How-To: Mineralized Soil Substrate, by Aaron Talbot - Page 5 - APC Library

DonaldmBoyer · 09-01-2008, 07:40 AM

Aaron---

Very interesting write up! I am intrigued! I was wondering why you discourage the use of peat? Couldn't you put a fine (very fine and post-boiled) layer of it down during the dolomite/potash phase prior to adding the clay/soil mixture? Wouldn't this help to soften the water and reduce the pH a touch?

You could just filter water through boiled peat, but I am confused a bit by the purposeful "lack of initial" organics. Would this be due to the fact of a potential algal bloom then?

hooha · 09-01-2008, 07:58 AM

in my experience, the original algal bloom lasts almost 2 months if you add some peat.

cah925 · 09-09-2008, 02:58 PM

What will this process do to the water params?

AaronT · 09-09-2008, 03:55 PM

It doesn't change them as far as I know. Honestly, I don't really test my water much, but the last time I did it was pretty close to the tap.

richard901 · 09-21-2008, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oregon aqua

does this mean i have to start over again? can i screen the wood out? This stuff was .75cents a bag i figured that was the "cheap" top soil as it cant get much cheaper. if this stuff is trash im grabbing the shovel and headed to the forest out back and getting that soil after all the next step in cheap top soil is free top soil lol. and i can screen it before i start AGAIN.

edit:OMG THIS STUFF DOESNT HAVE ANY SOIL IN IT DOES IT?????????? HAVE I BEEN PLAYING IN MANURE MUD AND WOOD? FOR NO REASON ???????AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The ingreadeints list just hit me no wonder this "TOP SOIL" is so cheap....... thiers no top soil in it. just poop and wood. so gross.

I laughed pretty hard!

I bought top soil from homer depot and all it was, sand and mulch; I strained most of the heavy particulates and I ended up with pure sand.. dissapointing...
Than I decided to dig up some old fashioned soil in the back yard, heavy, mud-making stuff that worms crawl in. I followed the procedure, but I took it a step further and used a large kitchen strainer to remove all but the smallest pieces of particulates. In the end, I ended up with "black water" and let it settle for a few weeks. Some of the finest mud ever! then let it dry, wet again, etc. and all in all, it feels like a a bed of thick foamy sponge beneath the gravely sand I layed on top. plants love it and roors really start growing in the substrate!

oregon aqua · 09-21-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

I laughed pretty hard!

I bought top soil from homer depot and all it was, sand and mulch; I strained most of the heavy particulates and I ended up with pure sand.. dissapointing...
Than I decided to dig up some old fashioned soil in the back yard, heavy, mud-making stuff that worms crawl in. I followed the procedure, but I took it a step further and used a large kitchen strainer to remove all but the smallest pieces of particulates. In the end, I ended up with "black water" and let it settle for a few weeks. Some of the finest mud ever! then let it dry, wet again, etc. and all in all, it feels like a a bed of thick foamy sponge beneath the gravely sand I layed on top. plants love it and roors really start growing in the substrate!

Im happy i could make you laugh. I also hope people learned to check the bag for whats actually in it. On the bright side im using it to grow some emrsed plants outside it works pretty good lol.

KraKen · 10-05-2008, 11:24 PM

I thought I'd point out that Muriate of potash is just an archaic term for potassium chloride.

mgarone · 10-07-2008, 08:57 AM

This is very intriguing and I am hoping to use this method for my new 29 gallon tank. I was just wondering if you could store the mineralized soil in plastic bags maybe? I am in college and my apartment has no backyard or hose for that matter. I am heading home for a break and was just wondering if I could do it at home and store it to bring back with me? If anyone knows anything about that I would appreciate some insight. Thanks.

AaronT · 10-07-2008, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgarone

This is very intriguing and I am hoping to use this method for my new 29 gallon tank. I was just wondering if you could store the mineralized soil in plastic bags maybe? I am in college and my apartment has no backyard or hose for that matter. I am heading home for a break and was just wondering if I could do it at home and store it to bring back with me? If anyone knows anything about that I would appreciate some insight. Thanks.

Sure, there's no reason you can't keep it in bags, buckets or any other type of container.

mgarone · 10-07-2008, 06:15 PM

awesome! thank you!