All natural aquarium with homemade aqua soil.

[Utar]

Over the past five years of my fish keeping I have not had more then three tanks up at one time. These where all small tanks. I moved about a year ago and setup my largest aquarium so far a 55 gallon. At present it is my only tank. Due to mixed results of losing fish and having some live for years, this time I did everything different. Where in my previous aquariums I used artificial and painted ornaments, like pirate ships, etc that I bought from different places including Walmart I went all natural. I have in my 55 all natural plants, wood, rocks, and my homemade aqua soil.

So that is my first with all natural and because it has only been up and going for the past four months so far I have had good results, but only time will tell.
I also include feeding my fish more natural food, like frozen brine shrimp where in the past I only feed them freeze dried flakes etc.

Here is my homemade aqua soil recipe which I learned from youtube watching an old gentleman called Father Fish.

2" thick of aquasoil in 55g tank.
Supplements
1/2 cup (4 oz) each
Earthworm Castings (Made from earthworm farms, has lots of benefits)
Blood Meal (High in Nitrogen lowers ph)
Baking Soda (an alkaline compound raises ph)
Ironite Plus 15-10-10 (Slow release because plants need iron)
Yellow Iron Oxide (For more pure iron,it is safe for aquarium use, slowly breaks down over time)
Pro Aglime (raises ph used in soil for plant growth)
Diatomaceous Earth (for calcium made from ancient diatoms)

1/3 cup (2 oz) very little each
Epsom Salt for plants (helps with bad bacteria)
Osomekote (slow release)

Main ingredients
16 cups
Black Kow 0.5 0.5 0.5
Organic Miracle Grow
Peat Moss (lowers ph Helps to keep aquasoil from compacting allow an easy time for plant roots)
Pool Filter Sand (will also help to keep aquasoil from compacting)

Mixed with just enough aquarium water (do not use tap water) to create a paste like aquasoil, you don't want it soupy.
This way it will spread in the tank and not mix with sand and or rock cap.
After adding this aquasoil to my 55g tank, I mixed up a second batch of 16 cups of Black Kow, and 16 cups of Organic Mirical Grow.
Mixed this with aquarium water to a paste. Then added this on top of the previous aqua soil.

I cleaned a full bag of Pool Filter Sand, 1" capping on top of the aquasoil.
I cleaned 2 full bags of Pea Pebbles for a 2" capping.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Interesting! Find a copy of "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Walstad and memorize it.

All my tanks are dirted and natural, too. I keep mine a lot simpler, though: I just put in an inch of organic, non-fertilized potting soil (or dig some up from the garden--that works too) and cap it with an inch or two of sand. Root growth from dense planting helps prevent anaerobic zones from reaching unhealthy proportions. I let these tanks settle for several weeks before I add fish. Once the biology of the soil settles into aquatic mode, I find these natural tanks to be almost boringly stable. Which is, of course, a very nice problem to have.

 

[Utar]

Interesting! Find the copy of "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Walstad and memorize it.

All my tanks are dirted and natural, too. I keep mine a lot simpler, though: I just put in an inch of organic, non-fertilized potting soil (or dig some up from the garden--that works too) and cap it with an inch or two of sand. Root growth from dense planting helps prevent anaerobic zones from reaching unhealthy proportions. I let these tanks settle for several weeks before I add fish. Once the biology of the soil settles into aquatic mode, I find these natural tanks to be almost boringly stable. Which is, of course, a very nice problem to have.

I couldn't agree more, I have already read a lot of Diana Walstad's writings along with others that have done the same basic thing, which is what got me into all natural aquariums. But the reason for all the ingredients as listed, this gives the aqua soil much longer vitality for plant nutrients. This I learned from Father Fish on youtube. So I gave it all a try, but as I said my aquarium is just started so only time will tell.

I also agree with you on rooted plants making the aqua soil safer and helping to prevent anaerobic areas. I have several Amazon Sword plants which these type of plants take better advantage of aqua soil and as we all know grow huge root systems.

 

[CassCats]

Photos are a must

 

[Utar]

Photos are a must

I planted Amazon Swords, Temple Plants, and Moneywort Plants.

Here is a picture of my tank taken on 8-15-20


Here is a picture taken today 10-26-20

 

[CassCats]

That sword is niiice

 

[HoldenOn]

My goodness! It's huuugeee!

 

[Utar]

My goodness! It's huuugeee!

Not only the aqua soil but I also dose with Thrive C once a week.

 

[HoldenOn]

Not only the aqua soil but I also dose with Thrive C once a week.

My tank has a ton of swords, so I might look into that. I've heard good things about seachem root tabs. So I'm gonna try getting those.

 

[Utar]

My tank has a ton of swords, so I might look into that. I've heard good things about seachem root tabs. So I'm gonna try getting those.

Yes I agree on root tabs if you don't have aqua soil, rooted plants like Amazon Swords get their nutrients through their roots as well as out of the water column.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Swords and temple plants will go for world domination in a 55g tank! ...which is also a pretty nice problem to have. Nice looking tank!

 

[utahfish]

Had a dirtrd tank once, followed the walstad method, was great for growing plants but leeched a ton of organics in the tank and takes a while for it to clear up and become stable for fish. Once stable don't ever try and move a plant as it will cause a huge mess. Having said that like any live soil after about a year or two the soil will exhaust all it's nutrients and become dead and will either need to be replaced or supplemented with root tabs. I figured rather than going to all the trouble of durting a tank that will eventually need to be supplemented with root tabs why not just skip the dirt part and go straight to just root tabs.
I now longer dirt tanks and just used an inert sand with root tabs, less fuss, less mess super easy and all my plants and fish are doing great. Have fun though and good luck!

 

[Utar]

Had a dirtrd tank once, followed the walstad method, was great for growing plants but leeched a ton of organics in the tank and takes a while for it to clear up and become stable for fish. Once stable don't ever try and move a plant as it will cause a huge mess. Having said that like any live soil after about a year or two the soil will exhaust all it's nutrients and become dead and will either need to be replaced or supplemented with root tabs. I figured rather than going to all the trouble of durting a tank that will eventually need to be supplemented with root tabs why not just skip the dirt part and go straight to just root tabs.
I now longer dirt tanks and just used an inert sand with root tabs, less fuss, less mess super easy and all my plants and fish are doing great. Have fun though and good luck!

Lot of these issues you describe here can be addressed with a bit more work in making the aqua soil and providing a thick cap. There are those that have had dirted tanks up for ten to twenty years without the soil ever exhausting the nutrients, and a thick cap can be used so that when plants are pulled up and moved very little of the aqua soil is lost to the water column, so no mess. One just has to do their research and take their time in preparing the aqua soil for years of use in an aquarium. There are slow release pellets like Osmocote, adding extra iron, and other ingredients like worm castings, etc. to enrich the aqua soil over the years, plus fish waste and uneaten food also recharge the soil.

 

[utahfish]

Lot of these issues you describe here can be addressed with a bit more work in making the aqua soil and providing a thick cap. There are those that have had dirted tanks up for ten to twenty years without the soil ever exhausting the nutrients, and a thick cap can be used so that when plants are pulled up and moved very little of the aqua soil is lost to the water column, so no mess. One just has to do their research and take their time in preparing the aqua soil for years of use in an aquarium. There are slow release pellets like Osmocote, adding extra iron, and other ingredients like worm castings, etc. to enrich the aqua soil over the years, plus fish waste and uneaten food also recharge the soil.

Or I could just get an inert substrate and use root tabs and save my self the trouble.
The point of a substrate in a planted tank is to be able to grow plants. Now if the point is to have a dirted tank for the sake of having a dirted tank then great I guess. I've found that all my plants grow just as well if not better in inert substrate with root tabs than they did with dirted tanks and I didn't have to deal with all the prep of a dirted tank. Did the dirted tank for a while did all my research and general consensus even from walstad is that most dirted tanks exhaust their nutrients in about 2 years in a heavily planted tank. 5 years is the max I've ever heard of, mine lasted about 2 years before It needed tabs.good luck though, isn't really my jam but to each their own

 

[Utar]

Or I could just get an inert substrate and use root tabs and save my self the trouble.
The point of a substrate in a planted tank is to be able to grow plants. Now if the point is to have a dirted tank for the sake of having a dirted tank then great I guess. I've found that all my plants grow just as well if not better in inert substrate with root tabs than they did with dirted tanks and I didn't have to deal with all the prep of a dirted tank. Did the dirted tank for a while did all my research and general consensus even from walstad is that most dirted tanks exhaust their nutrients in about 2 years in a heavily planted tank. 5 years is the max I've ever heard of, mine lasted about 2 years before It needed tabs.good luck though, isn't really my jam but to each their own

Your right and I understand that, because using an inert substrate with root tabs is the most popular way of growing plants in the entire aquarium hobby. I did this myself for about three years, I used Thrive caps for root tabs, good stuff.

I just wanted to try something different, and believe me I would not do this if after only a couple of years, I would have to use root tabs anyway. But then I started watching Father Fish videos on youtube, which inspired me to try his way of making aquasoil. The old Gentlemen, if I was to guess, has had an aquarium pet store for thirty plus years. In his store he has aquariums that have been up and running for years with his aquasoil and he never has to use root tabs.

One thing is that buying pre made big brand aquasiol is very expensive for just one tank like mine. For about the price and buying all the stuff to make my own, I have enough to use in three 55g tanks. So it is much cheaper to make my own. Besides it is also enriching learning experience, and fun to do.