# Mixing Substrate Materials



## WetBlueThumb (Sep 5, 2009)

Hello - was hoping someone could provide some guidance before I create a mess.

Materials
Organic Compost Soil - Store Bought with low levels of Nutrients .10/.05/.10
PondCare Aquatic Soil - Zeolite and Acrilite
Flourite Black
Laterlite - red
Gravel - Black and Grey
Sand - Horticultural Traction Sand

THE PLAN - A
sprinkle of Laterlite
Less than an inch of organic soil Mixed with sand 2/1 ratio
Flourite zeolite and acrilite gravel Mix 1/1/2 Ratio

Plan B
Mix All the soil and later/flour/zeo/acri/ ites'
Top with Gravel

Plan C
Top with sand

Would like to use the el natural style - slightly worried that I am trying to many things. Want to get it right.

This is all for a substrate for my paludarium
Build here
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...tion-diy-background-substrate.html#post903377


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Organic Compost Soil - Store Bought with low levels of Nutrients .10/.05/.10
PondCare Aquatic Soil - Zeolite and Acrilite
Flourite Black
Laterlite - red
Gravel - Black and Grey
Sand - Horticultural Traction Sand

Probably getting too much of a mix. 
Might look pretty good, though. Natural soil is not always one uniform color, so you may like the blended colors. 

Organic Compost Soil--- What is the actual material? Is there any description that might say "sand, silt, clay, peat, fir bark, manure", or anything similar?
'Organic' has several meanings, and is too vague in this use. 
'Compost' means decomposing organic matter, often fir bark, or peat moss, may include manure from chickens, cattle, or even worm castings in potting soil mixes. You do not want too much of this in the aquarium. Certain of these in small amounts may be good. 
'Soil' has a specific definition which is ignored by most companies that package potting soil blends. 

PondCare Aquatic Soil - Zeolite and Acrilite--- Zeolite is used as an ammonia removing product. Perhaps it is useful as a soil, similar to kitty litter. I have seen Acrilite listed as ingredients but the only search results I find make it sound like something unrelated to soil mixes. 

Flourite Black--- Good, I would use more of this. 

Laterlite - red- If this is Laterite (Iron rich aquarium soil additive) use only the tiniest pinch, and at the very bottom of everything else. Check the ingredients in the Flourite, there may already be iron in there. If this is Laterlite, an expanded clay, I do not know how it is used. (Is Soil MAster Select an expanded clay? I have used this, it works, but has some unique problems)

Gravel or sand as a cap: I have found that things get mixed, so using a gravel cap may be OK, you will find bits of gravel deeper in the substrate for example when you transplant something. Sand may end up mixing, and is impossible to separate out. If this is a graded sand, so all the particles are the same size there is less dust, and it is easier to rinse so the tank won't cloud so much on filling. If this is more like a 'play sand' with fines, then be VERY careful on filling. Graded sands and gravels allow a lot better water movement through the substrate, play sand can reduce the water movement and can lead to anaerobic conditions. 

Mixing all or several vs. layering: Eventually it all mixes up anyway. If some products are lighter (peat moss, Soil Master Select types of materials) they will work their way up and the heavier materials (sand, gravel) will more or less sink, but there is a lot of mixing, too.

If you want to use one material like a path between hills of other material as a decorative element it will stay a lot longer if you line the path with rocks or driftwood, and encourage plants to cover the soil next to the path so less of whatever you use as a 'hill' slumps down onto the 'path' material.


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## WetBlueThumb (Sep 5, 2009)

Thanks for your reply:tea:

The soil - Is Scotts Miracle gro - organic soil for bed not containers
http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/p...&proId=prod70308&itemId=cat80014&id=prod70308

"Benefits

Contains an exclusive mix of 100% organic ingredients: compost, sphagnum peat moss and manure. Natural fertilizers provide both quick- and slow-release feeding to get plants off to a fast start and keep them growing. Delivers nearly double the yields of topsoil naturally. "

I Think this will be unsuitable...Since doing some research on this product..some people claim to have found garbage debris. I have found none
although it does seem to contain a lot of bark.

"Diana Walstad has recommended the garden UK - Miracle-Gro - Organic Choice Premium Garden Soil "
http://theaquariumwiki.com/Walstad_method

I will probably opt for the layer and be resigned to the fact that eventually they will mix.

I like your idea about a path. going to give that some more thought.


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## Forgotten Path (Apr 3, 2009)

You want to avoid the Miracle Grow GARDEN Soil...

You need the Miracle Grow POTTING Soil... It is in a tan bag (not green) and has a picture of greenery in a pot on it (not a tomato) at least here in the US.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/61744-new-npt-setup-7.html

The GARDEN soil has much larger pieces of organic matter in it (like mulch-type pieces) and has a lot more fertilizer type stuff (like manure). Bad for NPTs. The POTTING soil is much finer and not as filled with fertilizer (just chicken pee )

Forgive the intrusion if you already have the potting soil...


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## WetBlueThumb (Sep 5, 2009)

no intrusion at all i welcome all pointers. I did however use the garden soil type and am now super worried. Currently have 2snails and baby/mom guppies. So what will happen if i leave it in? Algae bloom? Toxic levels?

What to do?


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Use aquarium test kit to monitor conditions.
When you set up a tank with fresh soil (of any type) there is a period (often up to a month) when all sorts of things are going on in the soil as various species of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms find their place. Some of the elements in the soil may rot pretty fast, the others reach some sort of equilibrium with (ultimately) fish food and fish waste replacing the organic matter that is decomposing at a slow rate. 

This sort of tank is not ready for fish or snails. 

Let it mature for a month, or until any test for ammonia and nitrite are 0 ppm. 

Some of these soils spike such a high ammonia level it can even kill plants. 

Other substrate materials go through much less of an adaptation to under water living, and are safe pretty much right away. Even with the relatively inert substrates there are a lot of microorganisms growing in the substrate, filter, and on all the surfaces of the tank. 
Still, monitor the conditions with all the tests you have. 

Water changes can bring the conditions back to a safe level for the fish, but until the soil is stable you will have to keep doing water changes. There is no shortcut. The ecology of the tank needs time to grow.


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## Forgotten Path (Apr 3, 2009)

The major effect the garden soil will have is most likely just increasing the amount of time it takes your soil to "settle down". It took my five gallon NPT (with MGOC potting soil) about a month to settle down and ammonia/nitrite levels to fall to zero...
I don't think it would be worth ripping the tank apart to replace it. You will have to wait for the substrate to "settle out" so you might as well bear with it. (Hard, I know!) And didn't you mix the garden soil with some of those other substrates? That will lessen the effect, I'm sure, since it isn't 100% garden soil.
Have fun with your new tank!!


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

One of the nice things about NPT's is their simplicity. They don't need expensive lights, extra CO2, dosing regimens, or special substrates.

An excellent substrate for a NPT is the cheapest unfertilized topsoil that a retailer carries. That, covered with 2mm - 3mm or similar gravel, will grow any plant that can grow in an NPT (which is most of them.)

The topsoil should be soaked for at least a week or two, with 3 or 4 water changes. This will get rid of excessive organics that could cause algae later.

Why complicate things> 

Bill


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