[Wet Thumb Forum]-Low Tech Substrate Advice - Page 2 - El Natural

hubbahubbahehe · 03-03-2004, 07:05 AM

Mrs. Walstad,

I've read your book and I think it's great. I did a 10 gallon using your advice of 1 inch potting soil and 1 inch of gravel on top. The plants grew wonderfully, no sign of nutrient deficiencies, good green growth, and no co2 added. However, when i tore it down, it was unbelievably stinky at the bottom. Is that normal? If i had left it going for more than a couple months, would it have been a problem?

dwalstad · 03-03-2004, 12:48 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Algae Grower:
Mrs. Walstad,

I've read your book and I think it's great. I did a 10 gallon using your advice of 1 inch potting soil and 1 inch of gravel on top. The plants grew wonderfully, no sign of nutrient deficiencies, good green growth, and no co2 added. However, when i tore it down, it was unbelievably stinky at the bottom. Is that normal? If i had left it going for more than a couple months, would it have been a problem?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess I'm just one of these rare people that doesn't object to dirt or stink or gas bubbling substrates. If the fish and plants are fine, then what else matters?

Diana Walstad

The Bishop · 03-11-2004, 10:19 AM

I enjoy the natural aquatic processes as well. The stink- and dirt-lovers aren't as rare as one might think

It's the clean commercial stuff I can't stand. It's funny, but time and time again the hobby has reverted back to nature. Remember the old marine aquariums with about 15 pieces of external hardware? Or, perhaps, the advice to always use activated carbon in any tank? Now the salties are preaching refugiums and sumps, and there isn't a hobbyist I'm friends with who uses activated carbon regularly.

Nature is the way to go. And it's pretty much free!

The path of least resistance will seldom lead you beyond your doorstep.

galactic_blue · 03-11-2004, 11:52 AM

Ms. Walstad,

I started tinkering with planted tanks almost three years ago. I used a 2"-3" substrate of 50% "standard" gravel and 50% Flourite. Plants grew well, but I had to dose the water quite a bit with fertilizers and iron (of course) tablets.

I have learned quite a bit on my own since, mostly the hard way.

It is my understanding from your posts on this "list" that Flourite is deficient in iron, but potting soil has plenty. Would I get satisfactory results with a layer of soil and a layer of my 50/50 gravel on top?

I would like to steer away from using fertilizers because I don't seem to have much luck with them. Our tap water chemistry changes quite a bit depending on the season, which does not help.

hubbahubbahehe · 03-11-2004, 03:28 PM

galactic blue,! hi! I'm in the same boat as you dude. can't get those ferts right no matter what.... and i also have flourite.... back in the day when i used soil, man oh man i didn't have to worry about ferts and the plants were the best they ever looked..

dwalstad · 03-12-2004, 04:56 AM

[quote]It is my understanding from your posts on this "list" that Flourite is deficient in iron, but potting soil has plenty. Would I get satisfactory results with a layer of soil and a layer of my 50/50 gravel on top?QUOTE]

I'm guessing that Fluorite has enough iron, but that it is not available (please read carefully Roger Miller's explanations and my March 2 letter in the "El Natural/Substrate Iron" folder).

If you mix Fluorite with potting soil, which has A LOT of organic matter (think iron chelators), I'd predict a large iron release from Flourite and problems. However, you're talking about layering. You might get away with it, but why risk it?

If I were setting up a tank with potting soil layer, I'd just buy some new gravel. I would not re-use the Fluorite/gravel. Note: I keep old gravel around for potting aquarium plants AND those cold/icy days when I might need some traction if my car gets stuck in the ice.

Diana Walstad