Fluval 12696 Natural Mineral-Rich Volcanic Soil Bio Stratum for Planted Tanks, 4.4 lbs. - Aquarium Substrate for Healthy Plant Development, Growth, and Color

My aquarium plants are thriving and have grown out of the water. 0 plant feeds used, no added air and or carbon. They love this stuff and it’s a lot easier to use. Warning, DO NOT vigorously move these. I got a few long handled aquarium tools for plants and decorations etc., my algae eater doesn’t hurt the little beads of dirt. Great product

Great product for propagating hoya cuttings quickly and reliably. So far I've propped a dozen cuttings into this product and had no rot. As an experiment I propped two hoya cuttings from the same plant (hoya Walter Graves) into separate mediums - one in this fluval and the other in coco husk/coir. After one month the one in coco remained alive but had no roots, while the one in fluval had very strong, substantial, branching roots about 1/2" long. I replanted the stunted one into fluval and now that one is also thriving. Only cons are that it's a little messy, may stain light fabric and somewhat pricey. I've been mixing with perlite to stretch the product but given the cost of hoyas, this product is well worth the price. I'll definitely be buying more as needed.

I have a few freshwater planted nano tanks, all 20 gallons or smaller, and I have used this or the Shrimp Stratum as the base substrate in every single one. As long as you do not stir it up too much, it keeps the water clear and does exactly what it is supposed to do. If you want to cap it with sand, you do not need to rinse it first. It will not turn the water brown unless it is handled incorrectly. Plants grow really well in it and when the nutrients eventually run out, which takes a long time, you can just add root tabs and keep the tank going for years. My tanks stay crystal clear and the plants look great. I recommend this to anyone who wants to keep live plants in their aquarium.

Great quality fluval i have recieved . I am usong this to mix and setablish some tissue culture plants . It comes in great quantity.its worth the money. Its very easy to use without creating any mess like potting soil or other mixtures of plants . I highly recomend this who wants to propogate plants or cuttings. It also keeps plangs fungus free and very less chances to get thsm root rot.

I was skeptical about using this as a substrate concerned about cloudiness in the water. This was so easy to use and looks great as I covered it with the gravel but still have the benefit of the mineral rich benefits and still have excellent water clarity. Excellent product that will be used in other tanks.

It works as intended as a aquasoil, its quite clear as I filled my tank despite the dusty warning. It is a nice pure black which is expected, and it a lot of soil then expected so worth the money. I haven't cleaned it yet, but I'll maybe make edit after I clean it. Only 4 stars because I haven't added my plants or have done a clean of it yet.

Seems like it’s working well. Placed it in 12 different media bags and placed shale on top. Plants after about a week and a half have started growing and growing into the bags. The plants seem to love it! Just lightly rinse. Heavy rinsing will destroy what you’re trying to do. There are several vids online of how to do it.

I set up a 45 gallon and decided to bight the bullet and use this. I wanted a heavily planted tank and all the websites said this was the way to go. Here are the pro's and con's as I see it: Pro's: It's ability to hold onto nutrients is well documented and I have had good luck with my plants I had hoped. The dark color is a personal preference, but it makes the colors deeper on a lot of fish species like my peacock gudgeon, for instance. Cons: It's relatively fine and it can be harder to plant rooted plants in it - they seem to want to float out more then some other substrates. It also seems to want to "settle" or "run downhill". If you mess with a plant, for example, on the side of a sloped area, the substrate will kind of want to flow down the slope. Also, even after rinsing before I put it in, it is kind of "dusty" when disturbed. Overall, I like it and think the biological benefits far outweigh the negatives and it has been great for me.

Love this product

Por el momento bien Los peces están en buena salud

Excellent for planted tanks. My plants started thriving straight away.

Guter Bodengrund, Pflanzen wachsen schnell an und müssen schon nach kurzer Zeit geschnitten werden. Absolute Kaufempfehlung

Excelente calidad