SHRIMP SANCTUARY - Provides newborn shrimp a safe refuge from predators.
ROOTING REVOLUTION - Easily penetrable substrate for robust plant growth.
The Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum is an 8 kg volcanic soil substrate designed to promote healthy plant growth and support aquatic life. Its porous structure encourages beneficial bacteria, maintains ideal pH levels, and offers a safe haven for newborn shrimp, all while keeping your aquarium water crystal clear.
Specifications
Pet Type
Fish
Product Dimensions
30.48 x 11.43 x 48.26 cm; 8.07 kg
Item model number
12695
Colour
Brown
Size
8kg
Number of Items
1
Quantity
1
Special features
Water Resistant
Specific Uses
Aquarium
Batteries required
No
Batteries Included
No
Item Weight
8.07 kg
What colour is it?
How many bags for a 250 lilters fish tank
How many Kilos would be needed for a Triton 350 corner aquarium. (350 lts)
Would this be ok with cory catfish?
Reviews
4.6
All from verified purchases
R**N
Only substrate you need for live plants
Recently I decided to buy a 300l tank and desperately needed new substrate to fill it. Being a live plant girly, I knew I was going to buy this for the bottom.Pros:•This substrate is literally the best one you can get for plant health/growth. Plants will thrive in this and form the most intricate roots all around it so you know it’s doing its job!•Helps keep my slightly higher water pH neutral which keeps my tank and its inhabitants happy.•Safe for all delicate invertebrates and fish!Cons:•Don’t ever try washing this because it will just form mud! It’s impossible to wash which in turn causes some unfavorable stuff in your tank (but a good filter will fix it no problem!)•Adding to above, putting in without washing causes your tank to go a horribly cloudy color with some bits floating on top that need to be removed with a net. Rather unsightly but easily fixed.Overall, I wouldn’t ever buy another substrate for my tank because it doesn’t get much better than this. My plants all thrive and it keeps my tank healthy. Would definitely recommend!
D**N
Excellent Quality Substrate
While I am still fairly new to the aquarium hobby, I have become somewhat addicted, as appears to be common among our community!Something to note in advance that although you may have read that this Substrate does not leech ammonia, it does appear leech a small amount; enough to stress Shrimp, but probably not enough to bother most fish. I was recording about 0.5 on my Test kit, and I had not added any Ammonia myself at that point just yet. You must cycle your aquarium properly with this substrate.I have used a few types of substrate in my tanks, including cheap potting soil in a "Walstad" style tank. The Fluval Stratum Substrate is my favourite insofar for planted aquariums.This substrate is very light and my plants rooted through it quickly with apparent ease. I would recommend using some aqua-scaping tweezers to plant with, as I feel you would struggle using your fingertips due to how light it is; though, most hobbyists will have already invested in these sorts of tools. I was able to plant dwarf hairgrass in blades of 6-12 across the entire tank without any uprooting.It is nutrient dense are all growing healthily at a rate I am pleased with, even without the use of liquid Co2, or any fertilisers.I did not wash the soil as some other substrates recommend, but my water is still crystal clear! Though, I recommend covering the floor of the aquarium a plastic bag and filling the tank slowly to prevent disturbance, which helps prevent any initial cloudiness and reduces the chance of your newly-planted plants uprooting.This substrate is quite pricey but in my opinion for a hobbyist looking to create a densely planted tank it is worth every penny.Note: I would not recommend using this substrate for fish that like to poke around the substrate, such as goldfish; nor would I recommend it for snails, as they may uproot your plants. It's perfect for shrimp aquariums, and excellent for other fish which don't dig as much, such as Bettas.
S**H
Excellent! Very pleased with this purchase!
The media could not be loaded. This is really good stuff. I read all the reviews and was put off by some clouding/black sludge stories, but thought I’d just buy it and give it a try…….I am glad I did!!I was upgrading to a larger tank and did a full new aquascape the 8kg bag was plenty to fill my 55litre tank which is about 45 x 35 x 35cm.I bought a cheap wire sieve and washed batches of the stratum under the tap as I added it to my new aquascape. I tried not to shake it in the seive as I think the wire was abrasive and started breaking the first batch down slightly. The stratum is quiet fragile when wet but does not break down too easily. I just used the full pressure of the cold tap to wash it for about 30-40 seconds.When I added water to my finished scaped tank it clouded very slightly. I replaced the water (I honestly probably didn’t need too but I wanted to get my new tank off to a perfect start) and there were no clouding problems whatsoever! The picture above was taken about an hour after completion. I’m only a week in but the plants are growing nicely. The fish and the shrimp seem to like it!I would definitely recommend and use again 👌🏻Update: Plants have grown really well in this substrate. Hardly any feeding and using CO2 injection. The new picture is just over 2months later
A**Y
It’s okay
Not a lot for the price. I prefer buying anything Fluval for my aquarium, so I bought this after reading the description. Looks great in aquarium, I soften it down as instructed but the plants routes would not hold down. Still looks great in tank many months later and routes of plants finally gripping. I find I do have to clean my tank more often there’s a lot of brown moss in my aquarium, not sure if its the substrate that’s caused this, it’s not to much of a problem just needs little more cleaning time.
T**T
great quality as expected from fluval
fast delivery excellent quality soil, really satisfying to put plants in
D**N
Great product
My newly planted aquarium plants seem to be settling and establishing well. It’s early days and the first time I’ve used this aquarium substrate, but so far so good.
I**M
First time trying a planted aquarium
Being new to planted aquariums i had no clue what i was meant to be using as substrate etc. This stuff made it super easy, gently give it a rinse with water (DO NOT SCRUB) and let the dusty bits wash away, i used a colander and rinsed a small amount at a time. When it was time to fill my tank i used the cup method (insert hose into a cup inside the tank and slowly fill, let the water overflow in the cup and fill your tank) I found that this does not disturb the soil as much. The water did go slightly murky but after one water change it cleared up, totally normal with aqua soil from what i read. I was expecting to have to cap this with gravel or something but you just add this stuff and you're good to go. I cant comment on how well my plants will do as they have not been in long, but every youtuber seems to recommend this stuff. So we shall see but i am overall happy, the price is far more reasonable that most brands. i did also buy the tropica soil bags and they were tiny for the same price.
Common Questions
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Ravi S.
I loved the variety of products available. Will definitely shop again.
2 months ago
Suresh K.
Very impressed with the quality and fast delivery. Will shop here again.
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Being a live plant girly, I knew I was going to buy this for the bottom.Pros:•This substrate is literally the best one you can get for plant health/growth. Plants will thrive in this and form the most intricate roots all around it so you know it’s doing its job!•Helps keep my slightly higher water pH neutral which keeps my tank and its inhabitants happy.•Safe for all delicate invertebrates and fish!Cons:•Don’t ever try washing this because it will just form mud! It’s impossible to wash which in turn causes some unfavorable stuff in your tank (but a good filter will fix it no problem!)•Adding to above, putting in without washing causes your tank to go a horribly cloudy color with some bits floating on top that need to be removed with a net. Rather unsightly but easily fixed.Overall, I wouldn’t ever buy another substrate for my tank because it doesn’t get much better than this. My plants all thrive and it keeps my tank healthy. Would definitely recommend!"},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"D***N"},"datePublished":"23 July 2020","name":"Excellent Quality Substrate","reviewBody":"While I am still fairly new to the aquarium hobby, I have become somewhat addicted, as appears to be common among our community!Something to note in advance that although you may have read that this Substrate does not leech ammonia, it does appear leech a small amount; enough to stress Shrimp, but probably not enough to bother most fish. I was recording about 0.5 on my Test kit, and I had not added any Ammonia myself at that point just yet. You must cycle your aquarium properly with this substrate.I have used a few types of substrate in my tanks, including cheap potting soil in a \"Walstad\" style tank. The Fluval Stratum Substrate is my favourite insofar for planted aquariums.This substrate is very light and my plants rooted through it quickly with apparent ease. I would recommend using some aqua-scaping tweezers to plant with, as I feel you would struggle using your fingertips due to how light it is; though, most hobbyists will have already invested in these sorts of tools. I was able to plant dwarf hairgrass in blades of 6-12 across the entire tank without any uprooting.It is nutrient dense are all growing healthily at a rate I am pleased with, even without the use of liquid Co2, or any fertilisers.I did not wash the soil as some other substrates recommend, but my water is still crystal clear! Though, I recommend covering the floor of the aquarium a plastic bag and filling the tank slowly to prevent disturbance, which helps prevent any initial cloudiness and reduces the chance of your newly-planted plants uprooting.This substrate is quite pricey but in my opinion for a hobbyist looking to create a densely planted tank it is worth every penny.Note: I would not recommend using this substrate for fish that like to poke around the substrate, such as goldfish; nor would I recommend it for snails, as they may uproot your plants. It's perfect for shrimp aquariums, and excellent for other fish which don't dig as much, such as Bettas."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"S***H"},"datePublished":"15 November 2024","name":"Excellent! Very pleased with this purchase!","reviewBody":"The media could not be loaded. This is really good stuff. I read all the reviews and was put off by some clouding/black sludge stories, but thought I’d just buy it and give it a try…….I am glad I did!!I was upgrading to a larger tank and did a full new aquascape the 8kg bag was plenty to fill my 55litre tank which is about 45 x 35 x 35cm.I bought a cheap wire sieve and washed batches of the stratum under the tap as I added it to my new aquascape. I tried not to shake it in the seive as I think the wire was abrasive and started breaking the first batch down slightly. The stratum is quiet fragile when wet but does not break down too easily. I just used the full pressure of the cold tap to wash it for about 30-40 seconds.When I added water to my finished scaped tank it clouded very slightly. I replaced the water (I honestly probably didn’t need too but I wanted to get my new tank off to a perfect start) and there were no clouding problems whatsoever! The picture above was taken about an hour after completion. I’m only a week in but the plants are growing nicely. The fish and the shrimp seem to like it!I would definitely recommend and use again 👌🏻Update: Plants have grown really well in this substrate. Hardly any feeding and using CO2 injection. The new picture is just over 2months later"},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"4.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"A***Y"},"datePublished":"11 December 2022","name":"It’s okay","reviewBody":"Not a lot for the price. I prefer buying anything Fluval for my aquarium, so I bought this after reading the description. Looks great in aquarium, I soften it down as instructed but the plants routes would not hold down. Still looks great in tank many months later and routes of plants finally gripping. I find I do have to clean my tank more often there’s a lot of brown moss in my aquarium, not sure if its the substrate that’s caused this, it’s not to much of a problem just needs little more cleaning time."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"T***T"},"datePublished":"20 April 2025","name":"great quality as expected from fluval","reviewBody":"fast delivery excellent quality soil, really satisfying to put plants in"},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"D***N"},"datePublished":"2 January 2025","name":"Great product","reviewBody":"My newly planted aquarium plants seem to be settling and establishing well. It’s early days and the first time I’ve used this aquarium substrate, but so far so good."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"I***M"},"datePublished":"29 December 2023","name":"First time trying a planted aquarium","reviewBody":"Being new to planted aquariums i had no clue what i was meant to be using as substrate etc. This stuff made it super easy, gently give it a rinse with water (DO NOT SCRUB) and let the dusty bits wash away, i used a colander and rinsed a small amount at a time. When it was time to fill my tank i used the cup method (insert hose into a cup inside the tank and slowly fill, let the water overflow in the cup and fill your tank) I found that this does not disturb the soil as much. The water did go slightly murky but after one water change it cleared up, totally normal with aqua soil from what i read. I was expecting to have to cap this with gravel or something but you just add this stuff and you're good to go. I cant comment on how well my plants will do as they have not been in long, but every youtuber seems to recommend this stuff. So we shall see but i am overall happy, the price is far more reasonable that most brands. i did also buy the tropica soil bags and they were tiny for the same price."}],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":4.857142857142857,"bestRating":5,"ratingCount":7}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What colour is it?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Black (dark!)"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How many bags for a 250 lilters fish tank","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It depends if you want a well planted fish tank ,one bag will spread and give approx 1\\8\" or just less cover which isn't really enough to allow plants to root although some will it you also use gravel. I used 2 bags in my 250 litre tank plus gravel and my plants have rooted well and are quite stable"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How many Kilos would be needed for a Triton 350 corner aquarium. (350 lts)","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"My Fluval Flex 57l (39cm x 39cm or 15\" x15\" base) took one 8kg bag and covered it to a depth of 5-6cm. Hope that gives you an idea."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Would this be ok with cory catfish?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, fine with cory catfish. I have ten plus adult peppered cories and they are breeding constantly with eight babies now nearing adulthood."}}]}]}
