Hi new guy, ???? on M-G Dirt

Hi gang New guy here.

Had multi tanks about 15 years ago, we moved, now want to get the 70 back up & running.

I want a planted tank! Been lurking other forums and you-tubes. Trying to get as much info as possible.

Got a question(s) on a bag of Miracle Grow soil. Got it at "Wally's" for $5.00

http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod702...

I managed to find a 20 pound bag of Miracle grow soil this time of year. Hope its the good stuff. I plan on sifting it.

with the Iron content it has, do I, should I, add more?

Can I boil this, as I have read in the past?

I was thinking of putting the soil in a large tub, doing water changes in there, good Idea? I know I'll be playing with mud later on.

Thanks

Geo.

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Permalink Reply by alex tang on January 21, 2013 at 2:11am

Be careful with that soil. If you notice on the description it says not for pots or containers. It is more of a woody substrate mix. I only know this bc I made this mistake in my first planted tank.

Do yourself a big favor and head to Home Depot and get some Organic Miracle Grow Potting Mix. The 'organic' will let you know there are no fertilizers.

As for boiling, Im not sure the purpose. I would definitely add clay for iron though. Also, make sure to only add 1 or 2 inches of the soil, if you do more without rocks and whatnot holding it together, the soil will try to level out and most likely invade your top 'capping' substrate. Soak the soil and let it dry out a few times. Trust me, all of this sounds like lots of work but it could save your fish and weeks worth of cycling time.

Again, don't use your current soil! I made the same mistake and when the water is oxygenated (i.e. airstone) it inflated the wood below my capping substrate, my tank floor bubbled for months until i was able to replace the dirt substrate to potting soil. My tank was never clean for those few months.

Also try to use a darker capping gravel, since your first dirted tank you will undoubtedly get dirt in places you never wanted it to be.

-Alex

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Permalink Reply by George on January 21, 2013 at 4:44am

That's the kind of answer I was looking for.

THANK YOU!

I have asked the same question on a couple of forums, every one answered but, in a round about way. Not right to the point like you.

I was planning on sifting it threw a window screen.

the boiling was to let it breath out the ammonia.

I was not able to find Potting mix at the H-D.

Besides, I though it was MG Potting soil? Not the mix.

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Permalink Reply by Mr Meseeks on January 21, 2013 at 4:19pm

Hes right ^ use miracle grow organic choice potting mix, its what Dustin uses. See if lowes has it, my home depot didn't have it, but lowes did.

Just like Alex said, only use 1 to 2 inches of dirt.

For the cap, i suggest you use 2 different caps. (by this i mean 2 substrates with a different size/shape) for my 29 i used flourite then over that used eco complete, the flourite holds the dirt down good cus its kinda heavy and the eco complete looks better and is lighter, plus both also have nutrients, and eco complete is supposed to absorb nutrients from the water column and reuse them, in my eyes this is the perfect combo!? I wouldn't recommend you use eco and flourite though, that would cost you ALOT, maybe use one of them for the first cap and then something of your liking over that.

If you use 1 cap the dirt will be able to leech out and make the water tea colored or even brown, alot easier. I've had my 29 up for a few months now and the water did get slightly tea colored but after the first water change it stopped and is now generally clear. If i skip a water change a week the water will get a slight stain to it though. I guess if you boiled it, it would also help with the tannins, but the double cap will help too.

Adding red clay to the dirt will help ALOT too. You can then grow a ton of different red plants that would just die and rot off if you didn't have any iron.

P.S. to save some money i guess, this way you could even set up another tank if you want, only put dirt in the part of the tank where plants are going to be, if you plan to put driftwood somewhere, don't put dirt there.

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Permalink Reply by George on January 21, 2013 at 7:09pm

Found some MG PM organic today at the HD.

the other stuff will go to the garden. As for the Cap I have 3, Five gallon buckets of gravel to cover the soil. I have a couple of pounds of red clay ready to Ball-up & get wet. Will only use one pound for my 70.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on January 21, 2013 at 7:32pm

Alex gave good advice. The non-organic soil contains ammonia. Rather than soaking the soil you can just thrown it in and do extra water changes for a month or so, but you can also do it Alex's way - your preference. I would cap the soil with clay pebbles instead of gravel. Clay pebbles are an attractive, natural substance with high CEC and they give you all the iron you'll need. Clay pebbles are sold under many names. GSP (a site member) bought his under the name "Turface". I found mine in a 50lb bag under the name "Oil-sorb" at a Pep-boys automotive supply store for $5. Flourite is another clay substrate you can use to cap your dirt.

If your bottom is carpeted with ground cover plants you won't even need a cap. The plants will hold the dirt in place.

PS. CEC is Cation Exchange Capacity. This allows a substance to suck up minerals and hold them for the plants' roots. Dirt and clay have great CEC values. Gravel has no (zero!) CEC. This why the people on this site love natural substrates like dirt.

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Permalink Reply by George on January 22, 2013 at 4:09am

Didn't know that about the "oil dry" stuff, the iron content. I was aware of the CEC. Your statements confirm my feelings/suspicions of, mixing or capping the soil with oil dry.

Still want to use my gravel. I have 2 five gallons of gravel in a large container with some Anubias (large) waiting for a home. Been "seasoning two filters and the gravel and soaking some drift wood. doing this hoping the cycling will be easier once it's in the big tank.

The Anubias was mine 15 years ago I had my brother in law hold on to it until I was ready to start up a new tank. He has split it several times. It has been doing very well. In fact. sitting in the "tub" since Christmas, it has some new growth. with out attaching it to any thing.

thanks Gents for the advice.

Geo

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Permalink Reply by Robert Jango on January 22, 2013 at 7:22am

All clay contains iron - some more than others. Which of my "statements confirm your suspicions/feelings about mixing or capping the soil with Oil-sorb"??? I don't mix the soil with clay pellets; I cap it. The pellets stay on top.

Gravel, though inert and nutritionally worthless, does come in a variety of beautiful colors that can help set off certain highlights in your fish and plants

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Permalink Reply by George on January 22, 2013 at 1:19pm

Just the general statement of the "CEC factor".

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Permalink Reply by seth roach on January 25, 2013 at 7:16pm

hey now not all clay contains iron. although i doubt youll be spending the money on a true porcelain claybody for your tank...haha but yeah pretty much all clay contains iron.