# Question on soil and ammonia release



## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

So for all of you who have dirted tanks - how big of a problem is the release of ammonia from the soil when the tank's first set up? Last night, I took clippings from all of my best growing plants to put in an empty 10 gallon with soil/sand cap to get them growing really well for an aquascaping contest I'm in in a few weeks. I have the soil, sand, and water in the tank right now but haven't planted it yet.

The problem now is, I promised my brother I would quarantine his new betta which he wasn't supposed to get for a month. This tank I just put the soil in is my only empty tank right now. And he just texted me that he found a betta he loved and bought it, so the fish is waiting for me in his little cup on my dining room table right now. The tank will be HEAVILY planted with: microswords, ludwigia repens, vesuvius swords, a ton of cabomba, pygmy chain swords, hygro blue willow, scarlet temple, baby tears, and dwarf sag. And I mean heavily planted. It will also have a fully cycled filter on it. Do you think the plants + filter will be enough to keep the betta safe from the ammonia? Or should I take out the soil?


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Why don't you just do a test and see how it is?

If you didn't let the dirt "breathe" without water for several days before flooding it, I am pretty sure ammonia will spike to very dangerous levels, even with a seeded filter.


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

Well, I don't want to test it out with the fish in there, but I also don't want to leave him in his cup. Maybe it's time to buy another critter keeper.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I have set up my bubble bowl with soil and black diamond 'sand' cap twice (when i tried to remove the blyxa woo those long roots made such a mess! had to redo the whole substrate). Even with a good cap you're going to get a few weeks of ammonia leeching. I've used it to cycle my filter and keep it cycled in that tank. It took 4-6 weeks I think to stop leeching ammonia for me, but every setup is different with different products, quantities, and plant mass. Best thing to do is test it.
Even still I'd STRONGLY advice against putting a fish in before the ammonia stops leeching. Though you can dose 5x Prime to bind ammonia and nitrite for up to 48 hours you'll have to do frequent water changes and re-dose. With a cycled filter you'll still see high nitrates which can also be harmful as they rise up (mine could get to the 80ppm range in a week right after the 2nd set up with the cycled filter). It will be a bit of a pain maintain good 'clean' water parameters. I'd recommended a different tank with filter and heater for the betta.


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

See originally, I was thinking it would be no big deal to put the fish in right away because Old Fish Lady writes that she stocks her tank the day she sets it up. But then I was reading more about the ammonia leaching and wasn't so sure anymore. I've just never done an NPT before, but I want to keep all these plants growing and healthy so they're at their best for the aquascaping contest.


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## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

givemethatfish said:


> Well, I don't want to test it out with the fish in there, but I also don't want to leave him in his cup. Maybe it's time to buy another critter keeper.


I meant check your water parameters before putting the fish in. But you would have to test extensively for at least a couple of days.

Maybe a Critter Keeper is the right direction


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## kittenfish (Dec 1, 2013)

I wouldn't recommend adding a fish right away, but I've done it. You would need to carefully monitor your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels to make sure nothing gets too high.


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