to plants and plants are vital to the chemistry. I've 2 products from this brand and I'm not inclined to change unless a real good reason manifests to do so. Neither product is what one may call 'cheap,' but it's certainly worth the money, my aquatic plants are so healthy that some specimens are abnormally big and have been a challenge to identify. (some of my seed stock didn't have anything but Chinese on the labels, so I had to wait until they grew to get them identified correctly.) The success I'm having with my tanks seems almost uncanny given I'm still something of a "newbie," these are my first tanks, all are less than a year old, and to have nailed it on the complete and healthy ecosystem model like a pro is testament to how great the science is developed and disseminated - and to the quality of products. Soil is everything, whether in my garden beds, potted plants, or aquatics - same rules apply. As I've said many times already, my water quality tests are always so spot on that it looks like I'm 'cheating,' and this stuff is one of the ingredients achieving all that.

This stuff is great, little pricey but you get what you pay for. I thought it would be messy but the small balls hold up well provided you don't crush them. Shrimp and fish health are not affected by it and boy does it look good in the tank. Plants love it and fish prefer it, especially when compared to bright gravels... The 1st picture was when I first started the tank with the soil and 2nd pic is 3 months later. I've had other tanks with sand/gravel...this soil makes a difference! Big tip: Place a small lid or use a paper towel to block water flow when initially filling up your tank. Minimize your splashing. Also I highly suggest you DO NOT pre-rinse this soil. I know the directions say so but don't do it. Big mess and unnecessary. As long as you don't pour big buckets of water on the soil your tank will clear up quickly. If you are going for a natural planted tank this is your soil.

This is such a nice substrate for fish tanks!! The color is so earthy and looks VERY nice with green and live plants! 💚 There is no weird smell odor that comes from it. It is also very safe for fish because it is very small so they will not get stuck and injured. Overall AWESOME substrate and I would HIGHLY recommend this to all fish keepers!! 💕🐟💚

The product has proven to be quite effective, creating a natural environment that both plants and fish seem to thrive in. The plants adapt well, flourishing beautifully, and the fish seem to appreciate the ecosystem as well. However, I've noticed that when the plants are still small, a strong water flow can easily displace them, causing them to float on the surface of the tank. This issue may stem from not allowing enough time for the plants to establish strong root systems before introducing them to the water flow. Despite this minor setback, I have found this product to exceed my expectations. It doesn’t cloud the water as much as I initially feared, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that any murkiness clears up within a day after the water is added. Overall, this setup creates a very harmonious ecosystem ideal for keeping fish alongside live plants, which really enhance the tank’s appeal. I’ve observed remarkable growth in the plants just four days after introduction, indicating a vibrant and healthy environment.

*** Update Week 2. I wanted to share the progress of use of fluval shrimp stratum. As week by week went on water is crystal clear. You may want to add two bags if you want plants since the pellets are so light my plants wouldn’t stay in the stratum. They would float right up to surface of water. Any time you add landscape the pellets will give off a dust or float. Don’t be alarmed, the dust settles back down quickly. So instead of getting another bag, I used plant anchors. They seem to be happy with plant anchors thus far. My PH was a bit high so I had to correct that before adding any fish. So it’s ready to add fish now and I can’t wait. I think it looks great with the landscape. I’m not done with my landscaping I still have the other corner to work. I have a couple of itty bitty baby tetra neons in there you can’t see them. They’re hiding, but if you make a little well in the pellets they like to hide in it. They don’t seem bothered by the stratum at all. I highly recommend this stuff, but best I to get two bags of whatever size you get, to get about 3 inches so your roots to plants will take to it easier is very light weight. Or do plant anchors. I bought this with the anticipation to set my tank up as a planted fresh water aquarium. Live plants apparently love this stuff and that it’s a good substrate for shrimp if you want to have any. Many reviews have complaints about cloudiness of water. I did this as a whole new tank setting up. I don’t recommend if you have fish already in yours. You treat it like you’re setting up a new one laying your landscape in, Anyway, I didn’t pre rinse. I don’t feel it’s necessary it only just makes the pellets soggy. The first day yes water will appear black and muddy. Let your filter do the work!! You may have to change your bio max bag out to a new one it does work. I have to get a new bio max filter since it worked hard to get this water cleared up since set up. First day, dark, black cloud. I even thought did I mess it it up? I should have taken a picture to show comparison and I forgot. Don’t be impatient or think you did something wrong. Just be patient let your filter do the work!! 5 hours later, a light cloudiness. I Next day, crystal clear water. You need patience for this! It’s not immediate. It may take anywhere from 6 hours-48 hours. It took 48 hours for mine to clear up. I need to clean off outside of my tank glass. I didn’t use the lay the bag over the pellets with a small bowl to fill tank with water method. I did just straight in with water pouring very slowly and softly. Water will fizz at first and it’s normal. And then I added the necessary water treatments to make it safe for fish for tap water, since I used tap water. Now I can’t wait until I set up the rest of my landscaping and add fish. I’ll post updates on when it’s done being set up.

I have been using normal sand in my nano aquarium from about last 1yr or so but now the plant growth started to reduce. This is the reason why I thought to try a substrate. This fluval is good, plants looks healthy now but nothing very exceptional to say. This pack is too much for my nano tank, i have half of the contents left in the packet.

Recouvert de gravier, ne trouble pas l'eau du tout. Il faut verser l'eau lentement. A voir après au niveau de la pousse des plantes.

Ich bin mit dem Fluval Stratum sehr zufrieden. Der Bodengrund lässt sich leicht einbringen, wirkt natürlich und sorgt für ein hervorragendes Pflanzenwachstum. Die Wurzeln greifen gut, und die Pflanzen entwickeln sich sichtbar kräftiger. Auch das Wasser bleibt klar, und der pH-Wert wird auf einem stabilen, leicht sauren Niveau gehalten – ideal für viele tropische Arten. Optisch wirkt der dunkle Bodengrund sehr edel und bringt die Farben der Pflanzen und Fische richtig schön zur Geltung. Fazit: Hochwertiger, nährstoffreicher Bodengrund – ideal für Aquascaping und bepflanzte Becken. Klare Kaufempfehlung!

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Meilleur substrat pour Aquarium