Potting Soil

[DeepSeaFishin]

I have a 10 gallon tank with no fish in it currently, it has a hob filter and a airstone. I just dump water from my 30 gallon water changes into it, but since its full now I was wondering....I have around 1.5-2 WPG, and there is currently no substrate in it. I'm wondering if I can purchase potting soil, example: the topsoil that you use for potted plants around your garden. Put around one inch of that, and around 2-3 inches of aquarium gravel ontop of it. And try growing various plants in it. And after monitoring the water params for a while, possibly add fish into it. Im worried that the topsoil has various fertilizers that are extremely harmful to fish. I know that my petstore does not sell aqaurium enriched soil for freshwater, and so I'm looking for an alternative to beneficial soil for growing plants.

I do not intend on adding fish, however, If it is safe enough I will add them.

Thanks

Tom

 

[DeepSeaFishin]

I guess you can say I'm going for the "Diana Walstad" approach. For those of you who dont know about her, she keeps planted tanks with potting soil substrate and no co2 injection to my knowledge.

 

[zig]

Not sure DeepSeaFishin I have never tried this approach, why dont you ask her yourself, she has a section on the APC forum dedicated to this method, lots of info over there.

Just browse down to the El Natural section on that forum Diane Walsted is the moderator and will answer questions but lots of info available anyway by looking through the threads.

APC