Aqueon Plant and Shrimp Aquarium Substrate, Aqua Soil for Fish Tanks, 5 Pounds

I recently added this substrate to my planted shrimp tank, and it’s been a solid choice. The granules are uniform and easy to spread, creating a clean, natural look. It holds nutrients well, which has helped my plants root and thrive without extra fertilizers. My shrimp seem comfortable, and the water parameters have stayed stable.One note: it can cloud the water a bit during initial setup, so rinse lightly before use. Overall, a great value for anyone looking to boost plant growth and maintain a healthy environment for shrimp.

I always steered clear of substrate, because it always seemed to be just a big fat mess. I heard some good stuff about this substrate, and since it was economical and convenient, I thought that it was worth a try.I turned out really good. I have a 40 gallon tank, and mixed three bags of this in with the blue and white gravel. Overall, it is more esthetically pleasing, and I have noticed that my plants are doing better.It also really works with aquascaping (landscaping underwater). These tiny little balls are each about the size of one of those tiny styrofoam balls you get when you break apart styrofoam pieces. They are made of clay, which I guess is good for underwater plants, but since they are clay, they help hold the aquascaping together. So, mounds and valleys will tend to stay put. Adding plants would also help hold the aquascaping in place.

This is a great product! It allows you to enjoy a planted aquarium, without the need for soil replaced each year. My setup consists of: Root Tabs, Co2 injection and 1 inch of gravel on top of 2 inches of Aqueon Plant Soil.

This substrate works great for planted tanks! It’s heavy enough to keep roots in place and doesn’t cloud the water. My plants stay anchored and look healthy. It doesn’t have a ton of built-in nutrients, so I add root tabs for extra growth, but overall it’s clean, long-lasting, and perfect for anyone starting a planted aquarium. 🌿🐟

Works amazing love!

So I used this stuff to create my very first "aquascape" for the tank i have, it sounded fun and I'm a believer in keeping it as natural as possible, so I planted grass seed to the mix and WOW did it grow!!! Not only does the grass look great but it provides oxygen and cover for the fish and whatever else you have in your tank, and those little fish and snails and shrimp etc. must be THRIVING because I can't get them to stop reproducing!!! Every kind of critter I have in there has made little babies which kind of creates a population issue but at least i know they're overall well-being isnt a concern. I've never seen anything like it! The only problem is apparently some fish like to pick at the grass, i have an African albino cory-cat and that little bugger has effectively pulled up most of my grass, which then floats on top of the water creating a natural cover that the fish seem to also love. Whats funny is that the grass has done great floating at the top of the tank as well, it hasnt died or anything but i have an "Endless" style tank... I think its called, where the water flows out and over the front of the tank like a waterfall, then down to a reservoir where it gets filtered and then brought back up into the top of the tank to flow back in, and its kinda messy trying to keep the grass from overflowing. I ended up buying a tank "corral" that creates a custom border for feeding or water to flow into the tank, but the grass still seems to get all over.. thats why im not posting any pics lolNot sure if ill stick with this brand in the future or not, the price was right at the time and again its the first time putting "soil" if you will into my tanks so i dont have any other experiences to compare this stuff to other brands. But i have no complaints.

[Update: Adding photo from today. Raising my review from 4 to 5. I bought this substrate in August 2022, and I am still using it in January 2025. While it is not beautiful, I feel like it has done an excellent job as a substrate. I recently had a filter die on me, and my tank saw no change in parameters. Earlier this year, I had an injury and was unable to do a water change in my shrimp-only aquarium for a couple months, and the water tests indicated it was still stable. (I don't recommend foregoing water changes! They're important even when the water parameter test says the values are safe.) I believe my tank stayed stable due to this substrate doing its job retaining beneficial bacteria. Paired with a well-planted and well-established tank, it is an invaluable way to retain the beneficial bacteria your tank needs to stay balanced. It is very easy to clean with a gravel vacuum, but make sure you don't over-clean it too often. It is not easy to install small plants (like pearl grass), but it is great for bigger plants (like dwarf water lily, and cryptocoryne). I would recommend mixing this substrate with a decorative one, or using this substrate as the bottom layer. I would buy it again, if I set up a new aquarium.]Old review:These make a great substrate, but are hard to maneouver once they're in a tank. If you want to bury a piece of wood or rock to the bottom, you won't be able to because these pieces will roll underneath it like wheels. If you're going to add wood or rock hardscape, I'd recommend hot gluing those pieces down before you pour in this substrate.

Good stuff but expensive

It has nic look n good weight n does not brake down

Very small

J'ai acheté ces mini-billes pour remplir des petits pots en culture hydroponique. Je cherchais des billes plus petites que celles normalement vendues, lesquelles sont souvent de taille inégales, mal finies et beaucoup trop grosses pour les pots que j'utilise.Les billes de ce substrat sont très petites (comme des tout petits pois), bien rondes et uniformes. Le poids est tel qu'annoncé, c'est-à-dire environ 2,3 kg. Cependant, le sac ne contient pas 4,5 litres comme il est écrit dans la description, mais environ 1,5 litre. Le prix est donc très élevé pour une si petite quantité.

Looks good. Not cloudy. Doesn't disintegrate. Not buffering kh nor GH so probably not for caridina shrimps, but should be fine with neo. Will update after I welcome some inhabitants! I like the look

All my pond plants are potted with Aqueon Plant & Shrimp Aquarium Substrate.It is also the main substrate used in my aquarium.It's neat and tidy. No dust to mess up the water.Encourages growth of good bacterias.The plants love it, the fish love it and I love it too!