What height of substrate in an aquarium?

What height of substrate in an aquarium ? How much substrate should be placed at the bottom of an aquarium?

Believe it or not, the first thing you add to your new aquarium is not water, but substrate. So what is substrate and why is it so important to place it at the bottom of your aquarium? Find answers to all your questions in this guide dedicated to beginner aquarists!

What is a substrate ?

You probably already know what a substrate is... But you don't call it that, that's all. Substrate refers to any material at the bottom of the aquarium. It can be sand, pebbles, gravel, pebbles, etc.

Pretty simple, right? So, now let's talk about the usefulness of the substrate.

> Find our aquarium substrates section right here.

Why do aquariums need substrate?

Here are the most common reasons aquariums need substrate:

• Improve the aesthetic appearance of the aquarium;
• Create an environment that resembles that of ponds and rivers;
• Highlight the scales of your fish;
• Offer a refuge to denitrifying bacteria that are beneficial to the balance of your aquarium;
• Serve as a support for aquatic plants.

Which substrate is best for your aquarium?

There are three types of soil for aquariums: nutrient substrate, decorative substrate and technical substrate.

The nutrient substrate provides nutrients to your aquatic plants through their roots. This type of substrate is enriched with minerals, iron and trace elements. But be careful: it must be covered with sand or gravel in order to avoid floating on the surface.

Moreover, this is not mandatory, especially if you choose fast-growing plants or plants that grow on roots. In which case, only a decorative floor will suffice. The technical (or complete) substrate modifies the chemistry of the water in your aquarium (the pH and the kH). This is often used for aquascaping and shrimp farming.

Because of these variables, there is no "best substrate". What suits your aquarium may not necessarily suit your neighbour's!

How much substrate should be placed at the bottom of your aquarium?

Do not place more than 1 to 2 centimeters of nutrient substrate at the bottom of your aquarium. Otherwise, the elements of this soil risk creating algae.

For a decorative aspect, you can place 3 to 5 centimeters of substrate depending on the size of your aquarium. And while there are no limits to the amount of substrate used, there are some points to keep in mind:
1. The thicker the substrate, the less room there is for everything else, i.e. fish, decorations and plants;
2. The more substrate there is, the more time you will have to spend cleaning it.

Finally, note that a substrate floor does not necessarily have to be perfectly flat. On the contrary, you can have fun creating hills, bumps and slopes in order to obtain an original and aesthetic aquarium. This technique is particularly common in aquascaping. It's like landscaping, but for your aquarium.

Conclusion: what to remember from this guide!

If you've made it this far, you should now have a solid foundation for choosing the right substrate for your aquarium. Our main advice is not to overload your aquarium with substrate . Even if it is essential, it should not take up all the space.

And you, what substrate do you use in your aquarium? We are waiting for your answers in the comment section!