# Aquasoil in El Natural tank?



## Shrimplett (Mar 21, 2013)

Can you use Aquasoil as the substrate in an El Natural tank instead of soil, and still have the all same benefits as you would with soil? Or is the soil one of the key things in an El Natural tank? 

Any answer is welcome!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

OK, I've never used Aquasoil. But from what I understand of it, it is very similar in chemistry and function to some of the soils used in Walstad tanks. It tends to be high in nutrients at the start, hence the famous ammonia spike of new Aquasoil tanks. I'd love to hear other opinions.


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## Shrimplett (Mar 21, 2013)

thank you for your response!



Michael said:


> I'd love to hear other opinions.


The more the better!!! :biggrin:


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## Bardus71 (Sep 29, 2011)

The appeal of the Walstad ideal to me is that you have decomposing organic matter as your substrate, which increases the biological activity with bacteria & such within the tank, and the organic matter releases CO2 as it decomposes. It is like creating a small & complex ecology within the tank with lots of biological activity that benefits the inhabitants (plants & animals) symbiotically. With using aquasoil, which are little baked clay balls with nutrients added to them, you will not get any of the above, and IMO, it may not qualify as a NPT for those reasons. Not to discourage the use of Aquasoil in itself, or the spirit of inventiveness and exploration of this style of tank, but that would be my rationale behind the benefits or lack of them. Hope that helps.


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## Shrimplett (Mar 21, 2013)

Thank you Bardus, that was very helpful. Was just wundering if it would work because the tank I want to use has fish and everything already in it. So what came to mind when i thought of using soil was a big mess not being able to empty the tank all the way. Though just might do soil anyway. :tongue1:

Anybody else?


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

It would probably be fine... Any substrate you use will eventually accumulate organic matter, and will harbour bacteria. This isn't unique to soil. Substrates marketed for planted tanks should also have decent CEC/AEC. What Walstad's book talks about, all the ecology and relationships between substrate, fauna, and flora, bacterial processes, nutrient cycling, etc. It applies to all planted aquariums, not just ones that follow her steps using soil. Which, I think many people unfortunately overlook. The result being that we now treat these low-tech tanks as if they are somehow completely separate from other tanks, as if what we learn from her methods can't be carried into other approaches and practices... Anywhooo...

If you REALLY wanted to get into the gritty stuff though, I'd be curious if there wasn't any beneficial fungi that may be brought into the tank by using soil... My initial speculation, being it's a terrestrial soil, would probably be no.

Overall, I think the difference would be fairly negligible after any significant amount of time.

Mind you, I can't get aquasoil where I am, so I've never seen the stuff in person, let alone used it.


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## Shrimplett (Mar 21, 2013)

Cool thanks, I would minerize the soil first. What makes an El Natural tank an El Natural tank anyway. Can you change some things (like soil) and still have it be an El Natrual aquarium?


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

Shrimplett said:


> Cool thanks, I would minerize the soil first. What makes an El Natural tank an El Natural tank anyway. Can you change some things (like soil) and still have it be an El Natrual aquarium?


To me, it's just a label given to the general philosophy of using natural processes to filter and fertilize and maintain stability.

People have different opinions about what defines it though. You could argue that it has to be low-light, can't use CO2 injection, needs soil, etc, etc.

Sorta limits people's application of the concepts and experimentation to close things into such a constrained box though IMO.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Skizhx's comments are great!


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## Shrimplett (Mar 21, 2013)

Michael said:


> Skizhx's comments are great!


+1!!! I'm still not sure what I am going to do though, lol!!!


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## Chumley (Mar 15, 2011)

Shrimplett said:


> +1!!! I'm still not sure what I am going to do though, lol!!!


Using aquasoil sounds like a good idea to me. It would eliminate all the problems of using dirt and making mts is like a diy project. As advised in this forum with using dirt, pack it with floaters and plants covering most of the substrate to suck up all that ammonia. Let us know how it works


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## SBS (Feb 26, 2013)

My undestanding is that aquasoils are not just normal soil. Some of them can be just calcined clay loaded with nutritients, baked via some fancy way. They are not soil in the true sense and they are more expensive too.
So it's a completely different ball game depending what you are intending to buy.


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