Dirted Tank Dilemma

Had a Huge fail trying to use potting soil as substrate. Like, I turned my tank into a mud pool that took hours to clean ! I have a few questions

1. Is this soil ok to use? It has no additives

2. Do I really need a “cap”? I like the dark brown color. I chose to use soil because it’s cheap and the color I like. Plus, I don’t get an allowance, so expensive substrates are a no go

3. How do I prepare it? I wetted it gently before filling the tank up, but it just floated and went everywhere! I used a plate to keep the hose from spraying. I tried sifting it through a strainer afterwards
, but got almost nothing out of it. Very little amount of grains actually made it through the strainer.

4. Is it just the soil I’m using? The guy in the YouTube video I saw used Miracle Grow and it had few wood chips in it, and he said he didn’t sift it

 

 

Home Depot has miracle gro natures care organic topsoil. It’s what I used and had very little trash/wood in it. It’s a rich soil.

1-I’m not familiar with that you have in the picture but you have to check what’s in it, I prefer it say organic.

2- You have to cap it with gravel or sand. Use a fine grain gravel or coarse sand.

3- I don’t prepare it. I just put down the dirt, wet it a bit, sprayer if have it but I didn’t and did best I could by letting water run off my hand (splatter). Then cap it with your choice. Once done you just slowly fill it on a plate or something.

4- Your issue is no cap and the dirt will create a muddy mess, the wood and trash will fill the water column.

 

That brings back memories. I used dirt from my yard and yea it was a muddy mess.

 

That brings back memories. I used dirt from my yard and yea it was a muddy mess.

I’ve dirted 3 tanks and I foresee eco-complete or fluval stratum in my future. It does great but it’s hard to work with all the nutrients it releases and even with a sand cap particles are released into column and settle on the sand.

 

I didn't cap mine at first. I thought it would settle. Yea it didn't in a week.

 

I didn't cap mine at first. I thought it would settle. Yea it didn't in a week.

It’s funny because it’s more common then it should, lol. Like what do people expect to happen?

 

I used organic potting soil in my tank and capped it with pool filter sand. If you don't do that or something similar you will have a mess forever. Even after it settles it will make a mess in the tank anytime you get hear it, vacuuming, rescaping etc.

The challenge going forward is to keep the potting soil below the sand as it has a tendency to come to the top at every opportunity, like when uprooting a plant. In a way it gives it a slightly more natural look but I still don't like it.

 

Capping with a substrate is a must.

I did 2. The best method for me was only fill the water up a couple of inches above the soil. I put rinsed BDBS in one cup at a time. It was still murky. I did 2 water changes in 2 days and cleaned my filters daily. It cleared up in a few days.

I think my dirty tanks with BDBS are my easiest maintenance tanks but we’re the most work to get started.

 

Thanks! I think I might have to get the miracle grow. My soil has like 90% wood chips and other debris, so I don’t think sand would hold it down, maybe gravel but I’m not sure.

 

In just use the cheapest bag of top soil from Lowe's then top it off with black blasting sand or gravel .