Aqua Natural aquarium substrate
Every Aqua Natural substrate is natural: grains and pebble from New Zealand, the USA and Australia, aragonite from the Bahamas, rock with its own shape. Triple washed, kiln dried and graded, so the substrate stays where you pour it.
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What aquarists pour most
Most reviewed
Most reviewed
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Cycles instantly
Beach pebble
Reef
Kit
IwagumiNatural substrate, washed three times
Aqua Natural is made by Pisces USA, and every substrate in the range goes through the same routine: triple washed, kiln dried, screened to a grain size you can read on the bag. That is why a 0.5–1 mm white grain stays white and doesn't drift, and why a 2–4 mm pebble lies evenly instead of in lumps.
Nothing is painted. The black of Galaxy, the pink of Flamingo and the jet black of wet Pewter are the stone itself, so the colour never flakes off into the water.
See the gravels
Grain size, from fine to coarse
Fine grains suit carpeting greens and sifting fish; coarse grades hold slopes and roots.
What customers say
4.6 from 14,926 ratings
Looks amazing and great for fish that
Great sand! Well worth the price! Also i would wash it 3-4 times a bag because although they are mostly clean it still has some pulp in there.
Sugar White SandGreat product, just don't expect "black" black
My favorite brand of substrate, comes pre washed so I don't have to worry about that. Just know that it isn't solid black. It looks black in the bag but once you get it I'm your tank and add water it's more like a speckled look, I'll see if I can find a photo. But good none the less. I might try some of the other colors since I know I won't get that black color I was looking for. But I'll still use the same brand
Diamond Black GravelGood substrate.
Great product for 2/3rd of the price from any aquarium shop or pet store.
Galaxy BioPre soaked
No need for soaking, it is pre soaked exactly as it says on the bag. It is a good size to cover just a layer over fluval stratum in a 10gal tank, but if you want more sand I recommend getting 2 bags. It is very effective and does help keep the soil down. It looks very clean and is worth the money.
Sugar White BioNice clean bag of attractive looking gravel
Good gravel I used for making terrariums and topping on indoor potted plants. Really good size, clean gravel 10 pound bag not too heavy to manage. Nice natural colors.
Gold Pearl GravelBahama sand
Great sand …. Use in Bio cube 32 .. BUT RINSE THE SAND AT LEAST THREE TIME … other than that sand is perfect for saltwater tank.
Oolitic AragoniteCycle a new aquarium on day one
Aqua Natural bio-substrate ships wet with live nitrifying bacteria. Mix one 5lbs bag into the substrate base and the setup starts working before the first fish arrive.
About Aqua Natural
What is Aqua Natural?
Aqua Natural is the natural substrate range from Pisces USA: aquarium substrate in sand and gravel grades, wet bio-substrate, aragonite, Iwagumi substrate, aquascaping rock, live filter media and freeze-dried fish food. The focus is the base of the aquarium — the substrate that carries roots, holds beneficial bacteria and sets the look of the whole setup.
Freshwater, reef and terrarium
The freshwater substrates suit planted aquariums, aquascaping, vivariums and terrariums. The aragonite holds pH at 8.2 for saltwater, reef and corals, and for African cichlid aquariums; a hermit crab substrate gives land crabs a beach to dig. Most bags come in 10 lb and 20 lb, and many as a 4-pack.
Is Aqua Natural bio-substrate good?
It solves the slowest part of a new setup. Each wet 5lbs bag carries a live blend of nitrosomonas and nitrobacter, which turn ammonia into nitrate. A Sugar White bio-substrate, for example, is the same white grain as the dry bag, so you can match colours and still get the benefits of a seeded base. Used at 1:4 with the matching dry substrate or on its own in a nano aquarium, it lets the water cycle instantly instead of over weeks.
Creating a natural aquascape
Start with one substrate colour, add rock from the same range, then let the media and the bacteria do the rest. A white bio-substrate under a white base, or Galaxy under Galaxy, keeps the floor even while it supports the cycle.
Substrate questions
How much substrate do I need?
Plan about 1–2 inches of fine substrate or 2–3 inches of gravel. A 10 lb bag covers the floor of a 10-gallon aquarium at roughly an inch; bigger aquariums need 20 lb bags or a 4-pack.
Do I need to rinse it?
The dry substrate is triple washed and kiln dried, so a quick rinse is enough. Never rinse a bio-substrate — the bacteria live in the water it ships with.
Will it change my pH?
The freshwater substrates, lava and dragon rock are inert or pH neutral. Aragonite is the exception on purpose: it buffers water to about 8.2.
Fine grains or gravel for roots?
Fine grains suit carpeting greens and clean fronts; 2–4 mm gravel lets roots spread and water move. Many aquascapes use gravel behind and fine substrate in front.