Rxblade123
Aquarium Advice Freak
Would putting potting soil combined with gravel work well for a substrate and give the plants a good amount of nutrients?
Potting Soil and Gravel
- Thread starter Rxblade123
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G
Guest
Guest
I can work if you choose the potting soil carefully. Have you read Diana Walstad's book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium"? If not I highly suggest you read it before you use any type of soil substrate. And/or you can go to the AquaBotanic forums where she moderates a forum.
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
The reason you want to do a lot of research is because pottiing soil is tricky, even for experts like Walstad.
I have not read her book, but I hit these forums enough to offer a little info on the Walstad 'technique'. She does use potting soil, but not high light. Potting soil is more nutrient rich than you want in a high light tank.
I have not read her book, but I hit these forums enough to offer a little info on the Walstad 'technique'. She does use potting soil, but not high light. Potting soil is more nutrient rich than you want in a high light tank.
Rxblade123
Aquarium Advice Freak
Oh ic...... i want to try except im not sure if it would somehow kill my fish
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
well you have to get the right kind of potting soil which won't have any added fertilizers or chemicals in it. i think some people even bake their soil to sterilize it first.
If you did that, you shouldn't have to worry about killing fish.
If you did that, you shouldn't have to worry about killing fish.
gheitman
Aquarium Advice Addict
I used potting soil and gravel as described in Diana Walstad's book in my 29 gallon aquarium. It is planted with Anubias nana, Anubias coffeefolia and bolbitus under a 20W ColorMax fluorescent lamp. These are all slow growing plants that require very little light. They have rhizomes that are on the surface of the gravel but with strong, deep roots. I also use the Plant-Gro CO2 system from Hagen although this probably isn't necessary.
This is my attempt at an African biotope aquarium that has a pair of Kribs, seven Congo Tetras, three upside down catfish and an African log sucking catfish. I added a Siamese algae eater recently as I have put one in five different aquariums. This aquarium has been set up like this for about a year and a half. The plants have all thrived to the point where I am running out of room for them.
This is my attempt at an African biotope aquarium that has a pair of Kribs, seven Congo Tetras, three upside down catfish and an African log sucking catfish. I added a Siamese algae eater recently as I have put one in five different aquariums. This aquarium has been set up like this for about a year and a half. The plants have all thrived to the point where I am running out of room for them.
