# Soil Substrate



## DalphiaRose (Dec 6, 2013)

So I am trying to set up a tank with soil and then gravel as a cap. But, no matter what I do, the water just won't clear up. I used Organic Potting Soil, and black gravel.

Tips? Info? Something? I am about to give up!


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## Wolfstardobe (Jan 28, 2010)

What diameter of gravel are you using? The bigger it is the more likely the soil will come out. You may want to swap it out for a black sand or small diameter gravel.


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## DalphiaRose (Dec 6, 2013)

It's pretty small. Like smaller than an average pinky nail. What do I do now if the whole tank looks like a tank of mud?


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## Wolfstardobe (Jan 28, 2010)

You can leave it in hopes of it settling (which can take a while) or you can empty it remove the gravel and add sand. Small Diameter gravel is just a step up from sand. The average gravel is just too big in most cases.


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## Kaxen (Mar 3, 2013)

I did gravel cap on a soil too. 

I had to do a few water changes before it cleared up and I also had to let it settle for like three days or so. And it got clearer as the plants got established too. 

How thick is your gravel cap? My first attempt at a gravel cap was too shallow and it was a disaster. x_x


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

how deep is the soil and the cap? I personally would of used topsoil or organic potting soil. You will likely need to alter something if it hasn't cleared up by now. A freshly setup soil tank should not get very murky at all


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## kman (Dec 10, 2013)

If the whole tank is muddy, drain as much water as you can, and refill _extremely_ slowly. BUT first, put down a layer of saran wrap directly on the gravel, then a layer or two of newspaper. The slooooowly fill the tank. This will ensure the least disruption to the substrate as possible. Let it sit for a day or two with no circulation and see if everything settles out.

If not, I'd give it up and restart. Consider a sand cap or REALLY fine gravel instead of the gravel you're using now. At least you're just starting up, so it's not like you're two weeks into the cycling process and starting over.


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## DalphiaRose (Dec 6, 2013)

What I did wrong was I had some water already in the tank, (maybe half an inch) and did not put NEARLY enough gravel on top. So it just clouded the whole thing!

After several hours of fiddling, I finally scrapped the whole thing (I'll be cleaning the gravel and dirt so that I can reuse most of the gravel) I managed to do much better. Now, the tank is pretty and full of water and plants and woot!


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## Wolfstardobe (Jan 28, 2010)

Awesome! Be wary of any gravel vaccing if you decide to. It will pull that sand right up and it'll be cloudy again.


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## DalphiaRose (Dec 6, 2013)

Thanks! I have a gravel vac, will clean up debris, but won't be shoving it down in the gravel at all. Plus, with some snails and shrimp, hopefully a lot of yucky stuff will get eaten. :]


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## Wolfstardobe (Jan 28, 2010)

When I first started doing dirted tanks I made that mistake. Lol I will use the vac but I never go into the substrate. Mostly I skim it over to pick up any loose debris.


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## rubbie5837 (Dec 22, 2014)

Just a suggestion, but instead of using a gravel vac, I use a piece of airline hose. It's big enough to pick up the leftover food and all but doesn't create so much suction to disrupt the cap. But it does make cleaning a little bit longer of a task. But for me, it works like a charm because I can get right up on the plants without doing any harm.


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## DalphiaRose (Dec 6, 2013)

Alright, both of my tanks are now soil and gravel, let's hope I can catch any ammonia spikes.


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