Change To Dirt

[Serna2000]

Hello all,
So I am moving in about a week and I want to know how to change to dirt substrate. I have plants in black gravel right now and they are doing great. What are the benifets? Is it hard to clean and how do you clean dirt? Lol is it going to make my tank all muddy? I really want a natural look and don't want it to affect my ph and have everything go all crazy on me. I thought since I'm draining the tank all the way to move it ( saving all the water I'm getting a bunch of buckets) I thought I might as well Change it into somthing nice. Also what kind of dirt do I use?

 

[kylealastairlove]

hello

i recently changed to dirt substrate! so i may be able to advise you. well i saved my sand but i started by emptying my tank completely and saving as much as my old tank water as i could. i had been out and brought some aquatic potting compost, i layed about a 2inch layer on the bottom of the tank and then i covered it with my sand substrate (about an inch thick), in order to keep the dirt in place and stop it floating about and dirtying up the tank. then just add all of your old tank water and top up if necessary water will probably be a little cloudy when done but it will clear after the first few days of my substrate change i already noticed a great improvement in plant growth, i was very pleased with it i wouldnt know what to reccomend because i've only ever had the one tank and only just changed to dirt, but i used a brand of aquatic potting soil by john innes (it said on the pack it was for borderline and aquatic pond plants. but it works great either way)

Good luck dirting up your tank !