Dustin's Blog — Soil as substrate

Read Time: 5 minutes Dustin's called this the most overlooked part of your aquarium, and it's the truth. Substrates are often the heart of healthy (or unhealthy) fish tank biology. So, in every sense of the phrase, let's dig in. First Off: Do You Even Need Substrate in Your Aquarium? Depends on the rest of your setup and what your goals are. The benefits of aquarium substrate are looks, increased surface area for beneficial bacteria and fungi, more options for plants and animals, and an easier time growing live plants. That said, you can also grow bacteria on other surfaces...

Read Time: 4 minutes Okay, sure, the title sounds kinda clickbait-ish. Most people hear "fungus" and think either "athlete's foot" or "mushroom," but what if we told you fungi might help you grow aquarium plants?  Mycorrhizae: Pretty Fly for Fungi Land plants have a well-documented symbiotic (mutually helpful) relationship between their roots and a huge range of fungal species naturally found in soil called mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae actually translates from Greek to "fungal root." The fungi infects the plant's roots, obtains "food" (carbohydrates) from the plant and, in return,  increases the plant's root absorption and nutrient uptake by increasing root surface...

Read Time: 6 minutes What is a biotope tank? A biotope aquarium is basically an underwater snapshot. The goal is to replicate a specific environment via animals, plants, decor, etc. There are hundreds of ideas: Burmese rivers, Florida swamps, floodplains, African lakes…if there's an aquatic region you like, chances are you can replicate it in your tank (The cover photo is an Indian biotope).  An African Biotope Tank Pros and cons for biotope tanks? The most obvious pro is that natural tanks are gorgeous, but they also provide an environment in which your fish can express natural behaviors (a...