Fluval Plant & Shrimp Stratum Plant Care, 4.4-lb bag

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About This Item

Details

  • Ideal substrate for freshwater aquariums, controls organic discoloration and keeps newborn shrimp safe
  • Mineral rich volcanic soil does not discolor water
  • Stimulates strong plant growth
  • Provides newborn shrimp refuge from predators
  • Helps plants and nitrifying bacteria flourish, and promotes neutral to mildly acidic pH

Instructions

Frequently bought together

Questions & Answers

7 Customer Questions

Which bag size would be best recommended for a 20 gallon long?

Answer by Chewy • May 28, 2019
Determining how much substrate to buy for your new aquarium depends on the size and shape of your tank, as well as the depth of the substrate bed you wish to achieve. We suggest 1 pound of substrate per gallon, to achieve a 1 inch bed or 2 pounds per gallon, for a 2 inch deep bed. In general, for a 20 gallon tank you'd need 20-40 pounds of substrate.

what is the lifespan of this subtrate?

Answer by Chewy • Apr 22, 2019
The maximum lifespan of this product is 2 years.

Can you add it to existing gravel in your aquarium? And ifmso, would there be any special considerations?

Answer by Chewy • Jul 20, 2018
It is recommended to keep this product by itself to receive the best results.

I was wondering if this is safe for snails ?

Answer by Chewy • Dec 26, 2021
This substrate can be used in a freshwater aquarium with snails.
Reviews
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4.6
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars
114 Ratings
Terms & Conditions

56 Customer Reviews

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

Great soil amendment for houseplants!

I purchased this to amend my cactus and potting soil for my houseplants. There are plenty of nutrients and it feeds the plants without worrying about fertilizing

I purchased this to amend my cactus and potting soil for my houseplants. There are plenty of nutrients and it feeds the plants without worrying about fertilizing and burning them.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Orin on Jul 28, 2025

Was highly recommended

I purchased Fluval Stratum for our aquarium substrate after not having luck getting live plants to grow in other substrates. It came highly recommended from YouTube

I purchased Fluval Stratum for our aquarium substrate after not having luck getting live plants to grow in other substrates. It came highly recommended from YouTube channel aquarium “experts”. They said it would help reduce the care needed by the tank because it helps make a more natural environment and ecosystem for the tank. So far, though all it has done is make more work for me and my live plants aren't doing any better than they did before installing Fluval Stratum. The water is constantly murky, I have to wash the filter daily, and my pleco keeps digging in it and uprooting the plants. I followed the directions and rinsed it before installing it. I'm scared it's going to kill the filter because it turns it black within hours! I'm so frustrated. I’m thinking about covering it with a course sand, even though the directions say not to mix it with other substrates.

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

Water turned black

Buyer beware in this stuff. I followed the directions on the bag, but the water is unlivable for my fish

Buyer beware in this stuff. I followed the directions on the bag, but the water is unlivable for my fish

Rated 1 out of 5 stars
By Andrew on Dec 10, 2025

Cloudy mess

Directly followed instructions & it turned the water really cloudy

Directly followed instructions & it turned the water really cloudy

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Breezybree on Oct 21, 2025

Amazing price

My plants love this substrate and chewy has the best price for it

My plants love this substrate and chewy has the best price for it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Pattie on Dec 16, 2025

Getting shrimp

It's perfect for the shrimp I'm getting

It's perfect for the shrimp I'm getting

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By kxmyvbvwwh on Aug 21, 2025

I use this to propagate plants!

By far the best substrate to propagate small aerobics like Anthuriums and Alocasias!

By far the best substrate to propagate small aerobics like Anthuriums and Alocasias!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Tom on Apr 10, 2025

Good stuff

Item arrived only trouble is seller keeps using FedEx FedEx girl got towards the door about 4 ft she threw it to the door if it would have been glass it would have

Item arrived only trouble is seller keeps using FedEx FedEx girl got towards the door about 4 ft she threw it to the door if it would have been glass it would have been broke but I made sure I sent something to FedEx to tell them other than that everything's good

Rated 2 out of 5 stars
By BrendaGilbert on Mar 6, 2025

ripped bag

I don't know about how good this product is, but at $20 for a small bag, it should be good. BUT my problem is the bag was thrown into a small box with driftwood

I don't know about how good this product is, but at $20 for a small bag, it should be good. BUT my problem is the bag was thrown into a small box with driftwood and a hole over an inch long caused the product to fall all over the box and outside of the box all the way to Kansas. So now I have a partial bag of this sub straight. Not happy.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Christa on Mar 24, 2025

Plants love it!

Works great with my live plants and shrimp in my tank. Would recommend washing it before adding to tank to minimize debris but otherwise is great!

Works great with my live plants and shrimp in my tank. Would recommend washing it before adding to tank to minimize debris but otherwise is great!