# dirted tank, separating dirt and gravel



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

Anyone have any tips or ideas on a way of separating the potting soil from the gravel in a tank I'm taking down so I can save both the soil and gravel? I could manage to save the gravel alone but I want to save at least some of the dirt to. The clay I also have in there will be lost no matter what I do, but some will probably remain with the dirt at least.

At least its a small scale, only a 15 gallon

any tips or ideas would be appreciated


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

If you use a screen, just small enough to hold the gravel, most of the soil should pass through when you wash it. The other way would be to do it the way they sluice for gold. Run it down a chute with water. The heavier gravel will be left behind and the soil will wash away.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

the big problem with potting soil is most of it is chunks of wood that are even larger than gravel. I wonder how much actual dirt is even in the bags, 10 percent?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

Trying an experiment with the little bit of soil I had left in a bag. I put it in a tank and added water, broke it up well. Letting it soak for a while and waiting for the heavier parts to fall down and then I'll net out the floaters and see how much I have left. I am guessing I'll have to use a strainer on the stuff I skim off the top and separate the larger chunks from the smaller and use the smaller parts in the tank. Just drain the extra water, put the small chunks in, cap with gravel to keep it down.

I would like to just dig up dirt from outside but you never know what might be in it and kill fish.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

why are you saving the soil? Is it mineralized as in you spent weeks wetting it drying it adding nutrients, clay etc.... If not and its just regular soil. Its much better to hit Canadian tire and buy another bag of miracle grow organic they are like 3-4 bucks for a big bag.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I think you are right, I'm just being too cheap, the last large bag I got was $10 and that was enough for a 90 and a 15 gallon


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

pyrrolin said:


> I think you are right, I'm just being too cheap, the last large bag I got was $10 and that was enough for a 90 and a 15 gallon


lol, theres nothing wrong with being cheap but when you look at it, your spending hours trying to save "DIRT".


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

the cost of the water used to clean it is probably as much as buying new dirt


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