How Much Substrate For 75 Gallon Tank? (Complete Information)

Aquarium substrate helps the tank look attractive and provides several nutritional benefits to the live plants in the fish tank. When you add live plants to your fish tank, you should always ensure to add the right amount of substrate for their adequate development.

So, how much substrate for a 75-gallon tank? Let us find out.

You will require 75 pounds of substrate for a 75-gallon fish tank. Your fish tank substrate should hold at least a depth of 1 inch, up to as many inches as you prefer. Consider the essential factors like tank size, fish species, and plants you are about to add while choosing the suitable substrate.

The article below discusses the amount of substrate you will require for different tank sizes. In addition, we will also learn about the essential factors you should consider while choosing the substrate for your fish tank.

How much substrate should I buy for my 75-gallon tank?

Aquarium Size	Substrate required
10 Gallon/ 45 litres	10 Pounds/ 4.5 kilograms
20 Gallon/ 90 litres	20 Pounds/ 9.07 kilograms
40 Gallon/ 181 litres	40 Pound/ 18 kilograms
55 Gallon/ 250 litres	55 Pounds/ 24 kilograms
75 Gallon/ 340 litre	75 Pounds/ 34 kilograms

We recommend adding add 1 pound of substrate per gallon of water to your fish tank.

This rule applies to all substrates kind whether gravel or sand.

In addition, you can also calculate the amount of gravel you will require in your tank with the help of an online substrate calculator.

Your fish tank substrate should hold at least a depth of 1 inch, up to as many inches as you feel adequate.

When you decide to maintain a planted aquarium, the substrate’s inches rely upon the plants’ roots.

Deeper-rooted live plants will require more substrate to dig into to feed adequately.

Therefore, we advise you to add 1 pound of substrate per gallon of water if you require 1 inch of the substrate and 2 pounds of substrate per gallon of water if you require 2 inches of substrate, depending upon the plant’s root.

What is aquarium substrate?

Aquarium substrate is a substance like gravel or sand placed in the tank’s bottom.

The type of substrate you want to add to your aquarium depends upon the fish species and plants you will add.

For say, if you plan to add bottom dwellers fish like corydoras to your tank, they may not do well with more coarse gravel as they will end up hurting themselves.

While adding deep-rooted live plants to your tank, you cannot count on only gravel as a substrate because the gravel, unlike soil, does not provide all the necessary nutrients and structure that the plants require to root down and develop properly.

What are the benefits of the substrate in your tank?

Below are the benefits of adding substrate to your tank.

1. Aquarium substrates such as gravel and sand help stabilize the plants in the tank and provide them with all the essential nutrients to grow and develop properly.
2. Adding aquarium substrate to the tank helps to make your tank look attractive.
3. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria that reside on the gravel’s surface help to prevent the spike of ammonia level in the tank, as excessive ammonia in the tank can lead to ammonia poisoning and other significant health issues for your fish. 

The above are some benefits of adding substrate to your fish tank.

What are the different types of substrate for your fish tank?

Below are the different types of substrate for your fish tank.

Gravel

Gravel are small pieces of rocks that vary from 2 to 6mm in size.

Gravel is an easy-to-clean substrate making it an ideal choice for beginners.

In addition, adding small size gravel to the tank will be advisable as it has very few gaps between each layer, leaving no room for anything to get trapped.

Pebbles

Pebbles are small rounded stone that is bigger than gravel and range around 60mm in size.

Adding pebbles makes your fish tank look attractive, but the significant gaps between the pebbles can cause many issues.

The gap between the pebbles can trap material like fish waste and leftovers on the tank’s substrate.

The leftovers and the other material will decay over time, contaminating the tank’s water quality and leading to a spike in the ammonia and nitrite levels, making your fish suffer from significant health issues.

Sand

Sand, a dust-like particle, is one of the most natural substrates that most fishes have in their natural habitat.

It also holds significantly less space between each layer, leaving no room for any particles to get trapped.

However, sand does not provide any nutritional benefits to the live plants in the tank.

If you plan to use sand as a substrate for your planted aquarium, we advise you to add root tabs to the substrate to provide the essential nutrients to the live plants.

Soil

Adding soil as a substrate in your tank helps to promote the growth of live plants as it is a rich source of all the essential nutrients required by the plant for its proper development.

It also alters the water parameters, making it softer and lowering the tank’s pH level.

However, soil can be more expensive than the other tank substrates. In addition, it is also not ideal for hard water fish species.

If you want to use soil as a substrate in your fish tank, we advise you to avoid adding it straight from your garden as it can hold bacteria and other harmful critters that can lead to significant issues for your fish and the live plants in the tank.

You should always use premade soil as it contains all the necessary nutrients that contribute to the plant’s growth in your fish tank.

Factors you should consider while choosing the substrate for your aquarium.

Below are the factors you should consider while choosing the substrate for your fish tank

Size of your tank

The size of your fish tank is essential to decide the substrate. A big-size fish tank will require more substrate than a fish bowl.

In a fish bowl, you cannot add a variety of substrates due to lack of room, but in the case of a big size tank, you can add different layers of substrate that will make your tank look attractive and provide nutritional benefits the plants.

Fish species

The fish species you decide to place in your aquarium plays an essential role in choosing the suitable substrate.

If you add bottom dwellers fishes like corydoras in your tank, adding too coarse gravel can make them injure themselves.

Also, read: Are Cory Catfish Bottom Feeders?

The depth of substrate

Your aquarium substrate should hold at least a depth of 1-2 inches, up to as many inches as you prefer, per your tank size.

A substrate depth of 1-2 inches will ensure enough space for your plant to root down.

It would help if you did not overload your tank with the substrate, as it will occupy the space of your fish in the tank.

Plants

The plants you are about to add to your tank also play an essential role in choosing the substrate for your aquarium.

For say, if you plan to add deep-rooted plants to your fish tank, then adding sand as a substrate is not a good option as they need soil and gravel to grow and develop properly.

Consider the above factors while choosing a substrate for your aquarium.

In addition, we advise you to consult your pet store to select the suitable substrate for your fish tank.

How much substrate is required per gallon of a saltwater aquarium?

The substrate required for a freshwater tank and saltwater tank is the same.

You will require one pound of substrate per gallon of your fish tank.

For say, if you have a 10-gallon tank, then a 10-pound substrate will be advisable.

Conclusion:

1. You will need 75 pounds of substrate for your 75-gallon fish tank.
2. Your aquarium substrate should hold at least a depth of 1 inch, up to as many inches as you prefer.
3. Aquarium substrate is a substance like gravel or sand placed in the tank’s bottom.
4. Fish tank substrates like gravel and sand help stabilize the plants in the tank and provide them with all the essential nutrients.
5. You must consider the tank size, fish species, and plants while choosing the suitable substrate for your fish tank.

---

Reference: NCBI