# [Wet Thumb Forum]-DO I need DIRT under the rocks?



## wanda (Jan 10, 2005)

I have just set up a new tank. Its cycled over the past month, the fish are happy and healthy.

Some of my original plants died (the ones I put in before the fish ever came.

I ordered a plant set online for it... I have a couple of inches of gravel in 2 different sizes..

In some planted tank pics I see dirt?

Should I have put dirt under all of this?


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## wanda (Jan 10, 2005)

I have just set up a new tank. Its cycled over the past month, the fish are happy and healthy.

Some of my original plants died (the ones I put in before the fish ever came.

I ordered a plant set online for it... I have a couple of inches of gravel in 2 different sizes..

In some planted tank pics I see dirt?

Should I have put dirt under all of this?


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

No. Some people use soil in planted tanks but that is a fairly specialized approach. You might check with the El Natural forum on this site to get advice on using soil

You do need to give your plants essential nutrients. If you don't use soil then you will eventually need to use one or more aquarium plant fertilizers.


Roger Miller


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

or you could use other high tech substrates Schultz aquatic soil, flourite, laterite, etc. 

How much and what kind of light do you have over it?


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## wanda (Jan 10, 2005)

Well I was thinking of putting the fishj in bags, tearing it all up again and putting the eco complete and then rocks on top.

everything is going so well as it is, I did add some chelated plant grow stuff...

I made a co2 tank today with a 1.5 liter bottle and I gooed the tube in thats pumping along.

The lighting I didnt know any better about and I bought them for pretty colors but I save all the boxses and keep logs (I'm nuts I think or maybe obsessed) one is 15w 120v blue and one is 15w 120 v aqua - glo which has a rosey color.

I was hoping to go as natural looking as possible.

I want my goldfish to be comfy


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

How big is the tank?
How many goldies?
does it say what the color temp is on the boxes?
What are you water parameters?

Gosh, I'm nosey aren't I.








(I have goldies... can't help it! LOL)


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## Margolis (Sep 22, 2004)

if you decide to go with eco-complete, I would suggest using that by itself. No gravel at all.


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## wanda (Jan 10, 2005)

Its a 10 gallon tank, my ph is about a 7.2 my amonia is under control. I dont have any other test kits.

I add stress coat, ammo lock, cycle and plant gro.

I feed them alternately pellets and flake.

I have 10 species of plant I cant begin to name right now.

I have natural gravel, I built a bridge from some of it in an arch with silicone.

I leave the light on from 9 am till 9 pmj which is the store hours of operation so thats what they were used to.

I have a bubble wall, a co2 with an airstone under the bridge, collecting the co2 bubble. I have an aqua clear bio filter

I do a 25% water change weekly with bottled water. DEER PARK!

I have a 2.5gallon hospital tank with a box filter when needed I have a piece of driftwood soaking in it currently.

My room has the water at a steady 78 degrees, this building pumps the heat. (my window is even open!)

They do get natural light also from across the room.

I have 1.5 inch fish. A black moore, an organda and a lion head... as well as a catfish and 2 snails that came with the plant set in a seperate bag.

Maybe Ill skip the eco complete?


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## DataGuru (Mar 11, 2005)

You're going to need a 30 gallon for 3 fancy goldies. They grow to around 10 inches long and are messy beasties. Also, keep an eye on your pH. your biofilter produces acids as it converts ammonia to nitrAte. Depending on how well buffered the bottled water is, you may see pH slip down. Do you have a KH and a GH test?

What kind of catfish?

The bubble wand is probably gassing off your CO2.

In my goldie tank, I have 4 watts per gallon of light, my plants are potted with a topsoil substrate with a gravel overlayer with rocks on top to keep them from digging them up. I'm not adding any CO2 and I do have a bubble wand in the tank.
http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/plantpics.html


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## wanda (Jan 10, 2005)

Update...

after some time interesting things happened, 

First off RIP Henrietta died. I contribute it to my not paying attention. My roomate made an effort while I was gone for a few days but he miscounted on the drops with the amonia kit. When i got home the result was dark green and the loss of one fish, which might be for the best since I ultimately had too many to begin with.

I did an emergency change of water with bottled water from the store, My amonia kit came back dark green untill I did that.

Im suprised they are alive at all. Dont you close your eyes for a second on a new tank the fluctuations are immense

actually I am very tired today.. plants are kicking, one lost fish.

balance is within sight.


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