# Easiest substrate for a noob?



## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

I have a 5.5 gallon and I'd like to put a bunch of plants in it for my newest fish Peanut. I have plants in my other tanks but would really like to try out a npt. 
What do you think is the easiest/best soil and cap? And will I be able to put Peanut back in his tank the same day?
I have a hood on the way and already have a 6500k bulb and seachem flourish and will look into getting some snails.


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## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

Can I just use something like this? Is it better to get soil? Confused.


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## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

I bought organic miracle gro potting soil and crabworx fine black gravel. Hoping the gravel works out ok. I have some plants and more on the way..


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

i would wait up to a week to put fish in.there will be a large ammonia spike you will have to tend to first with a few water changes.test your water.make sure you are heavily planting the tank.you should only see 10-15 percent of substrate.alot of info can be found at thebarrreport.com.this is tom barrs' website.if you love planted tanks this site is a must.there is also a sticky at the top of the betta forum you are on about npts.


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## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

Thanks for all the info, sandy!


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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

I'm not fan of NPT. I use Eco-Complete and I never had a problem. But the stuff is very expensive. Here's a link below.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9087


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## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

Thanks, I was considering that too. Can I ask why you're not a fan of the npt?


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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

I never try it but I hear it's messy. I never had that problem with eco


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## rickey (Jul 7, 2013)

There is a break in period with NPT, I use Eco-Complete also not being a plant person it just seemed the best choose personally

R


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I love my NPT. Surprisingly clean and in my opinion the best environment for fish.


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## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

Thanks! I am going for it! I have plants on the way and got a new 10 gallon delivered today. 
I'm going to take my Peanut out of his 5.5 and put him in the new 10 while I change out the substrate and plant it. I'm going to give it a week or so to (hopefully) stabilize. 

I have another question but I don't really feel like starting a whole new thread about it- I bought a package of bulbs from Petco, not the betta bulbs, the regular ones. One of the plants is a water lily that one of my other bettas loves. The bulb part of it is growing white fuzz. It started this week. I don't know what it is or what to do about it...
I'm going to do his weekly water change tonight and try to clean it off, but was wondering if it's safe to keep the bulb in there? Or if I should cut off the leaves that are connected to roots and leave them in there and throw the bulb out?


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

if it is not growing and has whitte fuzz it is rotten.if you kept the reciept you can send it back and the company will replace them.the package contains onion plant,aponogeton and red tiger lotus.if it is a tiger lotus and is growing leaves and root but has white fuzz it has a rotten spot .you can try to seperate from the bulb and plant it up to the crown of the plant.


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## fidget (Aug 18, 2013)

Thanks for all the info, Sandy. There's so much it can be confusing.
Any advice on snails? I was going to get some MTS's but don't know if I should get them right away or wait? I want to make sure they have enough to eat. And since I'm only planting a 5.5 gal, I don't know how many to get.
I bought a couple of nerite snails for the algae in my 10 gal and they made short work of the algae. I'd kinda like something like that- a snail that hangs out on the glass but don't want to over-snail the tank. 

I'm still waiting on a package of plants but am planning on partially planting my tank tonight or tomorrow with 3-4 pots worth of dwarf hair grass, a small java fern, java moss, rotala wallichii, what I think is ludwigia indica, green rotala. Hopefully the other plants I bought will show up Monday. 

I'm reading everything I can today.


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

you should only need a few mts for a 5.5.happy planting.


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