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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 3 left in stock, order soon!
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Arrives Thursday, Jun 11
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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 Kilograms


Item Form: Granules


Unit Count: 281.6 Ounce


Manufacturer: Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.


Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No


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: #701 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 (17,599)


Brand Name: Fluval


Manufacturer: Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.


UPC: 015561126953


Global Trade Identification Number: 53


Model Number: 12695


Manufacturer Part Number: 12695


Unit Count: 281.6 Ounce


Warranty Description: Manufacturer warranty.


Item Type Name: HAGEN PLANT&SHRIMP STRATUM 8KG


Included Components: All Items listed in Description


Item Weight: 8.07 Kilograms


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: Thursday, Jun 11

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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Similar Products

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
    • Highly recommended Highly recommended
Color: Stratum Size: 17.6 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by Suzy S.
Always use this substrate and never go wrong with it. Love it. First day is cloudy and the second day is clear. Trust the process. It works wonders with natural plants and fish.
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026 Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026 by Suzy S.
    • Perfect for shrimp tanks and planted aquariums Perfect for shrimp tanks and planted aquariums
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by Alicia K
This substrate has been amazing for my shrimp tank. My shrimp are breeding like crazy and my aquatic plants are growing really well too. The tank looks healthy and stable, and the substrate gives it a nice natural appearance. It was easy to work with and didn’t cause any issues in my setup. Definitely worth it if you’re building a planted shrimp tank. Highly recommend! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026 Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026 by Alicia K
    • Water does get clearer by the day once set up 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 Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2022 by Amazon Customer
    • Perfect Buffer and Easy to Plant In Perfect Buffer and Easy to Plant In
Color: Stratum Size: 4.4 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by Brandon Vang
Loved adding this to my tank. Once everything balanced out, it’s been a perfect buffer for my water parameters. It also looks super clean against a dark backdrop. Do not rinse it. Just pour water gently over it when filling, otherwise your tank will turn into a murky lagoon. Once settled, it’s great. It’s also very easy to insert plants into. The texture holds roots well without being too compact. My plants are thriving so far, and the 4.4 lb bag was the perfect amount for my 5-gallon. I used the entire bag. Great substrate overall. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2026 Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2026 by Brandon Vang
    • Cheap but quality
Color: Stratum Size: 17.6 Pound (Pack of 1)
I bought this freshwater substrate for my aquarium setup and I’m really happy with it so far. It instantly improved the look of my tank and gave it that natural, clean “riverbed” feel I was going for. It was easy to rinse and didn’t cloud the water too badly once I set it up properly. My plants also seem to be doing better since using it, and everything feels more stable and natural for the fish. The texture is nice not too sharp, not too fine and it spreads evenly across the tank, which made aquascaping a lot easier than I expected. It really upgraded the overall appearance of my aquarium and made it look more professional. Overall, I’m very satisfied with this substrate and would definitely recommend it to anyone setting up a freshwater tank or upgrading their aquascape. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2026 by Sheela mae cuevas
    • Shrimp love it Shrimp love it
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Review Image by Barajas
Review Image by Barajas
Looks great in my shrimp tank, it does make your water color cloudy for a bit but goes away pretty quickly, my plants love it and so do my shrimp, it gives a really good contrast and good nutrients to all my plants, I will be buying again.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2026 Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2026 by Barajas
    • Nice product, just be careful.
Color: Stratum Size: 8.8 Pound (Pack of 1)
Okay this stuff works great. But you need to be very careful when placing it in an aquarium. One do not mix it around at all! Or rinse it first! If you do, it'll be like mud. And you will never get your water clean. I made the mistake and had to throw the bag out and clean the whole aquarium out. You need to put the substrates on the bottom of the aquarium, straight from the bag, and then you need to slowly fill up the aquarium. But you need to take a plate to disperse the pressure of the water as you're pouring it in. And as the water temperature rises you need to keep the plate at the surface. So you're just slowly.. ever so slowly... with a lot of "patience" - pouring the water onto the plate at the surface so it gradually fills up without really disturbing the substrates at all. If you do get discoloration which you probably will, at this point, it'll subside within a few hours. At this point, you can take a paper towel and go around the inside of your tank and wipe it off, put carefully so not to stir up any of the substrates. I also at this point if you're usinga HOB filter (on the back of your tank). You can put a paper towel around the filter medium inside the filter. And you can empty that about every half an hour. I have to do that about 3 - 4 times and then your water will be clear. Be very careful when you're taking that out of the filter to put it right into a bowl or something. Because your tank is probably going to get a little cloudy again. If you're using a sponge filter., same. I don't put those in until last when I change it over from the back filter to the sponge filters. Hope this helps. It's a great product. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2026 by Terrylyn

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