Soil suggestions

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fishfool58 said:
What soils would you guys & girls recommend as the bottom layer of a 55g planted tank?

When I did my dirt 10g and 1g, I used some organic mix capped with sand.

Look up Rivercats. She did, and still successfully keeps, a 220g planted tank. She uses some kind of I believe fungus mulch (may be wrong haha) capped with Floramax or Flourite or the likes.
 
Predfan27 said:
When I did my dirt 10g and 1g, I used some organic mix capped with sand.

Look up Rivercats. She did, and still successfully keeps, a 220g planted tank. She uses some kind of I believe fungus mulch (may be wrong haha) capped with Floramax or Flourite or the likes.

I looked up Rivercats, she told me what she used but I can't find it anywhere.. So I was curious if I should do miracle gro for it or something else.. & I'm using Eco complete..
 
fishfool58 said:
I looked up Rivercats, she told me what she used but I can't find it anywhere.. So I was curious if I should do miracle gro for it or something else.. & I'm using Eco complete..

Eco complete can cap it. She said she found it at Lowes to me I believe.

In my 10, miracle gro organic potting mix is what I used. I'm pretty sure at least
 
Posted previously by Rivercats
Sand is okay for a planted tank but take into consideration it is an inert substrate. You will need to use root tabs and ferts for the water column (unless your going low light/low tech). If you want a fertile substrate the way I went was organic soil capped with Eco-complete in my case but sand as a cap is just fine. Plants grow very well in an enriched substrate.
 
She said Just Natural Organic Potting Soil, but I can't find it, she said not to use mix.. & I'll be capping with Eco complete..
 
I suggest going with oil dri, soilmaster select, or turface. If you have a pretty well set aquascape plan though, soil is fine, but you'll regret it dearly if you ever want to move things around.

If you do settle on soil, I suggest mineralized topsoil, it's more work than potting soil but it has a greater benefit in my opinion.
 
When I was researching doing a dirted tank the info I gleened pretty much was to use an Organic Potting Soil, not potting mix due to all the extra additives it has. Most used the Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil but not everyone. I used an organic soil I used in my ponds for years so knew it was a good soil. I'm sure in different parts of the country different Orgainc Potting Soils are available. I think when you want to go dirted and don't want to mineralizeyour soil you need to see what Organic Potting Soils are available where you live and go from there. Believe it or not Miracle Grow Potting Soil wasn't available where I live. So just get what one you can, so long as it just a plain Organic Potting Soil I think you will be okay (from what I researched).

But Jeta is right, if you are someone who constantly wants to move plants around then soil is a bad choice. I can move stem plants around with no issue, even small crypts and swords, but I wouldn't even attempt to try to pull up and move my large swords and large crypts.
 
Something else I just remembered was you used to be able to order products on line and have them sent to your nearest Lowes and you don't have to pay any shipping.
 
You should get Nature Aquarium Soil, it works great and they're literally perfect little sphere balls that make your aquarium look uniform. Great for rooting and holds nutrients well.
 
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