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Fluval

Fluval 12695 Plant and Shrimp Stratum for Freshwater Fish Tanks, 17.6 lbs. – Aquarium Substrate for Strong Plant Growth, Supports Neutral to Slightly Acidic pH

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Availability: Only 9 left in stock, order soon!
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Arrives Sunday, Aug 9
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Color: Stratum


Size: 17.6 Pound (Pack of 1)


Features

  • Promotes Robust Plant Growth: Stratum fosters vigorous plant development by facilitating easy root penetration and nutrient absorption, aiding in the acquisition of vital nutrients essential for growth
  • Facilitates Rapid and Beneficial Colonization: Its porous structure enables swift colonization of beneficial nitrifying organisms, fostering a healthy aquatic environment crucial for the well-being of aquarium inhabitants
  • Maintains Optimal pH Levels: Designed to sustain a neutral to slightly acidic pH range, ideal for supporting the growth of various plants, tropical fish, and shrimp commonly found in planted aquarium setups
  • Offers Shelter for Newborn Shrimp: Stratum provides a safe haven for newborn shrimp, offering protection from potential predators until they reach a size where emerging into the main aquarium is viable
  • Preserves Water Quality: Ensures water clarity by preventing discoloration and effectively manages organic discoloration, especially in the presence of natural driftwood, while being specifically formulated for use in freshwater aquariums

Description

Fluval Stratum is the ideal aquarium substrate for stimulating the growth of aquatic plants in freshwater aquariums. Plant roots easily penetrate and spread throughout the substrate, allowing live aquarium plants to obtain a variety of key, readily available nutrients that will make them flourish. The addition of Fluval Plant Micronutrients will ensure a full complement of essential macro and micro. The substrate's light, non-compacting, porous structure is also highly beneficial to nitrifying bacteria, which rapidly colonize the vast porous surface, providing optimal aquarium water quality for real plants. Fluval Stratum's inherent properties will help support a neutral to slightly acidic pH, ideal for most plant species and species of tropical fish or shrimp normally kept in planted aquariums. Fluval Stratum also provides new aquarium shrimp with the ideal refuge, allowing them to escape predation until they are large enough to emerge into the shrimp tank. This highly attractive substrate will not discolor water and helps control organic discoloration usually present when natural driftwood aquarium décor is used. For more fish tank accessories check out the other Fluval products including Fluval aquariums, aquarium filters, filter media, aquarium heaters, aquarium air pumps, aquarium lights, fake plants, aquarium thermometer, fish food, aquarium gravel, planted aquarium tools, fish tank decorations and aquarium stands. Fluval has a wide variety of products that are perfect for your pet fish, shrimp, or betta fish to enjoy in any large fish tank, small fish tank, freshwater tank or in a saltwater tank. The Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum is the perfect substrate for planted aquariums and is available in multiple sizes; available as a 4.4 lb. bag, an 8.8 lb. bag and a 17.6 lb. bag.

Brand: Fluval


Item Weight: 8.07 kg


Item Form: Granules


Unit Count: 281.6 Ounce


Manufacturer: Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.


Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 12 x 19 inches; 17.8 pounds


Manufacturer recommended age ‏ : ‎ 1 month and up


Item model number ‏ : ‎ 12695


Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 18, 2014


Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.


Best Sellers Rank: #744 in Pet Supplies (See Top 100 in Pet Supplies) #1 in Aquarium Substrate


#1 in Aquarium Substrate:


Customer Reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (18,031)


Brand Name: Fluval


Unit Count: 281.6 Ounce


Manufacturer: Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.


UPC: 015561126953


Global Trade Identification Number: 53


Included Components: All Items listed in Description


Item Type Name: HAGEN PLANT&SHRIMP STRATUM 8KG


Model Number: 12695


Manufacturer Part Number: 12695


Warranty Description: Manufacturer warranty.


Item Weight: 8.07 kg


Item Form: Granules


Pet Type: Fish


Target Species: Shrimp


Allergen Information: Nut Free


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Sunday, Aug 9

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Mandatory Element in my tanks
Color: Stratum Size: 4.4 Pound (Pack of 1)
This has become a standard in my substrates, I blend it in with gravel, sand, whatever type I'm setting up. Planted tanks are the only way I roll, fully bioactive, and (virtually) changeless system set-up; soil is vital to plants and plants are vital to the chemistry. I've 2 products from this brand and I'm not inclined to change unless a real good reason manifests to do so. Neither product is what one may call 'cheap,' but it's certainly worth the money, my aquatic plants are so healthy that some specimens are abnormally big and have been a challenge to identify. (some of my seed stock didn't have anything but Chinese on the labels, so I had to wait until they grew to get them identified correctly.) The success I'm having with my tanks seems almost uncanny given I'm still something of a "newbie," these are my first tanks, all are less than a year old, and to have nailed it on the complete and healthy ecosystem model like a pro is testament to how great the science is developed and disseminated - and to the quality of products. Soil is everything, whether in my garden beds, potted plants, or aquatics - same rules apply. As I've said many times already, my water quality tests are always so spot on that it looks like I'm 'cheating,' and this stuff is one of the ingredients achieving all that. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2025 by William Axsom
    • Love how it looks
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by lis
looks amazing after i capped it with my sand.. plants are growing fast and my water is doing good
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2026 by lis
    • I recommend it
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Great for aquarium plants. Rich in nutrients and roots easily travel through it and anchor well. It says to rinse slightly just to remove excess dust. If you don’t then it can cloud your water until the finer particles drop. Looks and smells like soil. It’s a good product that I have been using for years. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2026 by Jesse Garcia
    • Water does get clearer by the day once set up
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by Amazon Customer
Review Image by Amazon Customer
Review Image by Amazon Customer
Review Image by Amazon Customer
Review Image by Amazon Customer
*** Update Week 2. I wanted to share the progress of use of fluval shrimp stratum. As week by week went on water is crystal clear. You may want to add two bags if you want plants since the pellets are so light my plants wouldn’t stay in the stratum. They would float right up to surface of water. Any time you add landscape the pellets will give off a dust or float. Don’t be alarmed, the dust settles back down quickly. So instead of getting another bag, I used plant anchors. They seem to be happy with plant anchors thus far. My PH was a bit high so I had to correct that before adding any fish. So it’s ready to add fish now and I can’t wait. I think it looks great with the landscape. I’m not done with my landscaping I still have the other corner to work. I have a couple of itty bitty baby tetra neons in there you can’t see them. They’re hiding, but if you make a little well in the pellets they like to hide in it. They don’t seem bothered by the stratum at all. I highly recommend this stuff, but best I to get two bags of whatever size you get, to get about 3 inches so your roots to plants will take to it easier is very light weight. Or do plant anchors. I bought this with the anticipation to set my tank up as a planted fresh water aquarium. Live plants apparently love this stuff and that it’s a good substrate for shrimp if you want to have any. Many reviews have complaints about cloudiness of water. I did this as a whole new tank setting up. I don’t recommend if you have fish already in yours. You treat it like you’re setting up a new one laying your landscape in, Anyway, I didn’t pre rinse. I don’t feel it’s necessary it only just makes the pellets soggy. The first day yes water will appear black and muddy. Let your filter do the work!! You may have to change your bio max bag out to a new one it does work. I have to get a new bio max filter since it worked hard to get this water cleared up since set up. First day, dark, black cloud. I even thought did I mess it it up? I should have taken a picture to show comparison and I forgot. Don’t be impatient or think you did something wrong. Just be patient let your filter do the work!! 5 hours later, a light cloudiness. I Next day, crystal clear water. You need patience for this! It’s not immediate. It may take anywhere from 6 hours-48 hours. It took 48 hours for mine to clear up. I need to clean off outside of my tank glass. I didn’t use the lay the bag over the pellets with a small bowl to fill tank with water method. I did just straight in with water pouring very slowly and softly. Water will fizz at first and it’s normal. And then I added the necessary water treatments to make it safe for fish for tap water, since I used tap water. Now I can’t wait until I set up the rest of my landscaping and add fish. I’ll post updates on when it’s done being set up. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2022 by Amazon Customer
    • No Cloudiness at All, Great Product!
Color: Stratum Size: 4.4 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by Cristina R Martinez
I almost didn't buy this substrate because of all the mixed reviews about it making tanks super cloudy. I kept seeing people say to rinse it, while others said not to, so I wasn't sure what to expect. After doing some research and watching a few YouTube videos, I decided to go for it. I'm happy to say I didn't have any of the problems that other reviewers mentioned. My tank stayed crystal clear while filling it. A tip that worked great for me was placing a partially air-filled Ziplock bag on top of the substrate and slowly pouring the water onto the bag instead of directly into the tank. It kept the substrate from getting stirred up and prevented the cloudy mess. Overall, I'm really happy with this product and the results. I'd definitely buy it again and would recommend it to anyone setting up a planted aquarium. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2026 by Cristina R Martinez
    • Great soil for small tank, rinse well, a bit pricey…
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Love this brand and their products the only issue I have with this is their PRICE. It’s extremely expensive even for a very small package you’re luck if you can find one under $30. I got a good deal on these but good Lord these are pricey. It’s probably because of the quality because this stuff is great for what it’s worth. It’s basically pebbles of lava dirt so if you put it in and don’t rinse it, it will cloud up the water like nobody’s business. What you need to do is rinse it first, put it into the tank and then add water. I did this and it still caused a lot of cloudiness from the dust but it’s okay because I used it as a bottom layer underneath sand which is how it works best in my opinion. The plants are able to take root well and creep down to the bottom to get to this soil which is really good. Doing with with a cap of sand over it makes for a tank that can naturally “filter” waste down into the soil over the years, eventually breaking it down and leading to less of a need for frequent water change like you would with gravel. Buy this instead of gravel if you have a small tank and put a layer of sand over it, your fish will live long happy lives and adding aquatic plants will be perfect for a natural ecosystem that doesn’t hold ammonia but rather creates a space for beneficial bacteria similar to a pond. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2025 by Brice
    • Great for plants and shrimp
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Great substrate. My shrimp and plants are doing great! I put some ramshorn and Malaysian trumpet snails in too but I they died. I assume because the substrate made the water more acidic (as it advertises). The snails ended up with small holes in their shells and died. More my fault I'd say. Just something to be aware of if you intend on using in a tank with snails. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2026 by Michael
    • Great substrate for a planted tank
Color: Stratum Size: 17.6 Pound (Pack of 1)
I read the other reviews and found myself questioning this product. I know how much cleaning gravel sucks and I’ve been victim to the cloudy mess that can occur. I went ahead and purchased. Now to rinse or not, what was my plan if it clouded to a muddy mess as some have claimed. I took a shot and went with the most reliable reviews. Here is what I did: I did not rinse it at all, from the bag to the tank. Once I laid it out to 2” depth I planted all my plants and added the drift wood etc. to fill it, one person mention a hand cup method, this works extremely well. I took my time and slowly filled up. Water still looks clear at this point. Now to turn on the pump, is this when my muddy mess will come. With a deep breath I turned the pump on. To my amazement, the water remained perfectly clear. Ok, I thought, let’s see what happens over night. The next morning the water was crystal clear, only then did I realize the day before the water had been slightly cloudy. I came to a point where I needed to move a plant. I was expecting a plume of “dust” when I disturbed the substrate. This did not happen, I was able to gently replant without issue. This substrate is lighter than rocks or sand, however, I’ve had no issues with plants floating. After the success of the first one I then changed out an existing tank removing sand and replacing with this. I emptied all the water saving about a gallon to reuse as mature water. I followed the same method with the same results. I will say this is a much smaller tank when I turned on the pump it go cloudy for about 10 minutes and quickly settled and filtered out. Plants are loving it in both tanks. I did not rinse it either time and never ended up with Mississippi mud, the water in the first tank is the cleanest I’ve ever seen a new tank run. I’m not sure what the other reviewers are doing but if you take your time and go slow you should have no problems. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2021 by Dad

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