Matt_95 Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 This method of growing aquatic plants is much cheaper and less maintenance than a high tech tank. Water changes are needed only every few months even with high density stocking levels. There are a large range this style of tank can grow, I have had luck with almost every plant I have tried, the few that have failed to grow include HC, erios, tonia and a few others. I can grow carpeting plants such as elatine, glosso and Japanese hair grass. For the soil I either use cheap topsoil from the landscapers yard, that I sift to remove the stones and twigs, or soil from my garden that I sift. Once I have sifted it I soak it in a bucket for as long as I can (for my garden soil I don't usually bother) there is advantage soaking it longer than 6 weeks. Once I have done soaking I mix in around 1 cup of crushed shells per 30cm2 to buffer the soil and ensure it does not go acid, most plants will actually prefer a neutral to slightly basic substrate, more nutrients are available at a slightly alkaline ph. I also like to add a small amount of clay for its high CEC if I feel there isn't much clay in the soil. I add 2-3cm of soil to the tank evenly spread, to deep and you will get hydrogen sulphide produced. Once I have added the soil I add a very light dusting of potassium sulphate as as soil based tanks age they often become K deficient as not much is added back to the tank through fish food and there is a limited supply in the soil. For the gravel I like to use zeolite but any gravel smaller than 3mm is fine, you don't want a fine sand though. Zeolite is good as it stores nutrients the plants can use and it will take up any ammonia present during the start up phase. Once I have added the soil I get my deep rooted plants such as lotus, swords any crypts and hold them where I want them. Once I have found where I want them I spoon enough substrate around the roots to hold it in place. I keep a mister near by to ensure nothing dries out. Once all the deep rooted plants have been planted I fill in the rest of the gravel to a depth of around 3cm. I then add a plate or something similar and slowly add water to the plate to ensure the substrate isn't disturbed. Once the tank is full I like to plant the stem plants. In the initial phases it is beneficial to have the stem plants out number the rooted plants, these take less time to establish and take up nutrients faster than the slower growing rooted plants. As the rooted plants take hold the stem plants can slowly be removed and replaced with more rooted plants. When viewed from above you want at least 75% of the substrate to be covered with plants. I usually add the fish the day I set the tank up or the day after, I use zeolite in the tank as a safeguard against ammonia though. I am yet to loose a fish from adding them this early. I make sure I test the water so that there is no ammonia and no nitrates present. The plants are usually sufficient at sucking up any ammonia released from the soil even without the zeolite. The tank should have stabilized around 3-6 months of age and you can hold off on the water changes now. For lighting I like to use T5HO as they are more energy efficient than T8 and brighter. I like to have around 2-3wpg. I have used much higher lighting but a few months in I have algae central. I turn the lights on for 4 hours, then off for four hours to allow more CO2 to build up then back on for another four. For filtration around 5-10x turnover is ideal. A filter will compete for ammonia with the plants so I just like to use power heads and I add in a sponge whenever I pull something up to filter out the particles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Fantastic Mighty Matt:applaud: I realy do think you should have more confidence in your abilities as that was a very intresting read and fits in very nicly with an early Amano book I have just got. Would you consider writing a piece on scaping next? as with your knowledge base it would be intresting to get your perspective on how to start a scape and achive a balance ETC Please consider Cheers les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_95 Posted March 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thanks Les I can't scape very well though. I would like a presentation from Wolfgang one day on scaping, he is fantastic, I ask him for advice on my scapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Great info there Matt..... Got 2 buckets of soil soaking at the moment - only made one mistake - didn't sieve it before i soaked it!!!!! Wish I'd read your post earlier..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 LOL Wayne I wonder if your bottle technic would work in that situation Perth is built on sand so I cant even use the naturaly ocuring ground hear I gorw my garden in compost fthat I make so if I put that in a bucket it would all float I might try for a trip to the hills the aluvial is clay there. Cheers les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted April 21, 2012 Report Share Posted April 21, 2012 Split from Brisbane meeting thread. Well done on a well-written and easy to follow article, Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted April 21, 2012 Report Share Posted April 21, 2012 Great idea Razzi. Thanks. Well done Matt. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted April 21, 2012 Report Share Posted April 21, 2012 Thanks 'Razzi, great idea. Once I have sifted it I soak it in a bucket for as long as I can (for my garden soil I don't usually bother) there is advantage soaking it longer than 6 weeks. No advantage, typo there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somchai2500 Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Great article Matt. Wish to get into planted tanks. The question I have: The depth of the substrate eg: 2-3cms Is there a ratio to the size of the tank. Most of my tanks are 40L x 25H x 22W , some 20x20x20 cheers Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_95 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 No ratio, just as long as it isn't over 3 ish cm. for smaller tanks I like to start very thin at the front and incraese to the maximum depth possible at the back to add depth and not clutter up the front. Give it a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeraldtonWA Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Sounds great - I've never heard anything like this before so thanks for sharing. Is a pic or two possible? Also, could you explain the purpose of soaking? And why so long? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_95 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 What did you want a picture of sorry? The soaking allows the bacteria and fungi that live in terrestrial soil to die off and allow the aquatic ones to flourish and create stability within the substrate, the chemistry also begins to change, the soil is usually exposed to high levels of oxeygen but submerged no where near as much, nutrients leach out and any ammonia is converted to nitrites then nitrates before it enters your tank. Nutrients that would leach out are removed with the water or they become different compounds or bind to particles within the soil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeraldtonWA Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I meant a pic of a tank set up by this process. Thanks for above explanation - fascinating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Hey Matt, been keeping a low profile on this topic coz Im essentially as sharp as a bowling ball when it comes to plants and aquascaping... But I just wonder if there's any way to improve the transition of bacteria that occurs when putting something from atmospheric conditions to underwater with less oxygen... And prevent the toxic awful anaerobic mess that occurs. Does seeding with "cycle" actually work in your experience????.... Coz I've tried to put beneficial bacteria into a bucket that had driftwood soaking in it and it still went putrid/stinky and I worried that I shouldn't put it in a tank. What else can you do to prevent this issue when using soil as tank substrate? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_95 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Any substrate you have in any tank will be anaerobic unless you have an under gravel filter, certain bacteria grow at different concentrations, there is a table in my book I will scan later. Some produce nitrogen gas while others produce hydrogen sulphide. My soil has never produced hydrogen sulphide, it has always been healthy even when soaking for weeks at over 30cm deep. All soils are different though and you can't say that all will act the same, I don't think seeding the substrate with bacteria you want will do anything, the bacteria that find the environment optimum for their growth will proliferate. Driftwood is different though, often if it's fresh it has large amounts of "stuff" in their that will rot and go putrid as where soil is already broken down to the large part. Whenever I have soaked collected driftwood I have found it produces hydrogen sulphide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 How do you know if your substrate is producing hydrogen sulphide?? I'm starting to get a bit of a headache. Yikes! Is that because I'm breathing in the H2S?? Oh wait, I haven't got any soil soaking anywhere. Must be all the chemistry talk that's causing it. *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_95 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 It will smell like a swamp or a rotten egg, you will know haha, it will bubble but chances are that's CO2 bubbling out if it is odorless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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