Maintaining a dirted substrate

[matti]

I've never done a dirted substrate tank before, but I'm giving it a shot due to the cost savings. Previously, I've used aqua soil or nutrient-based sand in my aquariums. This time, I'm trying dirt mainly for the cheaper cost. I'm a bit concerned about it leeching into the water column, so I plan to add a deep layer of gravel and sand on top of the soil. I know using just sand or gravel is fine, but I'd rather be safe.

My question is, which one should I put down first - sand or gravel? Any other tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. My tank's specs are 600mm x 400mm x 400mm, if that helps.

[matti]

Can staff change this to tropical discussion, think I picked wrong one, thanks

[manal]

I'm curious about your choice of gravel - it's not a bad idea to include some aggregate, but for a planted tank, I think sand is a better option. I've used multi-purpose sand from HD in the past, and it has a nice, natural look to it. I've also had success with a mix of mud from a creek and sand in one of my tanks - I've got about an inch to an inch and a half of sand on top of the mud, and I haven't had any issues with leaching. Plus, the aquatic worms and other critters seem to love burrowing through it.

If you're dead set on using gravel, it's probably best to put it on top - if you put the sand on top, it'll just get mixed in with the gravel anyway. And let's be real, things will get mixed up when you're planting, so it's not like you can keep everything perfectly separated. But in my experience, any temporary gaps in the dirt will seal right back up.

By the way, I've got a bit of a background in horticulture, and I've put together a primer on dirt and soil that might be helpful. I've noticed that a lot of people talk about dirted tanks without really understanding the basics, so I figured I'd share my knowledge.

[bereb]

My thoughts on the two layouts - I think in layout one, where gravel is on top, the sand should effectively cap the dirt as long as it's not too thin and you avoid mixing the substrates. For layout two, with sand above gravel, I imagine the sand would simply fill the gaps between the gravel pieces. Unless the gravel-under-sand layer serves as an anchor for the roots, I'm not sure what benefits it would provide, aside from increasing the substrate depth without using more sand. In my own tank with a sand-only substrate, the plants seem to anchor just fine without a gravel layer.

[sSjey]

I've never done a dirted substrate tank before, but I'm giving it a shot due to the cost savings. Previously, I've used aqua soil or nutrient-based sand in my aquariums. This time, I'm trying dirt mainly for the cheaper cost. I'm a bit concerned about it leeching into the water column, so I plan to add a deep layer of gravel and sand on top of the soil. I know using just sand or gravel is fine, but I'd rather be safe.

My question is, which one should I put down first - sand or gravel? Any other tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. My tank's specs are 600mm x 400mm x 400mm, if that helps.

I'd ask what's the reasoning for gravel in this setup. If it's a planted tank, I think sand would be a better choice. I've used multi-purpose sand from HD, it's got a nice river-sand look to it. I've also used mud from the creek behind my house under about an inch to inch and a half of sand, no leaching issues. I poke into it periodically when planting and moving stuff, and there's aquatic worms and other things burrowing around in it, still no leaching. You can check out some pics in my sig link.

If you're set on using gravel, it should probably go on top. If you put the sand on top, it'll work its way down anyway. That said, things will get mixed up when you plant, so it's not like it'll be perfect with two layers. Temporary penetration into the dirt will seal right back over.

I've got a background in Horticulture Science, not a soil expert, but I put together a primer on dirt/soil that you might find useful. There's a lot of discussion on dirted tanks without really understanding the most important 'dirt' part.

[jade]

I'm assuming you're using soil from a garden centre for your dirted tank. That's likely to be cheaper than what you'd find at a fish store. I'm curious to know if it'll have a positive impact on plant growth. It's definitely worth trying out, could be a good experiment.

[jade]

I'm curious about your choice of gravel - it's not a bad idea to include some aggregate, but for a planted tank, I think sand is a better option. I've used multi-purpose sand from HD in the past, and it has a nice, natural look to it. I've also had success with a mix of mud from a creek and sand in one of my tanks - I've got about an inch to an inch and a half of sand on top of the mud, and I haven't had any issues with leaching. Plus, the aquatic worms and other critters seem to love burrowing through it.

If you're dead set on using gravel, it's probably best to put it on top - if you put the sand on top, it'll just get mixed in with the gravel anyway. And let's be real, things will get mixed up when you're planting, so it's not like you can keep everything perfectly separated. But in my experience, any temporary gaps in the dirt will seal right back up.

By the way, I've got a bit of a background in horticulture, and I've put together a primer on dirt and soil that might be helpful. I've noticed that a lot of people talk about dirted tanks without really understanding the basics, so I figured I'd share my knowledge.

I've just finished reading through your posts and found them really informative. Referring to it as 'dirt' seems a bit misleading, I think - although I suppose that's a term more commonly used in the US. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's much appreciated.

Here in the UK, the term 'dirt' has a different connotation, implying something is unclean, and can even be used as an insult.

[manal]

I used the term 'dirt' a bit playfully, given the term 'dirted tank'. To be honest, I much prefer the term 'soil', it's more fitting.

[matti]

I'm assuming you're using soil from a garden centre for your dirted tank. That's likely to be cheaper than what you'd find at a fish store. I'm curious to know if it'll have a positive impact on plant growth. It's definitely worth trying out, could be a good experiment.

I think I've been influenced by some North American YouTube videos I watched last night - they kept referring to it as a 'dirted tank'. I actually meant soil, not dirt.

[matti]

I also wanted to mention that I've already got a few substrate options on hand - JBL Manado, black aquatic sand, Play sand, and horticultural grit. I'd rather not spend more money on substrate, as I'll need it for plants and future tank inhabitants, so I'm planning to make do with what I have available.