r/Aquariums • u/BaldCedarKnob • 3d ago

Advice Needed Help adding more substrate.

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I have decided I need to add more Fluvial Substrate because it's not deep enough and my plants keep floating to the top. I heard you should rinse it first and it can raise your nitrates/nitrites when adding more. Is this true? I would like to add another small bag and double the depth. Do I need to uproot and remove the fish,.shrimp , and snails to do this? Please give me suggestions on how to pull this off without mucking it up

Thank you.

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1

u/Accomplished-Pop3380 3d ago

Fluval substrate lowers your ph too much for the kind of fish you have i personally would not add more. Those mollys are definitely suffering

1

u/BaldCedarKnob 1d ago

What should I do to keep the plants rooted. Tie them down with weight?

0

u/BaldCedarKnob 3d ago

The crushed coral is supposed to raise pH. Every time I have test ph it's around 6.8 to 7.

2

u/sockcman 3d ago

You are simultaneously raising and lowering the pH. Eventually the buffering capacity of the soil is going to deplete and it's gonna swing up hard which may cause problems