Activ-Flora Planted Aquarium Substrate, Lake Gems, 20-lb bag

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About This Item

Details

  • Bio-Activ, nutrient-enriched gravel contains a wide variety of essential minerals including phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc and many more.
  • Helps aquatic plants thrive and quickly achieve optimum growth; also contains iron, so you won’t need to add laterite.
  • Micronutrients are slow-released over time, making Activ-Flora substrate indefinitely self-sustainable.
  • Live heterotrophic bacteria provides instant nitrogen cycling without altering your pH.
  • 100% natural with no artificial dyes or additives; grain size of the lake gems color blend is 3.1-6.3 mm.

Instructions

Learn More About Activ-Flora From Our Team of Experts

Frequently bought together

Questions & Answers

28 Customer Questions

Do we ever have to replace the substrate?

Answer by Chewy • Aug 21, 2018
Activ-Flora will last for the life of your aquarium and it's not recommended to clean the substrate. If you agitate the surface the loose particulars will begin to float and your filter system will remove it.

Is it okay for my betta to be in the water while it's all cloudy from the new substrate?

Answer by Chewy • Aug 09, 2018
It's recommended to add your fish back to the tank after the substrate settles.

Did I pre-wash the subrate?

Answer by Chewy • Mar 28, 2018
This product is pre-washed by a nutri-stabilizing process to preserve abundant trace elements and reduce cloudiness when introduced to an aquarium however, you can rinse it if you'd like.

Is this acceptable for a pleco or algae eater?

Answer by Chewy • Aug 16, 2018
This product is safe for both marine and freshwater fish.
Reviews
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4.1
Rated 4.1 out of 5 stars
117 Ratings
Terms & Conditions

90 Customer Reviews

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Jolene on Jan 26, 2026

Roots are growing

Set up my tank with 2 bags of this substrate and my plants are growing roots. Was cloudy for the first couple of days, had to rinse out my filter but now very clear

Set up my tank with 2 bags of this substrate and my plants are growing roots. Was cloudy for the first couple of days, had to rinse out my filter but now very clear on about the 4th day. Still great since it didn’t have fish in it at first.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Tea on Dec 2, 2025

The gravel bag was filled with water

When this item arrived, the whole bag was filled with murky water. Nasty. I was gonna rinse it either way but I’m definitely paranoid.

When this item arrived, the whole bag was filled with murky water. Nasty. I was gonna rinse it either way but I’m definitely paranoid.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Jamie on Aug 10, 2025

Leeking and bigger rock

This is a mix of rock size its all over but nothing i can use to start smaller plants do to size. It came in a fed ex box which was soaked through ruined supplements

This is a mix of rock size its all over but nothing i can use to start smaller plants do to size. It came in a fed ex box which was soaked through ruined supplements in same package. Chewys sent in chewys box and fed ex repacked and still leaked through box to where if tried to pick up just fell through. If this is how then ship their product without care not sure I want with plants and aquatics anyways who know what else this careless about

Rated 2 out of 5 stars
By David on Sep 18, 2025

Poorly packaged

No padding in shipment. Bags of rock bashed more fragile elements in shipment. Surprised the tears in the bags didn’t leak rocks out into the container.

No padding in shipment. Bags of rock bashed more fragile elements in shipment. Surprised the tears in the bags didn’t leak rocks out into the container.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars
By Brittney on Jul 27, 2025

Good purchase

4 stars because the bag leaked a good bit during shipping, otherwise I am very happy with the product. Im starting up a new 10 gallon aquarium and so far the plants

4 stars because the bag leaked a good bit during shipping, otherwise I am very happy with the product. Im starting up a new 10 gallon aquarium and so far the plants are loving it. It took about 3 days for the cloudiness to fully settle.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Marjorie on Oct 4, 2025

Perfect touch

Makes my fish tank look amazing. The fish enjoy hunting for food. Who would have thought fish get bored.

Makes my fish tank look amazing. The fish enjoy hunting for food. Who would have thought fish get bored.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By william on Nov 4, 2025

nice gray alternative to the usual type of brown hues,

I mine didnt Leak at all will add pics happy w product recommend strongly

I mine didnt Leak at all will add pics happy w product recommend strongly

Rated 3 out of 5 stars
By ANTHONY on Jan 29, 2025

Crazy minerals

I know they say to NOT rinse the gravel in respect to losing all of the nutrients, but I had to rinse it off.. I could not leave this sediment on the bottom of the

I know they say to NOT rinse the gravel in respect to losing all of the nutrients, but I had to rinse it off.. I could not leave this sediment on the bottom of the tank. Not sure if it is recommended to or not, but I couldn’t. Maybe someone with more tank savvy would know the answer to that, but for me, I had to rinse it. Keep in mind, I rinsed it with a few hundred gallons of water, there is ALOT of stuff in this gravel.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Mac on Sep 29, 2025

Very fast shipping

Chewy is always fast to ship.

Chewy is always fast to ship.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Christine on Feb 25, 2025

The bags leaked on delivery

I received my two boxes on Saturday. I had ordered 4 bags. Unfortunately all 4 bags had sprung a leak before they got to my home. I have yet to set this up in

I received my two boxes on Saturday. I had ordered 4 bags. Unfortunately all 4 bags had sprung a leak before they got to my home. I have yet to set this up in my aquarium to give full review. Will update when I get my aquarium set up.