# Found this



## dan4x4 (17 Dec 2016)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Gr...481926721&sr=8-8&keywords=organic+potting+mix

is this the suitable option for low tech tank?

Not sure if it should be peat free or not. I read online that peat will affect the hardness of the water and I have soft water

 I have very soft water, 18mg/l as calcium 45 mg/l litre as calcium carbonate.

I plan to add oyster grit and bone meal to substrate for the hardness and also add some red clay. probably put a source of hardness in the filter too. 

I had difficulty growing a sword in the last tank and I want to blame the hardness. everything else did well apart from the swords. Also I had a val which also struggled and they are both hard water plants I believe.


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## ahjoe0digi (17 Dec 2016)

I think you need to check if there is any form of fertiliser or pesticide or not. 

Sent from my MX4 using Tapatalk


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## sciencefiction (17 Dec 2016)

If you can find this one below...I've tested it several times with fish....Keep in mind I have very well cycled large filters and I overfilter so I can't guarantee it doesn't leach ammonia initially(never had a problem) but it is not harmful to fish or shrimp otherwise long term straight out of the bag,and I find it very good for growing underwater plants.

http://www.diy.com/departments/verve-grow-bag-50l/258004_BQ.prd


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## darrensp (17 Dec 2016)

Hi dan 

I am by no means an expert in this but I wouldn't blame the water hardness for your sword not growing as I have soft water and grow it in the substrate above and it does very well, the leaves are at the top of my 24" tank.


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## dan4x4 (17 Dec 2016)

sciencefiction said:


> If you can find this one below...I've tested it several times with fish....Keep in mind I have very well cycled large filters and I overfilter so I can't guarantee it doesn't leach ammonia initially(never had a problem) but it is not harmful to fish or shrimp otherwise long term straight out of the bag,and I find it very good for growing underwater plants.
> 
> http://www.diy.com/departments/verve-grow-bag-50l/258004_BQ.prd



When you say your over filtering are you running at approx 10 times the volume of the tank per hour?


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## sciencefiction (17 Dec 2016)

dan4x4 said:


> When you say your over filtering are you running at approx 10 times the volume of the tank per hour?



Yes. My point was that I never put this soil in unestablished tank with new filters so I am not sure if it releases ammonia or not....but with cycled filters you can't tell because I never got a spike...


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## dan4x4 (19 Dec 2016)

by running a fish less cycle for a month or so though, we would of expected the nitrogen cycle to of completed in a planted dirt tank would you agree? even with a new filter? or not? I'll get a testing kit this time around so I can be sure with it being bigger tank, more initial set up work.


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