Regular Potting Mix

[akln]

Hello,
I used regular potting mix for my dirt instead of organic because it wasn't avalible to me. Now I'm reading different opinions of whether potting mix works fine or kills your plants. I'm not planning on adding fish to this tank for atleast 6 months. Along with this I don't have the budget to replace the soil. Is there anything I can do to make this soil okay? Also if anyone has used regular potting soil, please tell me how it went.

 

[Caliban07]

You should be ok bud. The reason we say organic is so that there are no added chemical fertilisers but knowing what I know now, they can only be the things we add to our tanks anyway. Things like added lime could be a problem. I doubt it though the plants should do fine.

How are you planning to run this tank with the dirt? What size is it, lighting, co2?

Tell us everything I might have some tips for you.


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[akln]

It's a low tech 20 gallon. Full-spectrum 15 watt fluorescent bulb, all the plants I'm getting are easy, low-light or fast growing. I'm not going to use CO2 unless I need it. If I were to use it I'd definately only use what the yeast-sugar reactions would supply. That's about it, super simple stuff. and thank you very much by the way.

 

[Caliban07]

It's a low tech 20 gallon. Full-spectrum 15 watt fluorescent bulb, all the plants I'm getting are easy, low-light or fast growing. I'm not going to use CO2 unless I need it. If I were to use it I'd definately only use what the yeast-sugar reactions would supply. That's about it, super simple stuff. and thank you very much by the way.

No probs. So I assume you will be using fish waste, food, soil and water changes to provide nutrients? Kinda like a Walstad tank? If so just a heads up. People that struggle with the Walstad concept like myself do so because the tanks are severely oxygen deprived. This is something that Mrs Walstad has revealed herself lately. People who use the soil method tend to minimise flow to an extent and surface agitation to preserve co2 but the demand for oxygen is massive in these tanks because the Bactria need large quantities of it to help break down the organics. The fauna and plants themselves require oxygen. I would recommend regular weekly water changes and maximum surface agitation to allow oxygen to enter the water column and keep co2 in equilibrium with atmosphere.


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