What substrate to use?

[jetajockey]

Sure can. Might look ugly if it gets mixed with something like white sand but that's about it

 

[shadowstars123]

Sure can. Might look ugly if it gets mixed with something like white sand but that's about it

Well my tank has colorful gravel as of right now, it's rainbow. How would that look? What color is oil-dri? And what kind of oil dri should i buy? Oh, and how thick of a layer?

 

[jetajockey]

I don't know if I linked it already but I have a picture of my 125 that I recently set up and it has mineralized topsoil capped with oil dri substrate. You can find it in the photography subforum section.

It's really your call on if you want to mix it, personally the rainbow gravel is too loud for me, I try to keep things more earth tone or black.

You can make it as thick as you want, whether you cap something else or not I would go for around a 2-3" deep substrate in a planted tank.

As to what kind to buy, it's just the basic kind, no additives, nothing special.

Bags look like this
Absorbent, Floor - Particulate Sorbent - Spill Control Supplies - Safety : Grainger Industrial Supply

Like flourite and other clay based products, it needs to be rinsed extensively in order to knock out the cloudiness.

 

[Batt4Christ]

Pool Filter Sand (pfs). The Quikrete available here is a nice natural color. Would post a pic, but that feature isn't working right now.

 

[shadowstars123]

Pool Filter Sand (pfs). The Quikrete available here is a nice natural color. Would post a pic, but that feature isn't working right now.

Link to a photo?_

 

[shadowstars123]

I don't know if I linked it already but I have a picture of my 125 that I recently set up and it has mineralized topsoil capped with oil dri substrate. You can find it in the photography subforum section.

It's really your call on if you want to mix it, personally the rainbow gravel is too loud for me, I try to keep things more earth tone or black.

You can make it as thick as you want, whether you cap something else or not I would go for around a 2-3" deep substrate in a planted tank.

As to what kind to buy, it's just the basic kind, no additives, nothing special.

Bags look like this
Absorbent, Floor - Particulate Sorbent - Spill Control Supplies - Safety : Grainger Industrial Supply

Like flourite and other clay based products, it needs to be rinsed extensively in order to knock out the cloudiness.

Relatively cheap. Does it ever cloud your water afterwards?

 

[jetajockey]

Not if I rinse it really well. If I don't rinse it well, then yes, it gets cloudy as heck.
Same thing happens with flourite.

It's not too bad, the 20lb bags of oil dri were around 3 or 4 bucks each at walmart.

 

[shadowstars123]

I don't know if I linked it already but I have a picture of my 125 that I recently set up and it has mineralized topsoil capped with oil dri substrate. You can find it in the photography subforum section.

It's really your call on if you want to mix it, personally the rainbow gravel is too loud for me, I try to keep things more earth tone or black.

You can make it as thick as you want, whether you cap something else or not I would go for around a 2-3" deep substrate in a planted tank.

As to what kind to buy, it's just the basic kind, no additives, nothing special.

Bags look like this
Absorbent, Floor - Particulate Sorbent - Spill Control Supplies - Safety : Grainger Industrial Supply

Like flourite and other clay based products, it needs to be rinsed extensively in order to knock out the cloudiness.

Just found your Pictures. I would like to point out that it is stunningly beautiful! Anyways, i actually dont see any topsoil, is the top all oildri or is it mixed with the topsoil?

 

[jetajockey]

Thanks for the kind words. The topsoil is on the bottom of the tank. I put a border of oil dri around the perimeter of the tank, then I put the soil in, and then capped it with oil dri, so you dont see any soil at all in the tank.

 

[shadowstars123]

Thanks for the kind words. The topsoil is on the bottom of the tank. I put a border of oil dri around the perimeter of the tank, then I put the soil in, and then capped it with oil dri, so you dont see any soil at all in the tank.

Have you seen any improvement using topsoil? Because im still hesitant with it, being soil after all. Any specific brand?

 

[jetajockey]

mineralized topsoil is my hands down favorite planted substrate. It provides nutrients for the plants for years and doesn't have the organic breakdown in the soil like straight potting soil (i.e. walstad method) does, minimizing the risk of having a funky swamp gas tank smell.

Do a google search on it for more info.

 

[shadowstars123]

mineralized topsoil is my hands down favorite planted substrate. It provides nutrients for the plants for years and doesn't have the organic breakdown in the soil like straight potting soil (i.e. walstad method) does, minimizing the risk of having a funky swamp gas tank smell.

Do a google search on it for more info.

With topsoil, can you mix it with the oildri then use gravel to border it? Or do you have to have topsoil then cap it with oildri? Or is the oildri cap an added benefit?

 

[jetajockey]

I just capped it with oildri because I had some on hand. The type of cap you use over a soil substrate is not really that important, it's mainly there to keep the soil down. Most people I know use sand or regular gravel to cap.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

With topsoil, can you mix it with the oildri then use gravel to border it? Or do you have to have topsoil then cap it with oildri? Or is the oildri cap an added benefit?

Here's a link to BigJim and some black sand he's used with success.

40B Build - Doing Lots of Stuff I'm Not Supposed To Do - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

Also, before you get too excited about mineralized topsoil, google it since "you" have to make it and to do it correctly, it's a long term process. After a bit of research, my back hurt just reading the instructions lol.

 

[Batt4Christ]

turface is kind of hard to find nowadays, I think john deere suppliers carry it still. Its the stuff they put on baseball fields.

Oildri is much easier to find, they carry it at most big box stores, even walmart has it in the automotive section in 20lb bags for 3 or 4 bucks. It's just a fired clay product that is used to absorb things like oil spills.

Some types of kitty litter work also, but you'd have to make sure that they are clay based and there aren't any additives. (i'd double check that with any substrate you choose)

Oil dry is cat litter with no scents or additives

 

[shadowstars123]

I just went out and bought 2 bags of oil-dri and a bale of peat. I tried rinsing the oil-dri and it kept running extremely cloudy. When i tested the peat and oil-dri on a 10 gallon, the peat started to cloud the tank, then some of it floated. Do i need a thick ( 2in? ) layer above the peat? and how thick should the peat layer be? How do you wash oil-dri quickly?

 

[Crepe]

When you use peat only use a tiny amount of it. A light dusting of 5mm or so is all you need. Peat doesn't really provide much nutrients. It's just to buffer the substrate to make it more plant friendly. I'd suggest: 1 layer of Osmocote Plus only 1 ball thick. A light sprinkling of peat, 2-3mm thick and a big cap oildri 2-3" deep. Keep measuring those readings too and expect an ammonia spike. The peat will decay and the osmocote has urea in it.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I just went out and bought 2 bags of oil-dri and a bale of peat. I tried rinsing the oil-dri and it kept running extremely cloudy. When i tested the peat and oil-dri on a 10 gallon, the peat started to cloud the tank, then some of it floated. Do i need a thick ( 2in? ) layer above the peat? and how thick should the peat layer be? How do you wash oil-dri quickly?

Peat needs to be capped, like with sand or other grain, like when you were talking about using a gravel on top? I indicated that wouldn't work properly. Did you pre-soak the peat? It's best to, so you get maximum compaction and it becomes like a soil base. I just throw a bunch in a pail, add PWC tank water and let it set for a couple days to soak. 1" of peat then laterite, then 2" of PFS and then you can add water (use the plate trick, works great).

IDK about oil-dry in an aquarium, because if it's the same stuff we use in the shop it would dissolve (more or less) if we put it on a spill and let it set overnight. Where did you get it?

 

[shadowstars123]

When you use peat only use a tiny amount of it. A light dusting of 5mm or so is all you need. Peat doesn't really provide much nutrients. It's just to buffer the substrate to make it more plant friendly. I'd suggest: 1 layer of Osmocote Plus only 1 ball thick. A light sprinkling of peat, 2-3mm thick and a big cap oildri 2-3" deep. Keep measuring those readings too and expect an ammonia spike. The peat will decay and the osmocote has urea in it.

Does oil-dri ever run clear? And if it doesn't, will the cloudy water from the oil-dri harm my Fluval 405? I already asked this question on the general discussion forum, but so far no responses.

 

[roadmaster]

Were it me,,I might consider beginning with 6 to 8 hour photo period.
Actinic bulbs while maybe not especially helpful for plant's, Algae are not at handicapp with this lighting. 4x54 watts of T5 over 55 gal tank may present the need to raise the light fixture above the tank .
If the tank was to be low tech,Non CO2,with low to moderate light and plant's that thrive under same,, I might consider Two 32 watt full spectrum T8 bulbs over the tankand increase lighting if and when CO2 could be provided.