Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Josh C. on November 11, 2011 at 8:32pm

Yes, you can keep fish in a dirted tank.

 

The only difference when cleaning a dirted tank is you should shove the siphon down into the gravel like normally, doing so will stir up the dirt and cause a mess. Instead, you just hover it over the gravel and suck anything up that comes out on its own.

 

Eco-complete is a good plant substrate and is not as messy as dirt but in my opnion dirt is better.

 

If you go the dirt route, make sure you have plenty of plants from the start. Or else the excess nutrients leeching from the dirt in the first few weeks will cause algae (happened to me)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on November 11, 2011 at 9:39pm

check some of my video to decide

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Connor on November 12, 2011 at 2:59pm

use dirt not eco complete... and with dirt you barely have to clean it.. it just all around better

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Andy on November 12, 2011 at 5:08pm

josh you mean should not* shove it in the gravel. I like dirt more.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Josh C. on November 12, 2011 at 10:34pm

LOL oops. yea i ment to say that you SHOULD NOT shove it in the substrate.....darn type-o's...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Adam Carbary on November 12, 2011 at 7:18pm

I currently have a planted 45G and I used Eco-complete as my substrate and my plants are flourishing. It has a very nice look and is very easy to clean using the same technique you would use in a dirted tank as it is very light and gets sucked up rather easily.

 

That being said I will be setting up a 100G in March when I move and I will be dirting that tank. There are two reasons for this. First, like mentioned by Josh C. dirt is just better. If you really want to give your plants and fish the closest thing to being in nature then why use anything other then the thing nature intended to use, dirt. Second, Eco-complete is anywhere from $25-$40 for a 20 lb bag depending on where you get it, in my case it was $35 at my LFS. So if you don't want to spend a ton on your substrate then dirt is the way to go. Natural and cheap and full of nutrients right off the bat.

 

Good luck with your decision.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 2apes2gp667wr on November 14, 2011 at 9:40am

I agree with GSP.  While I have had great success with dirt, just look at some tanks that use Eco or ADA soil etc.  These substrates are made to be used in planted tanks.  If you feel it's worth the price then go for it.  One thing I can honestly say is that for plants with more fibrous roots, dirt is unmatched.  The way they can anchor themselves so much better in dirt than in other aquarium specific substrates to me is evident.  My Sagittaria subulata is going nowhere.  When I need to pull some out the leaves just rip off and the roots stay imbedded in the dirt unless I am very careful.  Same with HM.  I tried dirt in the first place because I wanted a carpet in the foreground and could never get it to hold.  I got one now.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by kmt on November 22, 2011 at 7:45pm

GSP nice sag carpet, looks good. Is that dwarf sag? If so how many did you start off with to get the carpet you have now? It sounds like you used a sand substrate. Do you have to aerate the sand so it doesn't become anaerobic? The LFS said every planted tank needs to be aerated every 2-3 weeks by sticking your finger down into the substrate.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by kmt on November 22, 2011 at 11:03pm

Thanks for the reply, that's awesome growth in 90 days.

Would play sand from home depot be just as good as the inert sand you are using?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Braden on November 23, 2011 at 2:02pm

Hey GSP. Which substrate do you like better? Im deciding between dirt, eco complete, and flourite. I have dirt and clay already but idk its kind of a hassle and looks kind of messy. My roots on some of my plants are dying and i dont know why? I heard that eco complete is a good substrate and its only like 16 dollars at my petco i think, maybe a little more like 20 or 25. Which should i go with? Also could i use play sand to cover the Eco completer, flourite, dirt, whatever i wind up putting in there?

 

Thanks 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Braden on November 24, 2011 at 1:59am

Thanks man. It say it $16 online but i doubt that its the same price in stores. I like sand but i hear that eco complete is cheaper, gets better reviews, and also is pretty clean compared to flourite. One question. GSP, will i need to fertilize this tank or not? Also do you think dirt would benefit? I have a lot of extra dirt from the little amount i used in my 5 gallon so like could i get eco complete or flourite and use it as a cap to dirt? What about my lighting?

 

Thanks, Braden

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Braden on November 24, 2011 at 2:35am

Which one would you reccomend? I feel like eco complete is better for growing plants but that flourite might be better for foreground plants or plants with runners to easily spread out

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page