Mineralizing top soil

[Bcuzimbatman]

Just started treating my topsoil for a mineralization process. Ordered all the ingredients needed. And I just started soaking the soil. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[jetajockey]

Yes I've done many tanks this way. Just follow the instructions online in the writeups. When you go to plant, plan carefully. Your heavy rooters will make a huge mess of the tank should you ever try to move them.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

I'll be using it mostly for a thick carpet of DHG. Everything else would be just some crypts

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Bought the clay on amazon.com wet pottery clay. Just flattened out a piece and dried it with the blow dryer and crushed it into clay powder

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

I set out the top soil to dry but unfortunately it got rained on and I lost a lot of it. I added more soil and started over

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Will mineralization still work if I just leave the soil to dry in a bucket? I have a tarp but I don't want any soil to be washed away in case it rains?

 

[jetajockey]

Yes it will, although it might take longer to dry each cycle. Just make sure that it dries out periodically and you wet it again. Once it's ready it shouldn't smell like much of anything.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Lol good cuz right now it smells like its pure sulfur

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Ok a few questions. I realize the clay I bought is "moist pottery clay" and it's grey. Will this make a difference? Because I see the usual is red. Also is it necessary to form a border with the sand cap or is that just if u want no difference in substrate colors?

 

[jetajockey]

As long as it's natural and not a polymer clay it should be fine. I like the red for the iron content but it's not mandatory. You don't have to border it but it looks a lot better if you do.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

How can I tell if its a polymer? I tossed out the box

 

[jetajockey]

Not sure, I'd google a bit on that one and try to get some answers. The only kind of clay I've ever used is raw powdered clay.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

It's called amaco moist pottery clay. How do I see if its a polymer? I don't know what to look for

 

[jetajockey]

Oh, that kind should be fine. I've heard of people using it for this purpose. Pottery clays are okay, it's the sculpting and modeling ones that I was a bit leery about because they can contain oils or polymers to better serve their purpose.

There's a bunch of stuff that pops up via google that should help.

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=...pw.r_qf.&fp=9e0d634c5b1464f6&biw=1366&bih=667

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Thank you lots.

I'm finalizing the final steps of the process and I was wondering how many times its necessary to do the whole soak and dry steps to the soil. When I first started doing it I left It soaking for days because I couldn't dry it due to rain. I've already done the drying part twice. And have left it soaking again tonight. Once I dry it tomorro will it be ready for use?

 

[jetajockey]

For me it's always been a test of how the soil looks and smells. Our soil here is mostly silica, so once it's basically sandy looking and doesn't smell like much I start screening it.

The key is to give the organics time to break down before you put them in the tank. Organics usually smell, so if it has anything more than a faint odor it may not be ready yet.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

The smell at first was a strong sulfur like smell. Now it smells like just dirt. It's more airy in texture too. But I've only done the drying twice

 

[jetajockey]

It's not the drying process as much as the keeping the soil moist and letting the bacteria do it's thing. That's why nuking it in the microwave oven doesn't do the trick.

As long as it smells, well, like dirt, and it's been a couple of weeks you are likely good to go. Even if it's not totally done, it will finish mineralizing in-tank, but you may receive some of the unwelcome gas bubbles/algae blooms that tend to come with those who add straight unmineralized potting soil and the like.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

No it hasn't been weeks. It's been days. Maybe 1 full week. 3 days soaking, 1 day dry, 1 day soak, 1 day dry, I'm soaking again today because it dried really fast. I live in Miami so the heat takes care of drying lol

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Ok letting it dry today and mixing with clay for use tomorrow. Any advice on how to mix?