Fluval 12693 Plant and Shrimp Stratum for Freshwater Fish Tanks, 4.4 lbs. – Aquarium Substrate for Strong Plant Growth, Supports Neutral to Slightly Acidic pH

Fluval Stratum has been amazing for my plant care routine. I use it for seedlings and to rehab plants, and it’s been working perfectly for both. The texture is ideal—it holds moisture well without getting waterlogged, which is great for delicate roots.My seedlings establish quickly in it, and plants I’m rehabbing bounce back faster than with other substrates I’ve tried. It’s easy to work with and feels like a premium product.If you’re looking for a versatile growing medium that’s great for starting new plants or giving struggling ones a second chance, Fluval Stratum is definitely worth it.

This has become a standard in my substrates, I blend it in with gravel, sand, whatever type I'm setting up. Planted tanks are the only way I roll, fully bioactive, and (virtually) changeless system set-up; soil is vital to plants and plants are vital to the chemistry. I've 2 products from this brand and I'm not inclined to change unless a real good reason manifests to do so. Neither product is what one may call 'cheap,' but it's certainly worth the money, my aquatic plants are so healthy that some specimens are abnormally big and have been a challenge to identify. (some of my seed stock didn't have anything but Chinese on the labels, so I had to wait until they grew to get them identified correctly.)The success I'm having with my tanks seems almost uncanny given I'm still something of a "newbie," these are my first tanks, all are less than a year old, and to have nailed it on the complete and healthy ecosystem model like a pro is testament to how great the science is developed and disseminated - and to the quality of products. Soil is everything, whether in my garden beds, potted plants, or aquatics - same rules apply. As I've said many times already, my water quality tests are always so spot on that it looks like I'm 'cheating,' and this stuff is one of the ingredients achieving all that.

Yes, it is expensive but I think it's one of the highest quality substrates I have ever bought. I have had aquariums on and off for 30 yrs I have also built vivariums... this has to be the best substrate I have ever seen straight out of the bag. You can tell it is high quality volcanic soil which is outstanding for any plant life. It is very smooth and silky when you touch it. Just give a quick rinse and then use for whatever project. If you are building a planted tank, the water will be cloudy for longer than most people would like. I put my tank filter on high and let it run for the whole day like that and kept rinsing off the filter every few hours. On day two it is much more clear but a little cloudy as the biolayers need to still build up. Can't wait to see how much this improves my new plants.

I use this as a medium for growing my Alocasia Corms , works perfect with starting plant growth, but remember not for long term use! I do rinse this stuff pretty thoroughly and let it soak for atleast a couple hours before using. I feel like this is the best bang for your buck especially if you’re not looking for a huge bag which seems to be what they sell in stores.

I would have given this 5 stars were it not so….mucky. I was prepared for a few hours of muck post-rinsing but didn’t think it would take over 24 hours to clear. Once it finally did, the tank looked gorgeous. My fish and plants are now happily homed, but it took a tick to get there. Wish I’d snapped a pic of the mud water.

My planted seeds are thriving in this soil! I had to go back and order a few more packs because of how great it is. It’s a small pack so if you have a large tank then go ahead and do your self a favor and order a few the first time so you won’t have to wait on more to come to plant more seeds.

So far it works well. I’ve only had this aquarium set up for a few weeks and the plants I have are doing well and starting to spread. I enjoy the black especially since I capped most of it with white rock. It’s a little expensive but in the research I’ve done is the best value for the quality you get.

Made the water cloudy no matter how much rinsing I did, but it didn't matter much, since our filter got it all cleaned up in less than a day.