# Wrong soil?



## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Dang, I just bought a bag of Earthgro potting soil to start my NPT, and I think it's the wrong stuff. Obviously the ingredients are dependent on region, and for Georgia it says, 78-85% aged pine bark, sand, and perlite! Grrrr, I so should have read it while I was in the store!:-(...I saw "Earthgro" and thought it was what I had read in most of the posts on Walstad NPTs...now, I realize it was the Earthgro top soil that folks were talking about. I'm frustrated.


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## Turtle4353 (Jul 27, 2012)

Same mistake with MiracleGro, as you already know lol ALL THOSE LABELS!!


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Turtle4353 said:


> Same mistake with MiracleGro, as you already know lol ALL THOSE LABELS!!


Yeah, I am just so excited to get this going...that may be my first mistake in trying a Natural Planted Tank...I'm not patient lol. I really want to give it go though...I guess I go looking for more/different dirt tomorrow.


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## Hopeseeker (Feb 6, 2012)

I bought MiracleGro organic choice garden soil to start mine...another user on here has recently set one up with it. And another user has used MiracleGro organic choice potting soil.


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Hopeseeker said:


> I bought MiracleGro organic choice garden soil to start mine...another user on here has recently set one up with it. And another user has used MiracleGro organic choice potting soil.


Thanks...I have heard a lot of people saying Miracle Grow Organic also...wondering what is the difference in the garden versus potting...I'm assuming the garden doesn't have as much perlite etc. that I don't want. How was the garden soil with water clarity, prams etc?


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## starrlamia (May 3, 2012)

i used the garden soil as well, I had no issues whatsoever with it, if you cap it properly you wont get any clarity issues, and I have never had any issues with my parameters. I think most people recommend the potting mix because it doesnt contain any animal manure. Honestly dont see it mattering.
Also, the potting mix doesnt have perlite, you need to get the organic kind of miracle gro and not the regular


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

The perlite shouldn't be an issue, however, the pine bark is what I would worry about.

The tank I used a no name potting soil with the perlite is going on 5 years and it has not had any issues. The only problem I have had with the perlite is the mess it makes when I pull a plant and/or replant-disturbe the soil and the perlite floats to the surface and looks ugly until I get it netted out. It will clog up a filter if too much gets sucked in-but that is an easy fix.

The pine bark might cause a toxic issue especially in smaller tanks since it won't be diluted...Personally I won't use pine, cedar, ash type species or grape vines in systems due to the sap, tar, toxic substance they can produce.

Top soil is a good choice as long as it doesn't have a lot of manure and pine bark and some will. Take a walk in the woods and dig your own soil...sift with a little clay and sand for your NPT...if you have access....


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Oldfishlady said:


> The perlite shouldn't be an issue, however, the pine bark is what I would worry about.
> 
> The tank I used a no name potting soil with the perlite is going on 5 years and it has not had any issues. The only problem I have had with the perlite is the mess it makes when I pull a plant and/or replant-disturbe the soil and the perlite floats to the surface and looks ugly until I get it netted out. It will clog up a filter if too much gets sucked in-but that is an easy fix.
> 
> ...


Omgosh..thanks OFL..I just bought the organic Miracle Grow..and again it is mostly composted PINE bark! Sigh, I guess I will be exchanging this one too! In my area it seems pine is in all of them, and more than 50%...sigh. We live near the ocean, and my back yard is actually pretty natural, no furtilizers etc..but I worry cause it is mostly this black sandy stuff...sigh. I want to get this tank going, and I want to do it right. Any help you can give me OFL will be greatly appreciated.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I would give your dirt in your yard a try-What size tank are you starting with, what is your planed cap for the soil, finial stocking, type of lights, filter and list of plants....


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Oldfishlady said:


> I would give your dirt in your yard a try-What size tank are you starting with, what is your planed cap for the soil, finial stocking, type of lights, filter and list of plants....


Yeah, I figure I'm going to try my yard's soil. I have a 10g divided that I am going to keep two bettas in, a small grain stone for my cap, lighting will be part South facing window (two windows actually, one is west), combined the windows get about 6 hours of direct sunlight a day and I have blinds to adjust..and a florescent light that is only 4200k right now, I will change the bulb as soon as I can..I plan on using the whisper internal filter, but I need to find out how to use it without the charcoal filter media..still reading on that...I have a list of plants that I got from researching, but I also saw this package deal, maybe you can tell me if this is a good start

http://www.shop.plantedaquariumscentral.com/20-Gallon-Low-Light-Plant-Package-lowlipack.htm

Thanks for all your input OFL...I want to succeed with this!


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Oh, and I would like to add a couple MTSs if you can let me know about these also.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

For a soil based tank you need lots of stem plants and at least one type of floating plant like water lettuce.....
For a 10gal I would get at least 2-3 bunched of 3-4 different stem plants-you usually get 5-12 stems in a bunch. Rosette are fine too as well as your moss and ferns-but the fast growing stem and floating plants are what keeps the water fish safe. Once the soil matures and starts its life underwater (about 3 months) you can start removing some of the stem to use on another NPT-You should have to make your first trim in about 7-10 days-this will tell you that the tank is doing well. Either re-plant them or save to start another tank.
You don't need to worry about the nitrogen cycle since you will be doing the silent cycle. The active plant growth will take care of the water. Its not uncommon to not have nitrate show up for a long time if ever since the plants use the ammonia before conversion-but the nitrogen cycle is still happening.
http://www.shop.plantedaquariumscentral.com/Bunched-plants_c14.htm

You need at least 10h/day photoperiod to start using a 6500k daylight bulb along with the natural sunlight.
Make sure the partition between the light and water is always clean or remove it all together for best light penetration to the plants.

For 10gal-Use 1-1.5 inches of dirt and cap that with half as much as the soil...about half inch or so-The cap is just to help keep the soil in place.

Place your filter and heater in the tank after you add the soil and before you add the hard scape and plant-This way you know that they won't be in the way-Place a hard scape item under the overflow of your filter so you don't get kick up.

MTS-trumpet snail-yes you need them to help aerate the soil to prevent anaerobic spots and they help a bit with clean up of algae and dead/dieing plant/organic matter. Common snails IMO/E are an important part of the closed ecosystem especially in soil based tanks. MTS are live bearing snails and can get out of control unless you keep them in check by manual removal on a regular bases.

Once planted, scaped and filled-make water changes until the water is clear. 

When I setup an NPT-I add all my livestock including the fish the same day-

Look forward to pics....


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Oldfishlady said:


> For a soil based tank you need lots of stem plants and at least one type of floating plant like water lettuce.....
> For a 10gal I would get at least 2-3 bunched of 3-4 different stem plants-you usually get 5-12 stems in a bunch. Rosette are fine too as well as your moss and ferns-but the fast growing stem and floating plants are what keeps the water fish safe. Once the soil matures and starts its life underwater (about 3 months) you can start removing some of the stem to use on another NPT-You should have to make your first trim in about 7-10 days-this will tell you that the tank is doing well. Either re-plant them or save to start another tank.
> You don't need to worry about the nitrogen cycle since you will be doing the silent cycle. The active plant growth will take care of the water. Its not uncommon to not have nitrate show up for a long time if ever since the plants use the ammonia before conversion-but the nitrogen cycle is still happening.
> http://www.shop.plantedaquariumscentral.com/Bunched-plants_c14.htm
> ...


You are too cool OFL..thanks so much. I am getting a little intimidated by all the technical jargon lol, but I will press on. I'm not the type to back down from a challenge...I hope ha ha ha.:shock:


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