# First soild tank



## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

attempting my first soild tank. if the soil too high before caping?
Capping with Gravel, 20 gal tank. plain potting soil. Made sure to get stuff that was not loaded with ferts and organics to prevent ammonia leachage or tanins. soil is about 1 - 1 1/2 inches deep


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## Lee_D (Jun 11, 2010)

I'd consider a more solid table to put the tank on.

Lee


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Lee_D said:


> I'd consider a more solid table to put the tank on.
> 
> Lee


the table is actually very sturdy, the boards are only there to make it even as part of it folds and is higher then the rest., four supporting legs and a pair of supporting center legs aswell


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

the bottom of the tank is not evenly supported which puts extra stress on some areas and could potentially cause a flood


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Wait.. you guys think its going to be sitting like that when its finished? its only out like that so i can get everything set into the tank the way i want it to, then its going to be moved back before i fill it :/ 
this will be the tanks final resting place. I know the table looks slim and flimsy, but is I ( a 300 pound woman) and sit on it and wiggle, a full 20 gal should hold no problem.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

i will also mention i am keeping my eyes open for a good stand.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

Hey keltera,

I highly recommend removing some of the dirt as it may be a bit too high, especially in the corner where it appears that you have made a mountain. That's asking for anaerobic conditions down the road 100%. I can speak from personal experience when using too much dirt and literally burning/rotting my roots and rhizomes of plants. Also which dirt did you go with? If it's MGOPS I would highly consider straining the dirt or mineralizing it before you go any further.

Just my 2 cents.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Hey TPM, the soil i used is "Premier potting soil" Link It was suggested to me to stay away from the "organic matteR" soils to prevent amonia and anaerobic problems down the road. There is no NPK indicated on the bagm "A Quality mix of soil, peatmoss and perlite" are the only real ingredients on the bag. i wanted to avoid soils that contains ferts as i was worried about them poisoning the fish.

I added gravel already as no one seemed to say yay or nay about the soil height. i shall scoop out the gravel and take out some of the soil, mostly in that corner. What would you suggest for getting that sloap?

I had not seen the ratings on it till now :/. it is not too late to completely take out all the soil and possibly just stay with the gravel.. but its such a poor substrate for plants


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> Hey TPM, the soil i used is "Premier potting soil" Link It was suggested to me to stay away from the "organic matteR" soils to prevent amonia and anaerobic problems down the road. There is no NPK indicated on the bagm "A Quality mix of soil, peatmoss and perlite" are the only real ingredients on the bag. i wanted to avoid soils that contains ferts as i was worried about them poisoning the fish.
> 
> I added gravel already as no one seemed to say yay or nay about the soil height. i shall scoop out the gravel and take out some of the soil, mostly in that corner. What would you suggest for getting that sloap?
> 
> I had not seen the ratings on it till now :/. it is not too late to completely take out all the soil and possibly just stay with the gravel.. but its such a poor substrate for plants


I haven't personally used that soil before so I can't dive too deep into the subject but as long as it doesn't have a lot of wood chips and other useless matter then you should be okay. As per the height of the dirt i'd recommend 0.5-1 inch but i'd also recommend creating some type of boarder. Check below to see what I mean as per my picture (in the middle you'd put the dirt)

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=40426&d=1391313044

In order to get that slope that you want to obtain I would do the sloop simply out of whatever substrate you're using as a cap. Also be sure to use something like egg crate or plastic sheet in order to keep the mountain upward. Due to gravity if you don't use anything to keep the mountain up then over time it'll just crumble apart.

What are you using as a cap for the dirt by the way?


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

I was originally going to use sand but was warned it would not let any kind of aeration get to the soil so i picked up some simple black gravel.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> I was originally going to use sand but was warned it would not let any kind of aeration get to the soil so i picked up some simple black gravel.


Mmm interesting, I don't necessarily agree with whoever told you that as I have MTS capped with fluorite black sand and have phenomenal results. Either way you should be fine with the simple black gravel. Keep us posted on your progress


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

This is what i was told 

"As for the miracle grow and sand, I personally don't like miracle grow because it has a lot of organic material in it that decays when soaked in the aquarium. Also, sand is not the best cap for soil because it doesn't allow oxygen to pass into the soil very easily. This allows it to become anaerobic and this in turn kills plant roots which need oxygen. I'd go with some regular garden topsoil that has no compost, no added fertilizers, as plain as can be, capped with some sort of aquarium gravel. The stuff you are using in the pictures above should work nicely, anything around pea sized should do. I'd also recommend getting some Malaysian trumpet snails since they burrow into the soil and help aerate it, sort of like earthworms. "


Honestly, i was looking forward to using sand! so i might try it if the soil is too much of a mess for me.. since you have said you have had good results! how does sand stand alone as a substrate for plants?


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> This is what i was told
> 
> "As for the miracle grow and sand, I personally don't like miracle grow because it has a lot of organic material in it that decays when soaked in the aquarium. Also, sand is not the best cap for soil because it doesn't allow oxygen to pass into the soil very easily. This allows it to become anaerobic and this in turn kills plant roots which need oxygen. I'd go with some regular garden topsoil that has no compost, no added fertilizers, as plain as can be, capped with some sort of aquarium gravel. The stuff you are using in the pictures above should work nicely, anything around pea sized should do. I'd also recommend getting some Malaysian trumpet snails since they burrow into the soil and help aerate it, sort of like earthworms. "
> 
> Honestly, i was looking forward to using sand! so i might try it if the soil is too much of a mess for me.. since you have said you have had good results! how does sand stand alone as a substrate for plants?


Everyone seems to have their own opinion on the matter I guess, You just have to take what you can from it and experiment on your own to find what really works for you, I think thats the best advice I could give. You can use a soil+sand cap as long as the soil isn't too much, ideally you want between 0.5-1 inch of soil with another 0.5-1 inch of sand or other substrate.

In terms of sand alone as a substrate it all depends what sand you go with and what plants you want to keep. Seachem fluorite black sand is my favourite due to it's high amont of calcium. I use the black sand in conjunction with an iron enriched substrate as well as mineralized top soil with other additives so I only have to dose potassium occasionally.

I've also used just plain old silica sand but never on it's own as it has really doesn't have too much useful nutrients for plants. Angelfins has the best pricing on substrate if you can make the trip out there it's well worth it for all hardware/dry goods in my honest opinion.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Unfortunately i don't have a car of my own so my transportation is rather limited, luckily i am within a 5 min bus ride form big als! (i also use to live in Hamilton and LOVE the big als there!)
ok, so, i took out the gravel and rinsed it, them delt with the soil, took out A LOT of soil and put two pieces of plastic (its off the hood piece i had to open up to fot my water pump so i figured it was tank safe) and added a LITTLE bit more soil where i want the sloap.










Have not added the gravel yet.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Finished product! still waiting on things to settle and clear up. the lights that came with the hood sucked and barely gave any light so i did a little DIY with the lighting and fitted one of my glow lights inside the hood instead, it works fine in humid conditions.
I moved the small wood piece form my smaller tank into this one and will eventually purchase another piece for the smaller tank when i have the funds!

All that's left is a heater (oops) and to let it run for a bit and get that seeded filter (form my old tank) working in spreading its lovely cycling through the tank.

And of course, fish! which i am still deciding on... Harem of female betta? Schooling fish? one female betta and other fish? one male betta and other fish? I know i would like a pleco at least LOL (not that big ones)

OH and i got all the plants save for the anubias on the log and the java fern on the log from Jimmyjam!


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

What kind of light are you using for the tank?


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## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

theres your post, I thought you would post in the planted tank section.

TPM is right with his suggestions, and sand is ok as a cap because there is soil bottom. But just becareful when you pull plants up.

TPM knows im not a huge fan of dirt, but with all this talk, I might try it again with better preparation with my stem grow out tank that wont require much rescaping.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

This thread is my journal now http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70705 ive answerd the lighting question there and have been discussing co2 with tpm


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