Quick little substrate question

[NatureFish]

Does anyone make their own substrates? I was wondering how you do it and what works and what doesn't. Can I just go to Home Depot and literally put dirt in my tank? I don't think that would be safe but a YouTuber was saying that it was.....which I seriously doubt...
Would top soil be safe?

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[NatureFish]

Does anyone make their own substrates? I was wondering how you do it and what works and what doesn't.
Would top soil from a home depot be safe? Of course I would get some that didn't have fertilizers, pearlite etc. in it.

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[PassengerTN]

People use some sort Miracle Grow organic stuff. Sift it to remove large chunks and cap it with sand or gravel. Better off buying something like Flourite or Eco Complete though.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Read this article: Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association » Mineralized Soil Substrate and follow the instructions. Mineralizing and screening topsoil is a crucial part of a dieted planted tank. I followed these instructions and used Fox Farm Ocean Forest with mexican pottery clay for my iron source. So far have had great success and no tannin leaching. I capped with 2.5 inches of eco complete. Follow the instructions in the article and you will have a successful dirted tank!

 

[tiger terror]

Dirted w/sand cap,proof's in the pudding!
http://i.imgur.com/ZyRsl2v.jpg

sit in silence

 

[NatureFish]

Cool thanks guys!


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[Mebbid]

If I'm not mistaken, the question was more related to general substrate choices rather than having a dirted tank which is what has been suggested. Am I correct?


Using dirt in a tank is done in an attempt to help plants grow and if you aren't going to be focusing heavily on plants then I would recommend against it.

Some general substrate choices:
1 - Play sand - Dirty, I don't like using play sand at all
2 - Pool filter sand - Much cleaner, more uniform than play sand, and makes a great substrate
3 - Black Diamond / Black Beauty sand - Both are black blasting sands. They look great but need to be cleaned very very thoroughly as they are dirty.
4 - Silica sand - This is a favorite of mine for fish that I know are going to be diggers. It's very fine sand and is very digger friendly. This is a white sand that is fairly dirty.
5 - Gravel - Any natural gravel will work well. Generally, smaller gravel size with smooth edges will work best. Natural gravel can possibly have an effect on pH.


Out of all these, the black diamond / black beauty and the silica sand are my 2 favorites with pool filter sand coming in third.

 

[NatureFish]

I have sand in my tank but I just added some top soil to a little container on tank for a plant of mine.


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[tiger terror]

If I'm not mistaken, the question was more related to general substrate choices rather than having a dirted tank which is what has been suggested. Am I correct?



Not 100%...my post shows the possibility of a dirt setup,although there are other factors involved here in the provided pic..I also have success with eco-complete&bdbs in some other tanks currently running..

If the op likes I can post pics of those as well..

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[Hooked on Fish]

Hi NatureFish,

When I set up my new 4'x2'x2' planted I decided to make my own substrate. Before reaching that decision I did investigate using Eco Complete and ADA Aquasoil but decided against them on cost. Top soil or potting mix is "dirt" cheap (pardon the pun). However, I wouldn't recommend this approach unless you know what you're doing as it can go horridly wrong. I suggest first reading Dianna Walstad's Ecology of the planted Aquarium before deciding to go down this path.

The key to successfully growing aquatic plants is getting the right balance of CO2, nutrient and light. Having a soil substrate helps with the first two.

If you are interested I've posted a picture of the tank set up and how I prepared the substrate here...http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/dirting-an-established-tank-question-335455.html

Having used potting mix last time I will be setting up another tank soon with ordinary garden soil to compare the difference.

Anyway good luck with the new tank what ever you decide.

 

[NatureFish]

Hi NatureFish,

When I set up my new 4'x2'x2' planted I decided to make my own substrate. Before reaching that decision I did investigate using Eco Complete and ADA Aquasoil but decided against them on cost. Top soil or potting mix is "dirt" cheap (pardon the pun). However, I wouldn't recommend this approach unless you know what you're doing as it can go horridly wrong. I suggest first reading Dianna Walstad's Ecology of the planted Aquarium before deciding to go down this path.

The key to successfully growing aquatic plants is getting the right balance of CO2, nutrient and light. Having a soil substrate helps with the first two.

If you are interested I've posted a picture of the tank set up and how I prepared the substrate here...http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/dirting-an-established-tank-question-335455.html

Having used potting mix last time I will be setting up another tank soon with ordinary garden soil to compare the difference.

Anyway good luck with the new tank what ever you decide.

Thanks! It's not really a tank it's more like a plastic wine sampling cup with top soil and water...lol
I just wanted to put ferts in it to grow this one plant bigger since its quite small.


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