Fluval Stratum Substrate Review and Setup

[@PalmerAquatics]

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[@JH-ud3yd]

I don’t know if you guys have heard, but Fluval Stratum is amazing at holding the nutrients inside the substrate instead of letting it leech into the water column

[@FoolyLiving]

Im using this, but every day I wake up and my plants have black dust on them. I shake them off and the next morning it happens again. Whats the deal.

[@SubaStar24]

"Im done ranting 💁‍♂️" 🤣🤣 your awesome! Its your content/channel, you can't please everyone! You've helped me A LOT through out my fish hobby career!

[@manuellozano4489]

Maybe add water and show how long it takes to settle?

[@FrankyMitsu]

how often do you replace fluval substrate, I mean how long it will last till it loses its minerals

[@Ilostmyschmungus]

About 2 years

[@whatever833]

I've had fluval stratum in my tank that's been running since 2019 and it's still going strong. Only complaint is that is so light weight that's it can be used to plant in. Some plants end up floating away.

[@bestcodman24]

I recommend adding weights to your plants

[@whatever833]

@@bestcodman24 I've done this in the past with larger plants but weights doesn't work well with carpeting plants unless you plant in bunches.

[@cindywood2089]

How would you vacuum that without getting it sucked up into the vacuum? Do you know how long that would last? I'm wondering if it would need to be replaced in a couple of years?

[@kevinwebster7868]

50/50 people saying it’s great to people saying it’s complete garbage. So many say their water won’t clear up and their ammonia stays off the charts. Totally confused.

[@guavabobert]

mmm. If you do regular water changes, and have cycled your tank well that shouldn’t be the case.

[@MichaelTenn-w4g]

​@@guavabobertyeah I was boutta say lol, like the soil wouldn't cause ammonia issues, that would be everything else, plants and water changes can help with that, and as for clear water, healthy water isn't necessarily clear, simple as that

[@guavabobert]

@@MichaelTenn-w4g true. I haven’t changed my tank water and it’s fine and in good perimeters

[@wisdomSP]

I'm completely new and just bought Fluval for my 30 gallon tank. The directions on the bag say to rinse it. You went straight from the bag?

[@Jen.K]

If you don't rinse it, the water can be dirty/cloudy for a while. If you do rinse it, you have to be very careful because it falls apart easily and turns to powder.

[@wisdomSP]

@@Jen.K I ended up carefully rinsing. I was very careful when filling the tank and doing water changes. Once I got used to it, it became a non-issue. I could not be happier with my tank and my plants are thriving. Thank you!

[@Jen.K]

@@wisdomSP I'm glad to hear you are happy with it. I ordered some yesterday and I'm waiting for it to arrive. This will be my first attempt with a proper aqua soil and I'm excited to try growing plants with it.

[@metalhead9849]

In my opinion since this comes from the area around the Aso Volcano in Japan, it's essentially compressed volcanic ash, which is great for new plant growth. We have our own example here. Mt. St. Helens. Someone should start marketing the volcanic soil around there and save us the ridiculous import cost. Same stuff I'll bet.

[@PeacemakerJ]

Be your self bro I'm new to this fish thing and I wanted to try plants in my aquarium I just bought my 2 10 gal tank for plants and fish after I get my water suitable for fish thanks for this video bro make what you love we will still watch

[@shaneglover99]

Need to do one showing you add the water with a time lapse for how long it takes to clear up in a 150 gal

[@onlykrash]

Thanks for the review. I've been debating how to start a planted shrimp tank. I look forward to your future videos on the Fluval Stratum. :)

[@PalmerAquatics]

What fish should I keep in this tank??

[@onlykrash]

@@PalmerAquatics I personally like emerald dwarf rasboras. A nice (little) pop of color with a planted tank. :)

[@spencergeorge4941]

@@onlykrash I second this! That or galaxy rasboras

[@HisValor]

Hey, thanks for your video. I tried to clean the FS as much as I could. But once I filled the tank with water, it still is a cloudy mess that takes a long time to clear. Tell me what I should be doing next?

[@GabbyRocio]

LOL at the ending. Great info. Thanks.

[@rogeraquarium6872]

I use this substrate under my regular gravel. It works a really long time.

[@djstickxb2615]

I just done the same..and I was wondering if it was good.. I put. The stratum down. And went with eco complete as top base.. Hope this works good

[@midas2252]

@@djstickxb2615 - Update?

[@djstickxb2615]

The tank is doing very well👍 will make video soon

[@HisValor]

@@djstickxb2615 thank you for sharing your method. I’d like to do the same. How deep is the eco complete cap.?

[@clevercarrots8540]

OMG thank you! You answered a lot of my questions in this review.

[@valbertbadano4763]

So you don't put gravel over it, OR is it like gravel on it's own? I'm confused, do I have to buy gravel also?

[@gk9417]

Should you cap the stratum to keep the nutrients below ✌️🇨🇦

[@lorio1214]

I like hearing it all! Keep doing you! ❤

[@Rudiarose]

I had the same tank with my shrimp and they got into the filter. Thank goodness I did not turn it on right away or they would have go chopped up. I had to take it a part to get them back out. Then put in a sponge filter. Just a FYI.

[@Winnin737]

I no I’m late to the video, buy an I suppose to wash it or will it dissolve?

[@xxvoid4]

okay… now how do you clean it 💀

[@eloyacosta180]

So what's a better way to go ...thin gravel with root tabs or just this fluval stratum substrate ??

[@alexandriamont]

It says not to mix with other gravel but I have heard of people using a little bit of sand to hold plants in place, or even for aesthetic purposes, would this harm my fish if I had both in the tank?

[@Keldren.]

so it will eventually break down and just become mud?

[@loitubiera2634]

I agree with you my brother 100 %. Nothing like it.

[@melrose2710]

Help mine keeps getting the water dirty.

[@roop5318]

i use this in my pond. shallow containers hold in hardy water lillies and tropicals. the idea is to keep the water clear while growing plants. it's working so far but this stuff is expensive!

[@pea2911]

nice explanation, thank you. does that substrate need to be topped with gravel or sand? for a freshwater tropical planted aquarium with small fish like cardinal tetras etc thanks

[@lizchavez7879]

I’m a total newbie and we want to set up a heavily planted tank. My question is: is this safe for fresh water tanks and plants?

[@shelleywalling5904]

How do you clean this?

[@Sean3D2Y]

No need to Rinse it? Looking to use as a bottom layer.

[@1971bigrob]

I wonder can you mix it in with your gravel

[@sionghua]

How does ADA Amazonia compares to this?

[@thomashenrymyers1876]

I use fluval stratum all the time it is the best substrate that I have used.

[@yanjijay6752]

Thnx for the input in this wonder what they make the little things out of

[@nordicaquatics]

What is the lifespan of stratum? It says 2-3 years but should be last longer.

[@909Lewser]

SAY IT LOUDER SO THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK CAN HEAR I like all spectrums of fish keeping as well I can't stand people who think predator fish are the only cool fish

[@Sean3D2Y]

lmao im kinda one of those ppl. I just want Specific fish.

[@elijahnorton25]

Does it create a lot of dust in the tank because I have previously used fluorite and I need to put sand over it because the dust was so bad

[@davidschneider2258]

It's only good if you have plants only or fish and shrimp that won't disturb the substrate much. You have to not vacuum it and replace water with a hose. It will definitely cloud up the water alot if you or your animals disturb it.

[@aaronberry6577]

I’m considering changing tanks and doing a dirt bottom using fluval, would you put rock over it or sand? Is there a certain type of sand you use? Thanks

[@braindeadbarbie]

ik this is old but i read something that said capping it with sand covers ip the exchange of nutrients

[@brandonsmalleyorblspinc689]

Good point that stuff is actually amazing!

[@lowrider007007]

How long does this last in your tank? Do you have to change yearly?

[@PalmerAquatics]

Not yearly. I never change mine

[@Aquariumswithty]

Great video bro! I like all fish too!

[@andresgil1449]

What tank is that?

[@toast1544]

0:22 you should have just said i’m a grown ass man and i can do what i want😂😂

[@ballistic350]

I'm thinking about mixing that with the fluorite seachem...

[@Jlui83]

Does this leech ammonia?

[@thomaswolsey2319]

I use Seachem Flourite and it have NO fertilizers. Just a baked clay that can hold nutrients from the water column. To a low Tech Seachem Flourite is the best but for a high Tech ADA Amazonia is the best.

[@emilyrathshvedova3860]

When I put the water in everything turned black. How do I fix/avoid that?

[@theghostrider430]

pour water very slowly, probably use a plate, paper towel or a bottle with holes. Turbidity is common in all substrates. Give it about 12 hours and it should start settling. Worst case, siphon all the water and add again.

[@Kt-cn2rq]

Rise before you add it into tank.

[@emilyrathshvedova3860]

@@Kt-cn2rq Yeah I learned that the second time haha. And I poured the water in on top of a plate so that it didn't make direct contact with the substrate and stir it up.

[@michaeldougherty6532]

I don’t really have planted tanks because I like to keep cichlids. I am thinking of getting a planted tank and I’m not sure what fish are good to keep in planted tanks. If anyone has any suggestions please tell me.

[@PalmerAquatics]

Start with just the plants and then give that a couple weeks to even out. Then do fish. Guppies are a solid choice because they’re TOUGH fish

[@clbernier2]

Thank you for this video…I’m doing the same exact thing, I even have two tanks similar to the one you have.

[@LordRuin]

Will this increase the chances of getting diatoms in the tank?

[@Toaster-v1z]

Anybody have a tank with Stratum that is 3 years old? Has it broken down into powder?

[@MrBrightfryed]

Great vid bro, looking forward to getting mine delivered today to check out. Been wanting to use this for a while now. 🤙

[@plantadventure1882]

How many bags do you think I would need for a 32 gallon Fluval Freshwater Flex? Thanks

[@mydesiree29]

Would this substrate be safe for a mudskipper tank in brackish water? Thanks!

[@pacu1424]

uh u didnt even put the water in it xD nice review

[@mrhelium_02]

Does it make the water cloudy? I wanna get it for my fish tank with GloFish and of course I’ll rinse it

[@pacu1424]

@@mrhelium_02 it sure does. It took less then a week tho. They say giving it a hard rinse can make it worse

[@pacu1424]

@@mrhelium_02 u wont revret

[@Winnin737]

Ok nice to no

[@Starleigh777]

It's very messy and takes longer to settle than directions say. I did rinse like it suggests but holy cow, if you like black water this is for you, so I took out water, put down sand on top placed a lite plastic plate over the filled planted 6 gal and slowly sllllllloooowwwwlllyyy! Filled it up, sand was rinsed but is settling. I will let you know how long it takes if some one reads this and reminds me. Incase I forget.

[@leo2o915]

How much does it lower the ph ? Is it good substrate for a planted tank with Corydoras?

[@TKTrooper]

could you cap this with a thin layer of gravel?

[@anthonyt9380]

I wouldn't. It would break down faster

[@antivaxxnugs7859]

Does anyone know if I have to use fertilizer with this substrate?

[@timleirs4189]

Depends on the types of plants.

[@djneoda1535]

GREAT VIDEO If price wasn't an option would you use Fluval Stratum or soil? Peace ✌️

[@westmadehtx2669]

Do u really have to rinse it out before putting it in ur tank?

[@Scouse.raver1]

U don't wash fluval stratum

[@widowmaker666u]

how long does the buffering ability last in this substrate? iv had this in my tank for a year but it seems to be exhausted because my ph is alot higher now

[@davidschneider2258]

If you don't mind the water getting more of a brown tint, you can filter with peat.

[@aaront1989]

You seen the tropica aqua soil,use it myself,great stuff

[@Kt-cn2rq]

Oh we got this too. Can use gravel on top?

[@chillapollo8188]

I use sand on top of mine and I feel it works better than gravel

[@dominicremaro8687]

I know this is a year old but hopefully you see this comment. I am thinking about mixing this substrate with sand. I have always used sand for my tanks. 30 years of using sand and I love it. For a lot of reasons including the look. And I like bottom dwelling fish a lot and they love sand. What do you think about mixing sand with this substrate? I think it would also look neat. Like a nice contrast. Now sand is more a fine particulate so topping it with sand probably won’t work. But mixing it would.

[@Babu12186]

How did mixing go?

[@nikolayvelchev8093]

Hello. Can I tap the Fluval Stratum with a gravel? What would be the result?

[@benny.w4784]

You can but you will not get the best results by doing this

[@peachimonn]

Perfect timing! Howd you know I was looking for a substrate

[@-8_8-]

Light weight, huh. Do you think a heavier finer substrate would cap this, or sink beneath it?

[@australianfool4267]

Been using it for about 4 years now if your grass has very short roots don't use it it the grass will loosen up and float everywhere if you disturb it

[@jcrhodes6478]

Why did it make my water brown.

[@jcrhodes6478]

It’s been a week and it’s terrible

[@jfy1]

Is this good for Neocaridina shrimp? Won’t it cause the ph to constantly buffer when you do water changes

[@Historyiswatching]

Wait is this aquasoil?

[@wody738]

I noticed you didn’t do an actual demo…you just talked about Fluval Stratum like it was gold. I’m looking at my tank right now and after following the directions to a T, I could just cry. I don’t think Amazon has enough chemicals to fix this. I’m sure it’s great stuff and best for plants but I CANT SEE THEM !😢😢😢😢

[@lilchrome9321]

Does this substrate work in brackish waters or is it strictly freshwater. Love the vid I got some myself!🙏

[@conconrocks5510]

the bag says its only meant for freshwater and not brakish

[@Justin-yk3ox]

So I just planted this for the first time. It's awful to work with. Just awful. The substrate is so light, that the roots of the plants do not stay seated. I think Styrofoam popcorn would be easier to work with.

[@dominicremaro8687]

It’s for this reason I am thinking about using this substrate but mixing it with sand.

[@haroutvartanian2915]

When reverse osmosis water is mixed with salty shrimp gh mineral, it has a ph of 5.5. Fluval stratum keeps my tank at a ph of 6.2. Doesnt this mean fluval stratum raises ph? If i were to remove the stratum from the tank, my ph would go down to 5.5. This is confusing because everywhere reads that active substrates lower ph but how could this be is ro water has a ph of 5.5 and the stratum keeps the tank at 6.2? I know it would lower the ph aswell if tap water was used. Would it be fair to say fluval stratum will raise or lower the ph depending what kind of water you use to get to crystal red parameters ?

[@EpicConspiracy]

I used this last 3 months. Was way to light. I didn’t like it at all as it was a pain in the ass to keep root tabs down unless you had 4-5 inches. Replaced with eco complete. Plus it’s super expensive.

[@pixazelz]

This is why a put another subrate under this one .

[@carissafain3305]

I'm new to the planted tank world, I've read a lot of reviews that fluval stratum is best for what I'm hoping to do but it does break down quickly and turn to mud....is this other people's experience?

[@TheObserver567]

It does not turn to mud unless you crush it. but it will make your water brown. packaging says it does not. but it does.

[@chandlee3968]

I just started a planted 10gal with eco complete. I didn’t have time to scape the tank and a week later the plants I bought from Dustin’s Fishtanks had already started rooting themself into the substrate even though all I did was drop them in. I can’t say it was only the substrate as I was also adding liquid ferts, but it seems to be a good product.

[@owenringwald4935]

If your ph is low will it bring it down even more? My ph is 6.5

[@brandy7729]

My water was super dirty and black after adding this to my tank! How would you suggest to make the water clear?

[@beans8578]

What i do is put a layer of plastic or something ontop of the substrate when pouring in your water so it doesn't pick up and dirty up your tank

[@TheObserver567]

@@beans8578 water never clears fully and leaves the water brown. No matter how many water changes.

[@beans8578]

@@TheObserver567 well I'm not too sure what to tell you because mine is fine and I'm just learning through experience

[@caseymoore4759]

@@TheObserver567 stop lying lol you didn’t even know not to rinse it 😂

[@joelalbertoazcona5588]

Can i add my fish and shrimp inside even tho is not clear

[@voylewis1391]

How many of those bags do you Think I will need for a 55 gallon aquarium?

[@supremeleaderarmy9164]

3 to 5

[@leo2o915]

Would that substrate be safe for Cory cats ? Or is it ruff on there barbels

[@sergiobmx1785]

I’ve been using it for years with Cory cats and have had no issues at all

[@interstatesign]

it’s not rough, it’s a quite soft and smooth substrate

[@john198665]

I put gravel then that soil on top

[@eus105611]

To rinse, or not to rinse, that is the question.

[@PalmerAquatics]

Don’t rinse

[@davidschneider2258]

Do a tiny water daily until it's clear enough. It's will be cloudy again when you disturb it to plant. It will clear up. Don't use this if you are going to have animals that disturb the substrate frequently.

[@eus105611]

@@davidschneider2258 do you think Corys would cause an issue?

[@davidschneider2258]

@@eus105611 They might. It's best with shrimp and mid swimmers like tetras. I might try to stock the dwarf corys at some point. I have about 20 glass shrimp in a 55 gallon tank. They eat any uneaten food really well.

[@strangefish805]

I found stratum to be dead after 1 year in my 75g tank

[@alexandragomez673]

the water gets murky

[@dustinmfreem]

Your supposed to wash it off before u put it in the tank smh

[@TheObserver567]

you did not put water on it. that is not really a review. this substrate taints your water brown. even after washing it and removing the fine particles.

[@caseymoore4759]

Lol you do realize that rinsing it is why it’s clouding on you so bad. You never rinse planted substrate like stratum

[@fishiontanktics9356]

Alright

[@Fred-eg9sx]

Mixed these Aragonite to not lower ph lol

[@troywerning5551]

No water, bad review setup.

[@kevinmedina8277]

Look man I just wanted to see a set up if it not just pour it in a tank and say you think it’s the best product but thanks anyways

[@lemarz8006]

What

[@ktrimberger]

Lame. You're on on the wrong channel if you don't want to hear his comments/insights

[@dslreports6766]

Tatoo = prison ex-con.

[@BAalbert]

Bad video you didn’t even do anything

[@bensimpson4091]

what tank is that ?