[ao]

I do flourite or eco complete because I prefer the color ^_^ and I see better results with them than sand. But ofcourse, it is not neccessary. I grow a lot of plants without any substrate at all. depending on your stocking, fertilization may or may not be neccessary~ I dose macro, micro and excel. Excel daily with macro and micros on alternating days. Ofcourse some would advise againt excel dosing, and for good reason .

when you fill a tank, lay a large piece of saran wrap over the substrate to divert the flow~