PapaLoc

In the three months that the soil stood in your livingroom, something else might have happened besides the airing out.

In the time the soil stood in your living room, no organic matter would be added to the soil. That means that the bacteria in the soil had 3 months to degrade the existing organic matter.

So the soil you used in your first tank could in theory have contained a whole lot more organic matter than the same soil you used in your new tank, 3 months later.

If your livingroom also has a higher temperature than the soil in the ground that would only let the bacterias work faster.

So, less organic matter, less bacterial production, less leaked ammonia and free N2 into the water....

Is my theory, its just that though, a theory...

PapaLoc

sarahbobarah, no need to bake the soil. That might acually kill the bacteria, which as I understand it, would not be a good thing.

Just spread it out somewhere you cat can't get too, a shed or something.

(can't edit my post...)

PapaLoc

Well darn it. I can't edit my posts, and I just saw I copycat'ed Dwalstad(I missed what she wroted because I thought it was the qoute to the OP). Didn't mean to step on any toes, sorry...

scrkpr

Dwalstad: Yes the plants are growing great! Even newly added crypts don't melt, even when I accidently snap off their roots and the yellow water is not too bothersome. Although crystal clear water would be nice it is not that important to me. It will happen eventually.

My goldfish and dojo loaches are happy as can be, even though they have their noses down close to the gasses much of the time. The goldfish just love eating off that 24 hour buffet. The loaches have changed color a little bit since I switched to an El Natural tank. They have a hint of rust color now, but I don't believe it is anything serious, as they still act fine and show no other signs of disease or stress. Actually, they are happier with all those plants to hide in and dig up

Olvar

Would this make it possible to use a couple of bags of potting soil that have been stored for about 5 years? Would the bacteria have broken down the excess enough in that time to be useable? I normally wouldn't mind going out to get the topsoil, but every store around here only carries potting soil.

Jane in Upton

Because of this thread, I left soil out to "air" in shallow cardboard box lids in my basement for nearly a month before using it to re-do my 30 gal tank. Of course, it got completely dry, too, but I moistened it before putting it into the tank.

I really think letting a soil out-gas, age or mature is a VERY valuable key! I'm convinced! My most recent setup has been the least problematic of any soil underlayer setup that I've done before.

I also have a friend who recently set up her first soil underlayer tank, and I told her to let the soil air out. Her tank is doing really well too.

And thanks Betty for linking this thread into the NPT procedures sticky! This technique certainly gets my vote!
-Jane

HeyPK

I believe that the soil scrkpr referred to in the #1 post was some kind of commercial potting soil. These soils are often loaded with quite a lot of fertilizer and, also, they are usually sterilized. If they were not sterilized, bacteria would oxidize all the ammonium to nitrate. Probably when they are left open to the air, they get recolonized by bacteria that then oxidize all the ammonium. When they dry up the bacteria of course are inactive and can't do anything.

I have found that sometimes dried up soil causes a lot of bacterial growth when it is put under water, whereas moist soil never does. The only explanation I can think of is that drying may have killed a lot of the soil organisms and then they decay rapidly when the soil is covered with water.

I think the beneficial activities of the soil organisms can best be encouraged by putting the soil in a covered container like a sweater box or larger covered plastic container. The cover should be on loosely enough to allow some air exchange, but not so loose that the soil dries up. One or two weeks should be plenty of time for the decay and oxidation of all easily decomposable organic matter.

If there is very much nitrate in the soil there will be bubbling when the soil is covered with gravel and then water in the tank. The bubbles are nitrogen gas produced by denitrifying bacteria that use the nitrate the way we use oxygen in respiration. When the oxygen is used up many bacteria can turn to nitrate as a substitute. They give off N2 in the process.

Olvar

Well to sort of answer my own questions above, i thought i'd post the results of a bit of testing i've done. The old bag of soil i had did fine although it was mostly broken down peat. I went to Ace picked up a few bags of there cheap hyponex stuff, took a large storage tub (it had a crack i fixed with duct tape) and dumped the soil in there. I've let it sit and air out in there and a couple of times a week I go in and stir it up. A week ago I put it in the first of the 55 gallons, it bubbled for about the first day and after that it seems to be doing fine. The only other bubbling I have noticed is when I planted some glosso I found while out shopping.