Dirted 20 Gallon : First Few Weeks

#setup #dirted #aquarium
Time Stamps
00:00 - Opener
00:30 - Why this project?
02:18 - Where did you get that light?
02:47 - substrate guard
05:13 - Tank info
05:34 - begin substrate lasagna
17:30 - Hardscape
21:23 - Plants
25:22 - first fill
25:45 - anubias strategy
28:57 - filter?
29:04 - what to expect a few weeks in.
30:23 - One more plant
31:26 - what I did for water changes
34:05 - What I hope will happen
34:52 - wrapping it up
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Thanks for enjoying this short clip the full version will be available Sunday if its not out already.
If you would like to join me on Patreon you can do it here:
/ pecktec
One Time PayPal Donations here:
www.paypal.com/paypalme2/pecktec
Pecktec shirts? Why yes its a fun way to help out and a cool shirt.
teespring.com/more-official-p...
Find me online here:
Facebook: pages/Peckte...
Twitter: @Pecktec101
instagram: / pecktec
Bumper music by Jayme Gutierrez / jaymegutierrez
Business inquiries and collaborations welcome. Write [e-mail] with collaborate in the subject line.

[@FatherFish]

Nice job. Love the tank. This will be magnificent for years t o come. Thank you for the kudos.

[@pecktec]

Thanks for all the great advice!

[@keithcheeseman567]

I have been an aquarist for 40 yrs and my dirted tanks were the best I ever had.

[@johnnygee4206]

New hobbyist: "You can't put dirt in an aquarium!" Pecktec: "Read the t-shirt..."

[@WorldAquariumSingapore]

Cheers thanks Pecktec for the video, super cool there

[@williamaaronhicks2198]

Have you seen what MD Fishtanks has been using for his nutrient layer? He’s done a couple of tanks using pond soil for used underwater baskets, the ones for waterlilies, reeds, etc. and seems to have had pretty good luck. And the stuff comes in landscaper volume-sized bags so is… er, “dirt”cheap… especially compared to Fluval, Caribsea, etc. It is def fish safe, as it used for koi ponds and the like.

[@naturesfinest2408]

Do you have a link to what he uses?

[@pecktec]

I’ll check that out but this stuff is normally very inexpensive in comparison. But I’ve never looked at that so I’ll check it out thanks!

[@yezryezr]

Dude your tanks are awesome. As I've watched your videos I noticed i've grown to envy your hair. (I am 34 and bald.bald for years. 😅) Man some guys just have it all.

[@deadboynyc]

Love a deep substrate

[@nozr1383]

That is an awesome shirt!

[@Baffi_]

This tank is going to become a JUNGLE, no doubts

[@galejohnson8086]

I really enjoy your channel. May i make a suggestion? When showing a product, like the laterite, hold the jar still so it can be read. You aren’t alone in this. I find my self rewinding and trying multiple times trying to stop the image just right to read the product name. Beautiful tanks you have made, by the way

[@pecktec]

Oh yeah I agree it’s so hard to remember in the moment, but I always feel it when I’m editing later.

[@QueAquatics]

This is gorgeous! I’m a little nervous but I want to try this

[@carlosborrero2101]

Your hair is always "on point"..., No?, Okay, thanks for making this vídeo.

[@tjautocross]

Great overview Sean. Excited to see how it progresses!

[@AlpacaMade]

The only thing I would've done differently is make that graceful twist on the back wood a feature. Loved it when I could see it. No mention of perlite floating up, clouding your water, so I'm guessing the white specks in the soil wasn't pearlite. It's an handsome tank👍

[@Evil_Genius_888]

Interesting setup. I don’t know if I’d be brave enough to try a no filter setup. Looking forward to updates.

[@osprey104]

Luv the unintentional product placement for Dickey's. :) who doesnt have one of their cups.

[@KarunakaranNaresh]

Beautiful aquarium. My father fish dirted tank also doing well .love from Sri lanka .

[@RikoStan]

I think I might actually try something like this for the next tank. I do pretty good with just eco-complete, so I'm not highly motivated though. All those plants you sent me are doing awesome too!

[@justins6465]

I have a dirted tank with eco over the dirt and black sand over that. It really does great for planted tanks

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

From my Experience Parva takes months to get going without CO2. Fun to see how someone else does a dirted tank.

[@darrylmoore5847]

Awesome video.

[@josemontalvo4532]

You could have used Painters Tape on the outside as a guide for soil and sand levels. I’ve used Lighting Defusers so that if rocks dip over, it won’t crack the bottom of the tank when they fall. Nice vid. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed watching.

[@csharpe5787]

Thanks, always love your videos.

[@Sotdot3]

Looks great. Would like to do this one day.

[@tnaqua5630]

Awesome tank sean. 👏 looks great man

[@naegwut]

Love it

[@dirtyoldfarmhand3]

Awesome

[@nunstersplace]

I am going on six plus years on my soiled tank. And the plants are all growing just fine. Once you start getting fish waste into the soil. The soil keeps care of it's self then. Only supplement I use is just a little bit of liquid iron each week for all the roots that don't reach all the way down into the soil.

[@owleye2870]

A pair of Apistogramma agassizii might suit that tank, especially with the sand substrate

[@shesellsfish]

Will be following along to see how this progresses. I think you're going to love it. 👍❤👍

[@justins6465]

Great video, start soaking the wood for 210 now

[@pecktec]

Lol no doubt I bought a garbage can to do it. Lol.

[@EVERYTHINGGUY226]

Nice video

[@Divinelyintricate]

I love and appreciate the effort you put into your videos ! Getting back into the hobby & it’s a great way to recap lol… even thou I end up watching everything 🤣

[@Anp8]

when he mentioned father fish. had to hit that sub button. great videos will watch more from you oh my goodness! lovely tanks

[@banksarenotyourfriends]

Great video, thank you. I'm about 4 or 5 months into my first Father Fish -style aquarium. I think I put too much dirt/nutrients in, so the substrate burped and farted a lot for a few months, but it's settled down now and it's a really nice, very low maintenance tank. I couldn't be happier with it.

[@SnarkyRC]

That style is okay. I prefer the Claris style method. I've been using it since the 80s.

[@steve852011]

wow that was a lot of dirt, not going to worry about having too much any more.

[@kurtalicious8459]

Love the shirt.

[@pecktec]

Yeah those Facebook adds get me every time lol.

[@FoxyFoxyShazam]

crypt parva is SUCH a slow grower IME. Good luck! looks nice already

[@damiangrouse4564]

Love the videos. If I had a basement where I could setup a mad scientist lab I would try this kinda stuff. As is, I didn’t want to take any chances in our living room tank (she 🧟‍♀️ who must be obeyed doesn’t know) so I bought once and cried once seachem clay. I did make it as deep as practical in the fluval 32 flex.

[@pjp9383]

I think you might still get some roots winding around the egg crate, and pulling it up when you pull up plants. (You were saying that's why you didn't use fabric.) I'd be inclined to get both hands in the tank and push down on the soil next to the plant I'm pulling up, if I did need to move the plants around near where the egg crate is.

[@lifeactionaquatics3501]

Hey Sean great video as always. do you know what happened too My Aquarium Box?

[@pecktec]

Greg moved on to another job that requires more attention.

[@lifeactionaquatics3501]

@@pecktec figured as much. Haven't seen a video from. Hi. In forever. Hope he is doing well.

[@pecktec]

@@lifeactionaquatics3501 seems to be. He came through town and said hello a few weeks ago.

[@kevinfife3395]

Love the setup. But now I'm hungry for Dickey's barbecue.

[@paul.b1730]

Take the carbon out of your filter and replace with sponge, then dose fertilizer occasionally and your plants will grow a lot faster and healthier.

[@ryanbaker81]

If it ever do a dirtied tank again, I’d probably do a dark start on it for two weeks to prevent algae.

[@johnjwedrall4290]

More information on the dirt. What brand where to buy 🤔 thank you 😊 that tank turned out looking Gorgeous 😍 ❗️

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

Father Fish would say you need a deep substrate

[@NeverEnoughThyme]

Praecox rainbows please I beg of you, they would be stunnning

[@Gotyoulookingnyc]

trim that pogo regularly, it will overtake the tank quickly lol. nice setup btw

[@waterlover]

Looks good but instead of battling the tannens why nit boil the wood first then soak it over night in new water

[@justin94431]

How many times do i need to water change 1st week?

[@bagariusyarrelli7142]

🖖👌

[@schammie2180]

Being so closes to that window even with blinds closed are you going to be battling algae constantly ?

[@pecktec]

It’s kind of in an odd place where the sun doesn’t really come through there and hit it directly.

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

what camera do you use?

[@pecktec]

I just got a Canon d90. This video is a mix of it iPhone and d60.

[@BartonHNewell]

What's the actual brand of that tank? If you said it, I missed it.

[@pecktec]

I can’t remember. The guy I got it from told me but I can’t remember for the life of me. If I run into him again I’ll say it in an update.

[@redwingblackbird8306]

The dirt, is it potting soil? Or something else?

[@pecktec]

Yes organic potting soil with no added pesticide or fertilizer.

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

if you ever decide to change that tank, do you just toss all of that substrate ?

[@pecktec]

Good question. I’ve done different things. With the dirt I would toss it. At times I’ve use old substrate to seed bacteria. But mostly I toss it out so I can put stuff with fresh nutrients in.

[@kosys5338]

I recently filled (three months ago) a 90 gallon tank with Fluval Stratum @ a cost of $225.00 CND, 3 bags at 75 bucks a bag. It's no joke when they say using aqua soil for a substrate in your tank is expensive. With that said though my results are amazing, you get what you pay for. If your going to do a planted tank and want to see awesome growth I would highly recommend spending the extra money. I never had much luck with planted tanks until I went the way of Fluval Stratum.

[@pecktec]

Yeah I believe you and done it myself lots of times. So thins is my way of trying something different just to compare. I’ve also recently had a lot of success useing soil you mentioned at the bottom and capping it. Which is a bit cheaper too and easier to plant in.

[@DPac9]

I get that it’s a dirty tank set up! But why is perlite in your soil mix!? Like why would you need perlite in a. Aquarium!?

[@pecktec]

If it was in the mix already I just left it. But ultimately it didn’t matter at all.

[@DPac9]

@@pecktec hmmm

[@SnarkyRC]

Perlite really doesn't make a difference. I use organic potting soil and it's already in there.