drbob

Ok, just setup a new 80g tank.... and used earthgro topsoil from home depot. I put about 3" of topsoil and 1.5-2" of rock on top. after filling the tank up it was clear, but 2-3 hours later is brown. I have change all the water out many times and still it turns brown. here is a photo

01krisp10

Nice tank I'm jealous!

Its recommended to use no more than 1-1.5" of topsoil, as anything more can become anaerobic and create toxins. Same goes for gravel as it needs to be thin so water can get to the soil easily.

The brown you are seeing is because of the mass of soil you have in there. It will go away after a while...

Have you tried using a siphon hose instead of a bucket? I have much better luck using one. Good luck!

TeutonJon78

Earthgro can be really full of floaty bits. It is in the Pacific NW, but I'm not sure where you are. i actually "rinsed" my earthgro before using it after I did a bottle test. Or, you could have just put the dirt in buckets full of water and let it sit.

Also, when you're filling the tank, make sure you doing it slowly, and just dumping the water in. It can hard to not disturb the soil without any biofilms there.

And unfortunately, I agree with 01krisp10, you have pretty deep layers. Deeper than normally recommended for this style, but probably not unworkable. You'll just want to make sure you have LOTS of heavy root feeders.

I just noticed you also have a HOB filter on the tank. You'll probably want that off for a few days while things settle down.

DataGuru

Yep, I agree. Too deep. How big are the rocks you used to top it off?

I'd drain it down totally and remove all but about an inch of soil. Top it with a finer gravel. I use pool filter media.

drbob

ok I cleaned it all out and started over with just dirt and peat moss from my backyard..
and its clear now, that earthgro just wouldn't work, even with 1" deep and tried to wash it.

thanks, for the help... I will post some pics up tonight.