top soil questions for tank

[Vinnie]

Now i'm looking at putting a tray with top soil in it, in one of my tanks to grow plants in it. Can any one recommend what to, and not to use? have a few fish in there that I don't want to lose

Thanks

[SamH]

Most plants grow fine in regular gravel/sand but this would be interesting to see. I saw someone on the PT forums who put just topsoil under their gravel and it worked well, no cloudy water or anything. Make sure you get just topsoil though, no additives, and place it under the substrate where the fish can't get to it or else you'll have an opaque tank.

Good luck, keep us updated.

[alanmin4304]

Top soil will put far too much nutrient into the water and cause algae problems.

[dreams]

Its not something you would do lightly!

Using soil in a tank requires a special process that you will need to research thoroughly before you would proceed with it. When soil is first put in a tank it will indeed leach out a tonne of nutrients and may cause algae problems. In addition it will cause the water to change colour and this will all happen for quite some time i.e. a few months. During this time you can have plants but should not have fish in the tank while the soil adapts from aerobic to anaerobic bacteria. Once the soil has adapted and the water chemistry is stable, then fish can be introduced and even then, you will have to be wary of fish that dig in the soil as pockets of poisonous gas may form. So if you want to try it, be cautious and do lots of research on net.

btw, soil is EXCELLENT for growing plants in tanks

[phoenix44]

Its not something you would do lightly!

Using soil in a tank requires a special process that you will need to research thoroughly before you would proceed with it. When soil is first put in a tank it will indeed leach out a tonne of nutrients and may cause algae problems. In addition it will cause the water to change colour and this will all happen for quite some time i.e. a few months. During this time you can have plants but should not have fish in the tank while the soil adapts from aerobic to anaerobic bacteria. Once the soil has adapted and the water chemistry is stable, then fish can be introduced and even then, you will have to be wary of fish that dig in the soil as pockets of poisonous gas may form. So if you want to try it, be cautious and do lots of research on net.

btw, soil is EXCELLENT for growing plants in tanks

yep.

AKA use daltons or JBL instead. far easier. far far easier. by a mile even.

[Vinnie]

wow, i'll glad i asked about this one... will do a lot more looking into this though as i really want to try a few things

[alanmin4304]

I have tried topsoil, clay and peat as a substrate under sand both "raw" and cooked in the oven and have found them all to be not worth the hassle that results compared to the commercially available micronutrient products. You may have more luck.

[Stella]

Alanmin, I am interested in the clay option.

For a public pest fish aquarium we are wanting to make it look as ugly as possible and were thinking of using clay to make the water turbid. However will the external filter remove all this?

How did you use clay?

[alanmin4304]

Many of the old books suggest using clay or peat under sand as part of a media for growing plants. They use it as a source of micronutrients but generally suggest cooking it in the oven first. It is pretty fine and would probably clog your filter.

[andrew_212]

using topsoil or potting soil as a substrate is not a new idea but u need to be very careful.The algae likely results from the excess nutrients that decomposing organic materials release in the soil. Mineralizing the soil beforehand helps to speed the breakdown of organic materials in the soil.There are a few other components to the mineralized soil recipe. Clay provides a source of iron. The clay also serves to bind with the soil as a flocculating agent. When plants are uprooted or disturbed, the added clay will help the soil to settle back to the bottom of the tank. Adding Dolomite to the base of the substrate will provide plants with the necessary calcium and magnesium they need for healthy growth. The calcium and magnesium in the dolomite will also help to keep the soil from becoming too acidic. Lastly, add soluble potash for an initial potassium source."quote from Aaront"

im trying out this method for both low-tech planted tank and high-tech planted tank. plants grow well but its harder to keep algae under control than using aqua-soil.

[raewyna]

I did it about a year ago without any fanfare. Put a layer of garden soil into the dry tank - took mature soil from just under the surface of a dormant part of the vegetable garden to reduce potential contamination. Then I planted the plants in it (Amazon swords, etc) then I added a layer of gravel to stop the soil ending up floating in the water. Then added water carefully to avoid disturbance and then put the fish in. I did have algae problems (green water for several months) but that was no worse than my other three tanks that don't have soil and all had just as much algae until they matured. The tank is good now. Plants healthy, fish happy. It has a bit of algae growing on plants and occasionally gets a very slightly brown look, but only enough to to look naturally attractive rather than a problem. I'm very happy with it.

[Vinnie]

Well after reading up and google'n for other info I might just stick to keeping the plants in sand or gravel. One thing I was wondering about it is I've heard a few people talk about Dalton's aquatic mix, is that able to be added straight to a tank or do you need to treat it the same as other soils?

[k1w1y2k]

If you go to palmers garden centre, you can buy an aquatic soil. This is the sort used in ponds, but also works great in tanks, and wont harm you fish. Well mine are happy with it, an so do the plants, its also very cheap.