Top Soil Substrate

[ShadowMeldFS]

I've read about plenty of people using the ADA AS, EC, or laterite for part of their substrate, but have seen very few topics on using a sand/top soil mix. I'm curious why more people don't try this.

 

[SuperColey1]

It can be used but bear in mind different companies use different methods and ingredients. for example you may find in one reputable brand that their actual soil (loam) is heat sterilsed whereas the product that the same company produces for a large DIY company's (with an orange logo) own label is straight from the field and just screened to remove stones and glass etc.

Both will have some farm manure (which is actually mushroom compost mixed with broken down chipboard these days.)

Therefore if you spend on the named brand then you will get sterilised soil. If you go for the own brand you may as well go out into your own garden with a sieve and add some dog poo to it.

AC

 

[Underwurlde]

I use (gasp, shock) soil that I have dug up from my back garden. To this I added Westland John Innes No.2 Potting on Compost, ‘Diamond Black’ Leonardite, Mulm & some KelKay Horticultural Grit Sand.

I do not use CO2.

My plants grow & grow (but NOT explosively a la EI). Never had any problems, tank healthy, plants healty, fish healthy.

Soil dug up HAS to be conditioned FIRST to leech all the ammonia out, otherwise you'll see the world's biggest ammonia spike and hence a bunch of dead fish..... Oh, & of course it'll have to be capped with sand / gravel (I used 2-3mm gravel).

I started my 'soil from the garden' experiment in July 2007. It's been going ever since....

Total cost: Next to nowt. Effort: quite a bit.

Andy