Dirted tank

[yoyohughes]

Quick question, can i put garden soil under aqua soil? I know you can cap it with sand but will the aqua soil let it leak through?

 

[Colin_T]

Adding soil to aquariums causes nothing but problems. If you want to add something to encourage plant growth, get some clay and make balls about 10mm diameter. Put these under the plants and leave it at that.

 

[yoyohughes]

Adding soil to aquariums causes nothing but problems. If you want to add something to encourage plant growth, get some clay and make balls about 10mm diameter. Put these under the plants and leave it at that.

I've seen many people i watch i youtube have very successful dirted tanks

 

[Retired Viking]

There are also many people on this forum that had nothing but trouble, The main issue is after a year or two the nutrients in the soil are used up and the soil is worn out and you have to change it which is a big mess. Also you never know what pesticides may be in the soil or bacteria. Some members have had success, It is so much easier to use plant tabs or have plants that absorb what they need from the water and plant them in sand or gravel or do like @Colin_T suggested.

 

[Byron]

I've seen many people i watch i youtube have very successful dirted tanks

One thing we all beed to learn from Youtube--you cannot trust anything posted there, unless you know the knowledge level of the individual posting it. Anyone can post utter nonsense, but we have no way of ascertaining the facts behind it. Do those tanks really last, or do the fish really survive? Or...whatever.

As for soil substrate tanks, they are more trouble than benefit. Organics in the soil decompose, producing ammonia and CO2. Ironically this is exactly the benefit and main problem. The initial CO2 will help plants, for a few months. The initial ammonia will often kill fish for up to six months. After several months, the risk of ammonia should be gone, but so also is the benefit. Even Diana Walstad, who was behind the soil substrate movement (so to speak) has written that in one year, an inert sand substrate will be of equal benefit for plants as the soil substrate. So in my view there is no benefit but a lot of risk.