Guide to setting up a Soil substrate planted tank

redchigh

Well if you wanted to, that might be ok...

Still don't think it's worth the cost... I'm certain that those cheap 9W $20 sterilisers are like snake oil...
I guess couldn't hurt, but still...

kitten_penang

poke >.>

redchigh

My soil is still stewwing, and trying to pick out plants...

Kitten, you gonna try this when I'm done?

SinCrisis

Well im willing to spend the money on a good sterilizer since i want to make sure my fish can get better faster in the event of illness.

How much soil are you using? For gravel, tis often recommended to have around 1.5-2 inches for most plants, is soil the same?

redchigh

Yes, the total amount of substrate is 2-3 inches...

Most people do 1-2 inches (If a light soil- if the soil is heavy you might use a bit less) with an inch of gravel on top...

If you use light peaty soil like OC, then the gravel will compress it down a bit...

SinCrisis

i think i am going to try this on the puffer tank i want to set up.

redchigh

make sure it's plant-safe. :) (the puffer, that is...)

Something else odd, is that organic choice stabilises at around 7.0 in my soft water... *shrug* I'm not complaining.

SinCrisis

That would be perfect for me. I have lots of extra organic soil at home so I will check those. If its organic it should be good for the aquarium right? since there are no chemicals or additives? Also can i just use that and no topsoil? ie, just organic potting soil + sand or gravel?

redchigh

What brand is it?

You don't want a soil to be too rich in composted materials... You could probably mineralise it.

Does it have added fertilisers, perlite, vermiculite, or anything other than dirt and peat?

SinCrisis

I am not sure, I will check when i get home