aquatic planting soil?

ohGODerin · 09-11-2005, 12:46 PM

i was at orchard supply hardware (OSH) yesterday and i found a product like this. could this be used as a bottom layer of substrate in a planted tank? is this what people mean when they talk about "sterilized topsoil"? gracias in advance.

**Damon** · 09-11-2005, 01:46 PM

I don't see why it wouldn't work, though I have never used it myself. It may be a little light so you might have to cover it with a 1 inch layer of something heavier (like flourite).

ohGODerin · 09-11-2005, 06:17 PM

okay, i'll think i'll try it with some flourite then. but (excuse my ignorance) what's topsoil? and where might i find it?

**Damon** · 09-12-2005, 10:19 AM

I wouldn't use topsoil in an aquarium.

azn1stknightsou · 09-12-2005, 06:57 PM

Just to let you know, I set up a pond for my father at his house using a sililar product to the one that you mention. The water lilies that he has in the pond are doing phenominal.

MyraVan · 09-19-2005, 03:56 AM

I have several tanks (3) set up with a soil + gravel substrate. This is 1" soil covered by 1" gravel. In my first tank I used for the soil 100% sterilized topsoil. This is available from garden centers and DIY shops and is exactly what it says -- topsoil that has been sterilized (I guess, baked) to get out germs and to kill weed seeds. It's very cheap. However, I found that it has too much organic matter for me: the water in my tank was quite yellow for a long time and I had huge problems with algae. Both of these problems are much less, 7 months after I started the tank. For my next tank, I used for the soil 50% sterilized topsoil and 50% aquatic soil, which is the sort of stuff you found at orchard supply hardware. This has been an amazingly successful tank: the water is only a bit yellow, not too bad, and although I did have a fair bit of algae for the first couple of months, now there's very little algae. So a couple of weeks ago I redid an old tank of mine using 50% topsoil, 50% aquatic soil, and this is looking OK so far: some yellow water, some algae, healthy fish and healthy plants, which is what I would expect.

For the 1" of gravel on top of the soil, I use small gravel (meant for alpine plants) from the garden center.

teitoku · 09-20-2005, 01:16 PM

Sounds easier to just dump a bag of eco-complete in..

teitoku · 09-20-2005, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azn1stknightsou

Just to let you know, I set up a pond for my father at his house using a sililar product to the one that you mention. The water lilies that he has in the pond are doing phenominal.

How exactly is that 10gallon tank of yours set up? You do know you've got about 30 gallons of fish, not including the turtles (very messy) in there, right?

**Damon** · 09-20-2005, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teitoku

Sounds easier to just dump a bag of eco-complete in..

For a 10 gallon, yes. For a 75 gallon, it can be very expensive.

MyraVan · 09-21-2005, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simpte

For a 10 gallon, yes. For a 75 gallon, it can be very expensive.

You beat me to it! Simpte's hit the nail on the head. Soil + gravel is a very low cost way of getting a substrate that grows plants well. If you have the money, by all means get the Eco-complete.

09-11-2005, 12:46 PM	#1
ohGODerin Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: northern California Posts: 35 User Feedback: (0)	aquatic planting soil? i was at orchard supply hardware (OSH) yesterday and i found a product like this. could this be used as a bottom layer of substrate in a planted tank? is this what people mean when they talk about "sterilized topsoil"? gracias in advance.

09-11-2005, 01:46 PM	#2
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982 User Feedback: (0)	I don't see why it wouldn't work, though I have never used it myself. It may be a little light so you might have to cover it with a 1 inch layer of something heavier (like flourite). __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

09-12-2005, 10:19 AM	#4
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982 User Feedback: (0)	I wouldn't use topsoil in an aquarium. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

09-12-2005, 06:57 PM	#5
azn1stknightsou Shark Bait Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sacramento Age: 19 Posts: 84 User Feedback: (0)	Just to let you know, I set up a pond for my father at his house using a sililar product to the one that you mention. The water lilies that he has in the pond are doing phenominal. __________________ God has a sense of humor. Want proof? Just go to Walmart and look at people.

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09-11-2005, 06:17 PM	#3
ohGODerin Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: northern California Posts: 35 User Feedback: (0)	okay, i'll think i'll try it with some flourite then. but (excuse my ignorance) what's topsoil? and where might i find it?

09-19-2005, 03:56 AM	#6
MyraVan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 864 User Feedback: (0)	I have several tanks (3) set up with a soil + gravel substrate. This is 1" soil covered by 1" gravel. In my first tank I used for the soil 100% sterilized topsoil. This is available from garden centers and DIY shops and is exactly what it says -- topsoil that has been sterilized (I guess, baked) to get out germs and to kill weed seeds. It's very cheap. However, I found that it has too much organic matter for me: the water in my tank was quite yellow for a long time and I had huge problems with algae. Both of these problems are much less, 7 months after I started the tank. For my next tank, I used for the soil 50% sterilized topsoil and 50% aquatic soil, which is the sort of stuff you found at orchard supply hardware. This has been an amazingly successful tank: the water is only a bit yellow, not too bad, and although I did have a fair bit of algae for the first couple of months, now there's very little algae. So a couple of weeks ago I redid an old tank of mine using 50% topsoil, 50% aquatic soil, and this is looking OK so far: some yellow water, some algae, healthy fish and healthy plants, which is what I would expect. For the 1" of gravel on top of the soil, I use small gravel (meant for alpine plants) from the garden center.

09-20-2005, 01:16 PM	#7
teitoku Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 27 Posts: 4 User Feedback: (0)	Sounds easier to just dump a bag of eco-complete in..

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