# [Wet Thumb Forum]-"real" aquatic soil



## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

Does anyone here have any experience with "real" commercial aquatic soil? Reading the archives here I found alot of people's experience with Schultz Aquatic Plant Soil, but it seems that it's misnamed, it's really a kind of small gravel, and has often been compared to Flourite. 

Over here (UK) there are several companies that sell real soil, which is meant for use in garden ponds, and it's available at many garden centers. Does anyone have experience with this kind of aquatic soil?

The reason I ask is because I have a little 5 gallon tank with a topsoil + gravel substrate, and I think it has too much organic material in it, since the water is very yellow. If I don't do regular (once a week) fairly large water changes, the water gets so dark that the plants at the bottom ge very little light. I was thinking of using aquatic soil as an alternative for the next tank, in hopes that it would contain less organic matter and color my water less.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

> Originally posted by MyraVan:
> Does anyone here have any experience with "real" commercial aquatic soil? Reading the archives here I found alot of people's experience with Schultz Aquatic Plant Soil, but it seems that it's misnamed, it's really a kind of small gravel, and has often been compared to Flourite.
> 
> Over here (UK) there are several companies that sell real soil, which is meant for use in garden ponds, and it's available at many garden centers. Does anyone have experience with this kind of aquatic soil?
> ...


Unless your tank is more than 4 months old, I would try to work with the soil you have. Have you not tried activated carbon? That should remove the yellow color (humic acids) without having to do water changes.  If your tank is only a few months old, the decomposition will slow and this problem will ease off.

If your fish are fine, plants growing, no algae, you are way ahead of many other hobbyists. I wouldn't start over until I had tried something as simple as adding charcoal to the filter.

As to "real aquatic soil" for ponds, it sounds far more promising than kitty litter, baked clay, etc.


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## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

I set the tank up in late February, so it's less than 3 months old. I can't use carbon because the tiny tiny filter I have doesn't have space for it, only for ordinary spongy material. 

The plants are growing fine, and the critters (2 snails and 3 white cloud mountian monnows) are all fine. In fact the minnows have spawned, so there are dozens of little fishlets swimming jerkily around the tank. I first noticed tham last Tuesday, and didn't do anything for them the first few days. On Sunday I bought some commercial fry food for them and have started to put some in the tank once or twice a day since then. This is certainly not the way to maximize survival rates, but the tank is at work and I don't have time for hatching brine shrimp, etc. However, I do have a secret weapon in the tank -- an apple snail. Evidently apple snails help with the cultivation of infusoria, so that's probably where they are getting most of their food. Also, there's a fair bit of algae in the tank. I've had green thread algae for awhile, but now it's been joined by some unattractive green stuff floating on the top. Normally I would remove that stuff with a water change, but I figure that it's probably providing some food for the microcritters that the fry are eating, so I'm leaving it for now.

BTW, I wasn't asking about the aquatic soil for this tank, but for the next one. I don't think the 5 gallon tank has enough space to raise all the fry to a size where they're big enough to give away, so I'm setting up a 10 gallon one for them. It will of course be planted, and I was wondering what to use as a substrate.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

> Originally posted by MyraVan:
> I set the tank up in late February, so it's less than 3 months old. I can't use carbon because the tiny tiny filter I have doesn't have space for it, only for ordinary spongy material.
> 
> The plants are growing fine, and the critters (2 snails and 3 white cloud mountian monnows) are all fine. In fact the minnows have spawned, so there are dozens of little fishlets swimming jerkily around the tank. I first noticed tham last Tuesday, and didn't do anything for them the first few days. On Sunday I bought some commercial fry food for them and have started to put some in the tank once or twice a day since then. This is certainly not the way to maximize survival rates, but the tank is at work and I don't have time for hatching brine shrimp, etc. However, I do have a secret weapon in the tank -- an apple snail. Evidently apple snails help with the cultivation of infusoria, so that's probably where they are getting most of their food. Also, there's a fair bit of algae in the tank. I've had green thread algae for awhile, but now it's been joined by some unattractive green stuff floating on the top. Normally I would remove that stuff with a water change, but I figure that it's probably providing some food for the microcritters that the fry are eating, so I'm leaving it for now.
> ...


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## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

Well, I've gone and done it. The new 10 gallon tank has been set up. Lighting is a 24W power compact flourescent bulb. The substrate is a half & half mix of "real" aquatic soil and cheap commercial topsoil, covered by plain gravel (gardening gravel, small grain for use with alpine plants). The plants are twisted vallis, dwarf ambulia, curved leaf sword, dwarf chain sword, dwarf 4 leaf clover, a small black sword, hornwort (floating for now) and dwarf hairgrass. The first residents, just added today, are two apple snails (P. biridgesii), named Garlic and Grape. 

Once things have settled down a bit I'll move over the white cloud mountain minnows and their fry. The fry are about 3.5 weeks old and they are very very cute -- they look like baby neon tetras, with a bright blue stripe down the side, reddish bellies, and red tailfins.


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## rcx_sk (Feb 3, 2006)

I've tried the Schultz Aquactic Plant Soil now for about a year. I have it mixed in a tank with regular gravel about 50-50. I'm pretty dissapointed with it. it seems to be clumping up and my vals in the tank aren't growing very well, the roots are looking stunted. truthfully the vals were growing better before with just the plain gravel. I plan on removing the Schultz Aquactic Plant Soil soon when I have time.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

> Originally posted by MyraVan:
> >>>>>apple snails (P. biridgesii), named Garlic and Grape.
> 
> Once things have settled down a bit I'll move over the white cloud mountain minnows and their fry. The fry are about 3.5 weeks old and they are very very cute -- they look like baby neon tetras, with a bright blue stripe down the side, reddish bellies, and red tailfins.


Thanks for tank update and information on White Cloud babies. They sound like a fun, easily cared for fish.


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## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

I'm not using Schultz Aquactic Plant Soil. I've never seen that stuff, but it seems that it's much more like gravel than like soil. Over here (UK) most of the garden centers have stuff they call aquatic soil or aquatic compost, which is a soil intended to be used in potting up lillies for ponds. So that's what I mean by "real" aquatic soil. So far the new tank is doing well, but it's early days yet.


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## Slippery Fingers (Mar 19, 2003)

We have J Arthur Bower's aquatic compost here. (I think it is from UK.) Some of us have tried and have good results from it.

http://www.william-sinclair.co.uk/Horticulture.nsf/05compost?

BC


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## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

Cool! I didn't know that J Arthur Bower made aquatic compost. We've been using their peat-free compost for years. I'm glad to hear that you're having good luck with it in an aquarium. I am hopeful for the new tank.


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## peter bradley (Oct 12, 2004)

Ihave had very good results with tetra aquatic compost low added fertiliser and high clay content 35% very clean to work with covered with fine silver quartze which is pree washed no clouding at all infact particularly clear from day one and to date exellent plant growth redily available at most good garden centres slightly more expensive than other aquatic loam but well worth it£ for £ 9.99 for 25 litre bag anough for375 litres of tanks peter bradley bushey England


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## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

By "fine silver quartz" do you mean some kind of sand? I like the idea of a tank with aquatic soil with sand (instead of gravel) on top, but everyone here says that sand over the soil isn't as good as gravel over the soil. How thick are your different layers?


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## peter bradley (Oct 12, 2004)

its not a sand but a fine gravel 2mm in size no rough edges fine for catfish .used all over europe as standard planting medium available also a dark quartze gravel similar size and quality available from any Dennerle dealer peter bradley


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## peter bradley (Oct 12, 2004)

one inch of gravel on top of one inch of soil. but could go to one and ahalf iches of each for greater depth and easer planting ,


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## flagg (Nov 29, 2004)

Yes. Diana mentions in her book 1" - 1.5" of each, though I have found it easier to plant in 2" of substrate than in 3"

--ricardo


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## xpistalpetex (Mar 31, 2008)

*Re: [Wet Thumb Forum]-"real" aquatic soil*

i have good results of just pure schultz aquatic soil, good growth on green fox tail and micro swords with low tech.


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