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Have used the Osmocote prills and found that they are best sprinkled on thin layer of soil or sand on very bottom of tank(so prill's don't roll about) ,and then covered with dirt and capped with sand or fine gravel. A little of the stuff goes a long way.I sprinkled 1/2 measured cup over fine...

I too think it would work depending on composition of top layer. I am not familiar with the Tropica aquarium soil powder, but wonder does it need cap t keep from clouding when disturbed with any frequency? I have tried uncapped top soil as only substrate ,and also mixed it with cat litter and it...

Some may worry bout ammonia produced from aquasoil or other soils, but as mentioned,water changes weekly, just like your gonna be doin,should be doin anyway, negates the concern and as also mentioned,,directed by some substrate manf.. Plant's won't be harmed by ammonia leaching with water...

Looks like aquasoil Amazonian powder rather than pellet.

Either size will work fine for the H cuba. Yes lime free means it won't increase /decrease hardness or pH. Would place the cory's in the tank only after plant root's have established a good hold (weeks), lest cory's uproot the newly planted plants while foraging/sifting through the substrate for...

Smooth fine gravel 1-3 mm is fine for plant's and cory's. Would were it me, have deeper substrate/soil on bottom and not too deep cap or top layer to allow root's to better find their way down into base layer. Just need to not pull up re-arrange plant's frequently which they don't like and...

Believe any substrate can be long term if as has been mentioned, you are willing to dose nutrient's as needed to the water column. If I wanted substrate to be only location for plant's to draw nutrient's from,then I would opt for soil/clay mix and cap it with fine gravel. My latest re set was...

Well,how large are the Discus? At eight month's ,the fishes will be about as big as they are gonna get and feeding's and subsequent water changes can be scaled back.(once a day feedings, and once a week water changes). I think you will miss the Discus.

All such material over time, will become very much like the substrate in a flowing brook or stream. Next time your out and about in nature, scoop up a handful from a lake/stream. The stuff will be rich with all manner of microbes,possible nutrient's from biological processes. Add to this,our...

Given texture,shape,prolly more nutrient's left in the aquasoil than one might think.after two year's.(collect's within) Inert substrate would cloud less, but have none of the nutrient's initially that the mature tank has collected. Would not want to cover present substrate lest biological...

Tutorial's sub forum here may give you an idea.(soil based tank) My soil based tank's 80 U.S. gal,and 55 gal average 2 to 3 cm soil depth capped with sand or fine gravel. I have mixed soil with peat and cat litter and worked well. Cat litter has fairly good CEC. My current cap over soil is...

No,I have used Eco-complete and the bag's I used were not as sharp/rough as lava rock which I have used in the past, till I noted pleco's scraping their bellies raw while scouring over the lava rock. The lava rock I used was large pieces with anubia attached to them.

My only concern would be how sharp the material might be for tiny root's?

Peat 30%, soil 70%, Cat litter 10% work's well for my low tech affair's. I cap the mixture with sand or fine gravel (currently using safe-t-sorb) and try not to uproot plant's at all. Takes some forethought about species and position in the tank and what plant's might look like at maximum...

Not much benefit using old water ,and assuming weekly water changes are taking place in existing tank or Bi-weekly,, the source water for your tank and that in the tank should be close to same/same so no harm with using mostly fresh/clean water for the majority. If I insisted on using some of...

In nature, soils are privy to processes that aerate and replenish them such as earthworm's,grub's, that eat and excrete their waste back into the soil's,and composting of leaf litter,bird dropping's,solid waste from animal's etc. In my aquarium's I have snail's,shrimp's,fishes that I feed, that...

Soils naturally are comprised of mostly organic matter, so as the matter is processed biologically,nutrient's are available for plant's to draw from. How long they are available month's/year(s) depends on plant mass drawing from the soil,temps,light energy,fast or slow growers,etc. Could easily...

No, in my experience. Just need to make cap deep enough,and resist the urge to uproot plant's frequently. All my tanks presently are dirt capped with about two inches to four inches of sand, or Black diamond blasting media.

Seldom see tank's left to run but a few month's before re-scaping it seems. Dosing water column with nutrient's,adding clay or peat based substrates/soils, with moderate to good CEC ,root tab's,can get you a little more mileage. I run low tech soil based tank's and usually do complete strip down...

Soil's are so much more than I had ever considered, and am glad I employ soil in my aquarium's. Been reading from an old text "The nature and properties of soils" by Lyon and Buckman circa 1947. I read till my eye's begin to bleed,:bookworm: and then put it down and return later to read some...

Dirt capped with play sand is about as cheap as you can get.

Yes,but I am not savvy enough to copy/paste and provide link's.:( Other's may be more capable.

Have both product's, and am leaning towards trying Green sand 0-0-3 Iron,Magnesium,Potassium, along with trace mineral's, mixed with plain top soil as bottom layer, and cap It with product SafeT-Sorb for my 300 litre low tech tank which I have just torn down and re-sealed.(after two year's soil...

Well,If fish you are keeping like to dig,,then they will, regardless of substrates, and keeping stem plant's rooted may be problematic. Combine this with uprooting plant's regularly as you say is likely,,,then plant's are gonna struggle. Might train my effort's on plant's that can be attached to...

My water comes out of the tap at pH 7.6 and 12dgh and I use soil mixed with kitty litter and peat with black sand cap for substrate and plant's perform well. I also dose 3/4 tsp KNO3,1/2 tsp KH2PO4.1/2 tsp K2SO4 once a week in my low tech 320 litre tank. Also add 1/2 tsp CSM+B which has iron,mg...

All my tank's are soil based NON CO2, and I dose water column as well especially during initial stage before soil has chance to start providing nutrient's more readily available for plant's through biological oxidation of it's content. I do not have foam pad under the tank's and when removing...

Have one old Feral Tom cat that adopted me ,and even though I feed it...it is just as likely to hiss at me,scatch me,or bite me, as it is to let me touch it.

For larger tanks,Is hard to beat plain old topsoil capped with sand in my humble opinion. Is cheap as well.

I would leave a little mulm in the bottom of the tank to help jumpstart biological activity. As for the sand, I might pour it into old pillow case and run hose through it to help clean it a little.

+one. Accidentally hit "unlike" button when I meant to hit "like". Have kept the microgeophagus blue ram's in near straight R/O with tiny amount of my tapwater. Would not worry bout how soft my water is with this particular species.

I tried this once in cichlid tank with rock formation's made from styro amd then sprayed with textured paint and clear coat. Also used styro under the large rock's to protect the glass. Soon discovered that the cichlid's were pecking pieces of this off of decor in search for food ,and it then...

I tried a mesh, but root's grew through it making moving plant's a messy affair. I have since just capped the dirt, and try not to move plant's any more than i have to.

Leave some mulm in the bottom of the tank when you switch substrate and this will help bacterial process in/on substrate .

Just be mindful that lot's of fast growing plant's from the outset, as opposed to lightly planted, will make it more difficult for algae to thrive. Would cram as many fast growing species as possible in the tank from the beginning and be mindful of the lighting lest too few plant's and too much...

I agree. Was my expierience when moving plant's about frequently with soil based substrates.:mad: I then began researching growth characteristic's ,Height that plant's might achieve, and this helped me to place them where I may not have to move them as much. Could not recommend soil based...

Four foot 80 gal I set up recently, got approx one half cup of Osmocote under soil when I re-did it a couple month's ago. Also added a layer of plain unscented clay "cat litter" on top of soil before capping all of it with Black diamond blasting media.

Yes,,you will need to cap the soil,otherwise tank will be muddy mess .IMHO

Hmmm,Maybe add more pea gravel in thin places?

Sand is easy to wash in pillow case.dirt comes out,sand stay's in. Have used play sand many times without issues of protein scum,or slime on surface. Some contractor's sand may contain mortar,lime,but play sand for children's sand boxes never presented any negative issues for me.

Could be people ARE having success with Eco-complete.? I used it for a year but in honesty,,could not see anymore growth than with plain gravel. Added weekly fertz with both, and result's were about the same. Have had better performance from sand over soil.

If the Black Quartz is smaller diameter,then it will find it's way to the bottom and l might consider re-doing the substrate from scratch unless you don't mind the two substrates mixing. Would, (were it me) leave some mulm in the bottom of the tank should I you decide to re-do it.This will help...

I have alway's gone with 2 lbs. per gallon and this has worked well for me .with usually some left over.

Don't think it would limit plant's. Root's will draw from nutrient's however,wherever.(Water column also). My tank;s do not have foam underneath, and whenever I remove canister from under the tank,, I can look up at bottom of the tank,through the glass,and see large root system's from sword's...

Have used the Gravel tidy ,also nylon mesh.Root's grow through the mesh,gravel tidy,and when you want to maybe seperate a plant ,move plant's,the root's sometimes make the gravel tidy,mesh come up with em.(intertwined). Tried cutting the root's with scissor's but had to cut too short for my...

Biggest problem with soil tank's in my view,,,are those who move plant's about a lot,, thereby making a right mess each time,, and those who frequently change scapes and perhap's do not give the soil based tank's proper time to become impressive in their own right. My youngest tank is nearly...

No paricular reason why I placed the cat litter on bottom ,then soil,then blasting media. Appear's to be working. Maybe I did it backward's,but it is as I described.(say's sheepishly)

Once the tank is heavily planted ,,the plant's are capable of transporting Oxygen to root's thereby causing little concern over anerobic area's. Loaches will keep sand sifted, and also capable of uprooting plant's (stem) while searching for food. (khulli's not so much). If sand is not over...

Cat litter,plain top soil (lawn garden store), and then capped with fine gravel or I used..Black Diamond blasting media. Agree with foxfish,growth in low tech ,measured in week's,month's,but doable.

Believe with weekly water change of say 50 %, the hardness (more important) ,and pH will not be an issue and would use most generic soil. Am not familiar with the brand's of soil you have available but think I would stay clear of those that say they will alter water chemistry and make thing's...

I used sand substrate for a Group of Discus I raised . Poop stay's on top,easier to remove if needed.

Just use some mulm from substrate ,or filter material from your other tank when you decide to re-do the other one.:cigar:

Six month's ago , I tore down 80 gal planted tank and built new substrate. On bottom I placed approx three cups of osmocote slow release fertilzer ,followed by about and inch of "special kitty cat litter"(plain grey :roll: unscented) .I then added 3/4 of fifty pound bag of miracle grow organic...

As long as sand is not over two inches, you would not need to poke it or sift it. Some worry about undisturbed sand producing hydrogen sulfide,while other's say that once this gas makes contact with oxygen in the water, it is harmless. I have a couple sand tanks with depth close to three...

Otocinclus are algae eaters almost exclusively, and without their primary food,, many slowly starve. Some adapt to alage wafer's and or vegetable matter but many don't. Your shrimp would be much better clean up crew for food particulates . Less food's perhaps would equate to less need for...

My expierience with soil is that once plant's are set,,it's best not to do a lot of moving the plant's about = muddy mess. :oops:

I use nylon mesh a little larger opening's than window screen in 29 gal tank with soil and sand cap.Found it at craft/hobby store. It helps keep the sand from finding it's way to the bottom, and dirt from finding it's way to the top. If your not one of those who frequently uproot's plant's,then...

I think sand(smaller grain), would eventually find it's way to the bottom through the gravel, unless some means to prevent it were utilized.IME

I placed a nylon mesh screen over top of topsoil before capping with sand, and this seems to keep sand on top and less mess when re-planting. Ideally,I should keep my hands out of the tank after planting in soil tanks but it is hard for me sometimes.

I have heard of those who place nylon mesh or netting over the top of soil and then cover with fine gravel or sand. Would seem to me that if netting was not to fine,that roots could still penetrate and perhaps soil would not be displaced so easily.