A good read!

[myswtsins]

I enjoyed reading this blog & thought I'd share with everyone, very informative without being overly techy. I am tempted to do a mineralized top soil tank so this was interesting to me.

 

[dundadundun]

not a bad read... good find.

 

[Dwarf Puffers]

I'll never get over how complicated plant people are. Still, it was an interesting read, though I've yet to find a potting soil that didn't contain fertilizers, etc. that would kill fish and/or inverts.

 

[myswtsins]

Plants come easy to some people but for some of us who can kill java ferns :cry: some degree of complication is necessary to find success. I WISH I could just throw some easy low light plants in a tank and have them survive, I really like easy.

I actually just started mineralizing some soil today. It is Garden Pro brand and only contains natural soils, compost & aged bark,$1.33 for 40lbs. You could just use some dirt from your yard too, the mineralization process has a step for getting rid of any possible fertilizers or chemicals.

 

[plantbrain]

You can also view the worm casting method:

http://www.aquahobby.com/tanks/e_tank0311b.php

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[myswtsins]

I've looked into worm castings (Wormstrate) too but the MTS appealed to me more for some reason, probably because it will be cheaper for me because I have access to potash and no need for dolomite, just need clay. I have read equally good things about both substrates so I guess it just came down to price & availability of ingredients for me.

 

[jbradt]

I'll never get over how complicated plant people are. Still, it was an interesting read, though I've yet to find a potting soil that didn't contain fertilizers, etc. that would kill fish and/or inverts.

I consider myself to be a plant person, and you can ask anyone that knows me; I'm nowhere near complicated.

 

[plantbrain]

I've looked into worm castings (Wormstrate) too but the MTS appealed to me more for some reason, probably because it will be cheaper for me because I have access to potash and no need for dolomite, just need clay. I have read equally good things about both substrates so I guess it just came down to price & availability of ingredients for me.

Both are "dirt" cheap and WC are fast, you can boil soil also to speed the process up or wait.......

Or use ADA AS.......etc.......I hate layered sediments for my tanks at home, so they are all single type sediments only.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[plantbrain]

I'll never get over how complicated plant people are. Still, it was an interesting read, though I've yet to find a potting soil that didn't contain fertilizers, etc. that would kill fish and/or inverts.

This is why you boil or allow it to mineralize for 2-3 weeks prior to use, if you use the DSM, then you are growing the plants in 1st....and mineralizign the soil, then you fill the tank up, then add a fish a few days later.

Mostly the issue is too much organic matter, bacteria take care of that, or boiling(thermal oxidiation) is the fast way, then the NH4 in th soil is converted to NO3....or removed by the plants directly, particularly if the CO2/other nutrients, light are good..........

So there's nothing toxic about it in a few days etc...........

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[myswtsins]

Both are "dirt" cheap and WC are fast, you can boil soil also to speed the process up or wait.......

Exactly why I am starting with MTS (versus something like ADA AS). I will definitely readdress the worm castings as an option though, I've got time! I am following Aaron's process (here) for the MTS, at what point/s would you suggest boiling the soil to speed up the process, during step 1 rinsing?

Or use ADA AS.......etc.......I hate layered sediments for my tanks at home, so they are all single type sediments only.

Regards,
Tom Barr

I am also not thrilled about the idea of layered substrate but I'm poor right now & taking what I can get. Maybe one day my plant dollars can buy me an upgrade to ADA AS and maybe even a rimless 40g breeder to put it in & so on and so forth.