# Soil



## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

I would like to do a soil bottom on my 20 gal but Iam having trouble finding it. Anybody know where I can pick up a bag or two. Thanks


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## PPulcher (Nov 17, 2006)

I'm in the same boat. My local Home Depot had nothing but soil with fertilizer added. I'm going to check the Canadian tire, and then perhaps resort to a garden centre. I have a bag of leaf compost leftover from last spring, but I'm not sure I want to use it.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

PPulcher said:


> I'm in the same boat. My local Home Depot had nothing but soil with fertilizer added. I'm going to check the Canadian tire, and then perhaps resort to a garden centre. I have a bag of leaf compost leftover from last spring, but I'm not sure I want to use it.


Tomorrow I will phone Humber nurseries and Bradford greenhouses see if they have pond dirt Ill let you know if I find any. I have a bunch of oak trees here with leafs still on them but I woulsd like to put the dirt in first.


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## PPulcher (Nov 17, 2006)

Are you setting something up like an "el naturel" or natural plant tank a la Diana Walstad? That's what I'm aiming for. I want basic, cheap topsoil without fertilizers, vermiculite, perlite etc. if I can get it. I should have got some in the spring but I waited too long! The leaf compost might be to "hot" to use.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

If you tell them you're looking for _pond soil_, you may get something like Schultz aquatic soil, which is really hard, calcined clay planting medium (gravel) that has little or no value as a nutrient provider.

I have set up a few soil based tanks and the best results I had were with "organic vegetable garden soils". Sorry I can't point you to a local source here, I last bought soil back in QC before moving back here. But it's usually been a pretty rich and dark mix heavy in well digested compost without much fresh peat.

If it were summer, I'd mix it up in a tub or bucket of water and soak it overnight, drain it in cheesecloth and dry it in the sun, repeating twice to help release ammonia and flush any excessive nutrients that might release into the tank too quickly. I have an understanding spouse and a basement so I've done it in the winter too. 

You can also do a test up front with your soil after preparing it. Try putting a layer of soil and thin layer of gravel (enough to keep the soil down) into a vase and leave it for a week or more giving it a gentle stir with a spoon daily to see what kind of water specs you get if you want to test or if it will stink...probably not after the rinsing. I even kept one of these "running" in a big square Ikea vase and added plants and an airstone.

The layer on the bottom of the tank should probably not be any deeper than 1" and then only with a bigger tank (40G+). For a 20G, I'd go with something between .5-.75", a 10G probably about .5". On top of that, the gravel shouldn't be too deep not much more than 1.5" or the soil can go overly anaerobic and create H2S.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Yes thats what Iam aiming for. Thanks for the vase idea If I find the soil Ill try that out first . I havent found the soil yet if I dont I will wait till the spring and get it at the cottage as I know its good up there and nice and black.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Have you tried Wall-Mart? That's where I got my last bag, it was just before the start of winter. 

Who knew that getting dirt in winter would be so hard?


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## KevD (Mar 2, 2008)

Another option would be to use those compesssed coconut coir bricks. Once you pour approx. 5l of water over them, they expand to about 9 litres of soil. You could then mix in your own fertizilers, if necessary such as worm castings and various guanos....good stuff for the plants


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Shattered said:


> Have you tried Wall-Mart? That's where I got my last bag, it was just before the start of winter.
> 
> Who knew that getting dirt in winter would be so hard?


 I never thought of wal-mart I give it a try do you remember the name.


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