New Dirt Convert
Hey all I used to have some tropical tanks on the go but with the recession, loosing a job i sold all of my fish and plants to the LFS and left the tanks gradually empty.
Sooooo
I managed to get myself a job! 12 months later.
Last week I came across Dustins videos on youtube and WOW DIRT tanks! had never even heard of it before but as I was so amazed I have decided I am going to make a small dirt tank only 60ltrs to start with and if I have great success I will dirt a 90ltr i have sitting here as well.
So i picked up some dirt today ready to dirt the tank all i need now is some black small gravel or some brown gravel I quite like the AGA stuff and some white or light yellow sand. I also need to buy some grey rocks and honestly the plan I have in my head looks amazing cant wait till pay day on friday!
Anyways just thought i would make a thread to say hi and that there is another person converted to dirt! also i am from the UK so if anyone knows of some good gravels ideally around 2-3mm and a nice sand then send me some links please!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GSP on
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While there's plenty of success in dirted tanks, the methods been proven effective but not without it's downsides, it's but one way to setup a planted aquarium. Spending some more time on this site, the chat, and youtube, you'll find that there are plenty of substrates used with great success... sand, cat litter, and lava-rock to name a few others.
Oh yeah- Welcome back to planted aquariums and back into employment too! There's plenty of UK members here, hitup Bez, Nick, Daniel Clegg, etc.
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Permalink Reply by Nick's Wet World (0_o) on
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Hi NIck, welcome and good luck with your Dirty experience. I did a thred on redoing my tank you might want to take a look http://fishtanktv.com/profiles/blogs/tank-redo-step-by-step
Play sand is the most cheap of sand you can get and it looks quite good. You can get it from either Argos, Homebase or BnQ.
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lol thanks Gsp, I was writing to comment but you beat me to it at the time . Gsp made some strong point. dirt has it ups and downs. it limits you in a way most substrate wouldnt but it is a great substrate if done correctly.
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Permalink Reply by Nick Long on
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So today a load of Willow moss I accidently bought turned up... so i went to tesco and bought some cat litter and had to wash it for ages to get all the colouring and perfume out of it and I have made a quick little pot filled with this Willow moss to see if i can keep it alive although its mainly for cold water :( it will probably die
although good news is i just found a plant that seemed to have servived the last year or so in the bottom of one of my tanks with no filter, heater and with the smallest amount of water in it as well with some good roots on it so Hopefully I can save it in this little pot i have made as well.
The pot will not be staying in my final aquascape it is mainly to try out the dirt and cat litter and I have got to the point where I am getting impatient and just want a tank running again!
anyways here are some pics i took on my crappy iphone
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Nick, looks good. Potting plants in dirt is a great method actually. (this is the only 'dirt' method I have personal experience in- as dirting an entire tank really has no appeal to me). You can pot the root-nutrient-demanding plants in pots buried into the clay. (such as sword plants and crinums etc.)
Make sure not to push much of that moss into the clay- if its just sitting on top but wedged in snug thats all that's need. Moss should given time adhere itself just slightly to the clay to give it soem weight. Also, note that soil isn't needed for moss.
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yeah i didn't get the moss all the way in as it doesnt seem to have roots i have so much of it floating around in the tank as well got sh*t loads of it!
I have got the roots from the other one i have in the dirt though I dont suppose you can tell what it is? i am thinking i am going to have to wait till it grows abit before i can tell
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Looks like a cryptocoryne, but you're right, it'll take some growth to tell for sure.
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well that willow moss is still alive! very suprised and that plant is looking good!
really need to get some rocks and finish the tank as i have plants turning up anyday soon.
found a wicked river whilst at work (postman) might have a look in that for some
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"The mail never stops! It just keeps coming and coming and coming, there's never a let-up! It's relentless! Every day it piles up more and more and more! And you gotta get it out! But the more you get it out the more it keeps coming in! And then the bar code reader breaks, and it's Publisher's Clearing House day...!" -Newman
Good luck collecting rocks. A proous stone is a good surface to adhere moss to as it requires so substrate. Also take a look for some driftwood.
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