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Soil Substrate or Dirted Tank - A How to Guide

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Thanks Darrel - I was aware that this happened but I assumed it wasnt happening sufficiently to help my anubias nana petite since these are the only plants that struggled initially (two completely melted) while everything else was pretty immediately growing SO much better than I have previously experienced. Perhaps the other faster growing plants just outcompeted them for resources - which might have been addressed by say a once weekly half strength dose of macro and micro, separated by a few days of course. I was just trying to understand why these plants melted when everything else thrived and perhaps jumped to the wrong conclusion.
 
Thanks Troi - yes I know its a lot, but I think its doable with enough preparation beforehand. I just wanted to feel a bit more confident that I wasnt missing anything glaringly obvious to more experienced folks. Cheers!
 
Hi all,
Camallanus infection is real problem in SE Asian bred Apistogramma. I've not used eSHa NDX, but I used "Harka verm" (levamisole HCl) successfully, and it didn't re-appear. I didn't break the tank down, but I removed the fish for a couple of months.

I'm not sure about the Anubias melting, It may just be the change in conditions from emersed to submerged. Anubias grow fine low tech and nutrient depleted.

Cheers Darrel
 
Yes I thought I'd have to go with the bird wormer before I learned that eSHa-NDX is levamisole HCl - NDX is just a lot easier to dose. Seems to have worked and certainly taught me a swift lesson in being fastidious about not sharing stuff between tanks! Looks like all three stocked tanks are clear and just need their three week dose to kill any adult worms that have grown since the last dose. I'm also relieved to have found a much better source than my LFS for my next apistogramma cacatuoides pair, which will go into the soil substrate 110L mentioned above. I've deliberately not stocked it because of the camallanus problem, from what I understand the worms die in the absence of a host.
cheers
 
Troi...you mentioned about peat filtration ...how long can an average hand sized filter bag stuffed with peat moss (placed within the filter ...of course) last for in terms of providing increased dissolved organic carbon for the plants...? A ball park figure of course..
 
Gosh Faizal, now there's a question that's very difficult to answer...it depends on so many variables. I guess I'd be tempted to replace it every month or so.
And yes it will discolour the water, but it's often dependent on the amount of peat so you can have some control over by how much.
I also suppose that the amount of discolouration may indirectly have something to to do with the amount of DOCs...so that could be used a very rough guide as to when to change the peat.
 
faizal said:
Troi...you mentioned about peat filtration ...how long can an average hand sized filter bag stuffed with peat moss (placed within the filter ...of course) last for in terms of providing increased dissolved organic carbon for the plants...? A ball park figure of course..
Click to expand...

Tho a haven't filtered over peat in decades.. But if i remember correctly peat also has some effect on the magnisium and calcium ions.. It binds Mg2+ and Ca2+, so this should probably be measurable. At one point peat will degrade and leach these ions back to the water collum. Some aquarists use this as a criterium to determine when to replace it. Not that i ever checked it, also replaced it every filter cleanup.. But since the question came up, thought add my fair share of what i remeber from my peat erra. 🙂
 
Pretty much have everything ready to go with my low tech tank now.

I have the peat moss, the aqua soil (blue bag) and some bog wood that's currently pre soaking
Following plants purchased:
Bacopa caroliniana
Ludwigia Palustris
Microsorum pteropus
Echinodorus tenellus green
Hygrophila polysperma rosanverig
And I also have the following already
Crypt wendtii green
Crypt beckettii petchii
Hygrophila siamensis 53B
Anubias nana

Also thinking to get a buce to go onto the bog wood?

Hopefully these will all work well.

Should I be pre soaking the peat and Aqua soil mix before putting it into the tank?
 
That's certainly an option if you want to, it'll give you an opportunity to sift off the floaty bits and perhaps kick start the mineralisation process and help reduce the ammonia spike. Personally, I don't bother, I just bung it in the tank, plug in and play.
 
Thanks Troi. I'll end up doing daily water changes anyway so ill just bung it in 🙂
 
Well here it is. Took 3 days to set it up fully.
EDfFdDS.jpg

Water is still clearing as not long powered it up. Need to clean it a bit and lift the plants up but looking good so far. Will write up more detail of anyone wants me to.

Thanks Troi (and everyone else) for all your help within this excellent thread
 
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Hi Troi...🙂...sorry that i am being such a bother...but i finally got the tank set up....the nutrient base has a l mixture of a local organic potting soil mix : peat moss : coral sand .....at a ratio of 2:2:1 respectively...i had it capped with inert gravel...and been doing daily water changes too...about 50%...but the tannin colour just wouldnt go away...how can i overcome it please? I have always preferred the crystal clear water column in my tanks?
 
Hi Faizal you're not a bother - I guess you're not filtering through peat?
I think eventually the soil will stop leaching tannins and your water should clear but it can take a while. In the meantime keep up with the water changes and try filtering through charcoal.
 
🙂.Cheers mate. Yeah...i was thinking of doing the same...just wanted to run it through you first🙂...I am guessing the tannin would...actually reduce the par at substrate...i am using t8s...at 0.78 wpg...3 hour photoperiod...only..the tank is only 10 days old..

.Can i add another t8...so the wpg is at 1.5? Currently the par at substrate...is around 14 - 16 mostly...at one area near the front glass its around 22...thats as high as gets...
 
Just an update my tank is going well, some whiteish crap on the glass but that's usual for new tanks (for me) so just scrubbing it where I can. The plants are growing well. Having some issues with the wood staying securely but don't want to mess with it too much until everything roots in properly.
 
faizal said:
🙂.Cheers mate. Yeah...i was thinking of doing the same...just wanted to run it through you first🙂...I am guessing the tannin would...actually reduce the par at substrate...i am using t8s...at 0.78 wpg...3 hour photoperiod...only..the tank is only 10 days old..

.Can i add another t8...so the wpg is at 1.5? Currently the par at substrate...is around 14 - 16 mostly...at one area near the front glass its around 22...thats as high as gets...
Click to expand...

No worries, tannin will reduce light penetration, and that is pretty low PAR - adding another tube would perhaps be a good idea, at least for now...you will still have some control via the photoperiod.
 
Troi, thank you for your tutorial, this week I've started new tank with hybrid approach: I've used peat, Vermicompost, a little bit of dirt from garden center, and very little clay. Also added a handful of JBL Manado instead of grit to structurize my mixture. Covered with grid, the old&used Fluval Plant Stratum. Not exectly as you described, but I already had all those components in the closet, so I just mixed them all together.
This tank is planned as high energy aquascape, but I always wanted to try your approach, and your tutorial mentioned hybrid approach, so I hope my plants will get some benefits from this mixture, and no downsides.
I hope to get some good results, photo (or maybe journal) will be published later.
 
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