Top 5 Substrate for Planted Aquariums

[@EZBardeguez]

“Next, a word from our sponsors..... I don’t have any” Is why I subscribed

[@TheWaterBox]

;)

[@adelenugent32]

The Water Box with the organic soil, can you keep it as a bottom layer? Like keep the soil for the base and put some sand on top?

[@heidycastro9165]

Me too 😆

[@Arikos08]

Hahah same

[@christinaolguinhoffman537]

Same!

[@VyvienneEaux]

I'm so glad you chose regular soil as #1! I was sitting through the whole video thinking, "that's not as good as the Walstad method," until you got to it. I don't know why people waste their money on the expensive, inferior substrates, which aren't even close to the substrate found in most lakes and rivers (whereas soil capped with sand is what I have always found out in the field when studying wetland plant species). I have limited experience with aquariums compared to you, having only set up five proper low-tech planted aquariums, but I am a professional biochemist and amateur botanist, so I spend a lot of time thinking about these topics. And I've also done many experiments with aquatic plants on my own when I was in high school, using soil as a substrate long before I ever heard of other people doing it. If I may, I'd like to leave a few of my own observations for using a soil substrate here, since I think I have a good deal of knowledge on the topic. 1) Any soil works, so long as it's good for terrestrial plants. Conventional soil does contain synthetic fertilizers, but these have never been a problem for me. You can even use soil you dug up from outside, and there's no need to try sterilizing it. If you cap your soil properly with sand (I have a good method for this below), there should be very little leaching of soil. The purpose of the soil is not so much to provide the main substrate for planting but to leach nutrients into the sand layer and provide an extra treat to any plants whose roots reach the soil layer. I have had small aquariums with garden soil and no sand cap before, and the only way I was able to achieve this was by starting out the aquarium as a terrarium (essentially the dry start method, but for a longer time) and then flooding it after the soil was fully anchored in place by plant roots. 2) There is no need to pass the soil through a seive. Just remove obnoxiously large wood pieces by hand, mostly to prevent it from interfering with planting later. Small wood pieces are fine, and will not float to the surface if you cap the soil properly. 3) Use sand, not gravel! I have never seen gravel at the bottom of a body of water that had plants growing in it. I know Cory from Aquarium Co-op, a master aquatic horticulturalist, recommends using gravel, but I do not. I'm not a master aquatic horticuluralist, but I have extensive experience with plants, including research at Harvard Herbarium, field ecology, and home tissue culture. Additionally, the gaps in gravel allow soil nutrients to leach into the water column. 4) When setting up the aquarium, waterlog the soil before putting it in the tank, compress it into a mud pie (really pack it there, the opposite of what you would want for terrestrial plants; aquatic plant roots are already adapted to low-oxygen environments, so this will not adversely affect them), and cap this with wet sand like spreading cream cheese on a bagel. If the soil is peat-heavy and/or wood-heavy, you can quickly waterlog it by wetting it with boiling water. After the soil is completely saturated with water, squeeze any air out. This will prevent the soil from expanding after the tank is set up, which has a tendency to cause the soil to engulf the sand layer, causing wood pieces to float to the surface. 5) You don't have to have a uniform substrate layer, since you're really packing the soil down. You can bank the soil up in places to make gentle slopes, so long as you can keep the sand layer on top of this adequate. In one of my aquariums, 1/4 of the aquarium is essentially bare-bottom with a pile of lava rocks atop a thin layer of aragonite (for hardness, since I keep hard-water species in that tank) filling in this gap in the substrate. I did this to create a subterranean refugium for baby shrimp and fry. It's really cool! In another tank, I have banked up the soil towards the back, using large rocks from my back yard to prevent sand from rolling downhill over time. It has created a dramatic slope that looks amazing. 6) Add Malaysian trumpet snails to every tank. They are little gardeners, working to sweep detritus under the surface of the sand so that you will never have to gravel vac again. 7) Hydrogen sulfide and CO2 gas bubbles will build up in the soil over time, but these are entirely harmless, even if trapped under the aquarium lid in continuous exchange with the water column. I don't know who think they saw their fish or inverts die from getting hit by one of these bubbles. While H2S is very toxic, if you can smell it, it is not concentrated enough to harm anything. Recklessly, I have intentionally cannulated the substrate of my aquarium in order to inhale this gas to bioassay the H2S concentration, and it is very low. The dose makes the poison. Sorry for writing a book under your video. I know it's probably obnoxious, but I hope you will like reading my input. :)

[@TheWaterBox]

Great tips and thanks for sharing. A lot of times I notice, people don't want to use soil cause it's messy. Using commercial planted substrates is just easier.

[@psicadet]

Really interesting thank you! I am researching what substrate to use as gravel isn't ideal for plant growth or my corydoras. My plants are struggling to survive, to be blunt. I enjoy land plants but don't know lots about aquatic plants so it's been a learning experience. I've seen a lot of people use soil with sand on top and I want to do it in my next tank so my plants have a chance at living long term. Would a beginner fishkeeper struggle with sand and dirt is what I ask? I thought bag soil would be harmful but you seem to know more about this. The stuff in the bag smells sterile so it should be ok.

[@caboscabo5040]

Thanks so much for this! What if I already have an established tank with fish in it. I currently have Pool filter sand with new plants I just put in yesterday. Can I just section out and move the existing sand aside, pour the new soil and push pool filter sand over....all while fish are in tank?

[@iwantriharjanto4288]

Hi Vivian, many thanks for this informative comment. Been considering to use either gravel or sand, and you make it very clear not to use gravel. Would you mind telling me how deep the sand layer should be so as to avoid nutrient leaching?

[@eduardocrca]

Hi Vivian, this comment is the light in my research for a substrate to my aquarium, just I have a question, With this method can i have a filtrate?

[@mikerusso4775]

Those info panels u put at the bottom just earned you my like a sub at 48 seconds into watching your channel for the first time. Awesome awesome awesome, thank you. Ok, hitting play now

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks for subbing! Glad they helped

[@Bakkefication]

Been doing research for my first planted tank and this is by far the most useful channel I've found. Easy to watch and great information, don't change a thing!

[@TheWaterBox]

Excellent. Glad it helped!

[@FatherFish]

You are on target. The cap is critical and sand is the preferred cap. All good. For long term systems consider supplementing the soil to provide longer lasting mineral content. As an added benefit developing a food web strengthens the cycling of nutrients allowing for even longer life for the tank. LOVE your content.

[@anthonyragan2696]

I use eco-complete: I've had great results with it, I just wish they made a smaller, more rounded grain size.

[@TheWaterBox]

Yeh me too. I think if they did, they'd do very well.

[@brooke3140]

Do you still like it?

[@anthonyragan2696]

@@brooke3140 Yes, very much. For my next tanks, though, I may experiment with plain gravel and root tabs.

[@brooke3140]

@@anthonyragan2696 lol that's what I do now

[@Wissassin]

@@TheWaterBox ive been watching a bunch of your videos and ive been looking for a organic potting soil. Its pretty much impossible to find your number 1 soil. So ive been scouring box stores and every one ive found contains perlite i can get close to what is in the organic choice. I cant use it if it contains perlite correct

[@AlienWithInternetConnection]

Finally, someone is entertaining and informative at the same time.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed.

[@MrPimpMonkey]

You literally give me faith in humanity and great tips on fish care at the same time. Thanks brother, much love 🐟

[@TheWaterBox]

Good to hear! :)

[@DavidRodriguez-jt1ns]

Oh! That sponsor break😂😂...that was awesome!! I've used soil in my tank with crypts with just half an inch of small gravel over it, didn't suffer crypt melt, didn't lose any fish (they were added the same day)... AND!! it's still going strong 5 years later, as long as you know what you're doing, soil is the way to go!

[@TheWaterBox]

that sounds wonderful!

[@tigersunruss]

Most informative quick video I've seen. I like the speed of your talking, the editing so you don't have speech with "uuuuh" in it every sentence and the overlay graphics. Very well done ( I subscribed).

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@vahjra]

I've been looking for exactly this video for months now, since i've started getting into planted aquariums. Thanks. This is great information.

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@craighealy6186]

Such a great sense of humor!

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks

[@xaviergarcia8774]

As soon as you did the sponsors bit I immediately subscribed

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks! :)

[@tonesnaps]

i liked and subscribed just because of that sponsor skit. that is hilarious. i felt bad but keep doing you. you'll get there

[@TheWaterBox]

Haha, glad you liked it!

[@RequiemWraith]

My experience with Flourite. I used the black sand variant. I didn't wash it, and as expected it made my tank water exceptionally cloudy, it was a very opaque grey. I just added a bit of Seachem Clarity before bed, and it was crystal clear by morning. Washed the filter sponges out well and then just went from there 😊

[@TheWaterBox]

Did you find that the dust just settled on the floor of the tank and just kinda stuck around until you kicked it up again? For me there was a "layer" of dust. It was pretty bad. It cleared up after a few hours but anything I did in the tank would cloud it right back up again.

[@RequiemWraith]

No, for me the clarity clumped it together so it just got caught in my filter. No further issues after that first evening. I think the bottle of clarity cost me £5 (I'm from the uk) so it was really not much extra cost and worked great for me

[@TheWaterBox]

I may try it again then and try it with clarity. Normal Florite is pretty cheap

[@TheWaterBox]

And thanks for the tip!

[@RequiemWraith]

No problem, we're all here to help each other 😊

[@C.Double.]

I have used everything on your list as well as others over the past 20 years. I have to say that the most stable/sustainable substrate system I have ever used is 1/3 Flourite Onyx Sand on the bottom and 2/3 Flourite Black on top. Yes it does suck to rinse pre-install... You have to rinse the sand from the top down and stir it thoroughly, overfilling a bucket doesnt do anything for you. The reason I stay with Flourite is because it works as well as any other substrate but its incredibly stable in regards to degradation and rearranging plants.

[@TheWaterBox]

Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experiences. It'll help others for sure!

[@nancywinter8891]

I have had ADA Aquasoil going for 9 years in my 75 gallon and it has not broken down. I have been very happy with it

[@TheWaterBox]

Really? That's awesome. I've never gone beyond a year or year in a half with it without re-doing the tank. Is it still charged with nutrients?

[@nancywinter8891]

I do add fertilizer tablets periodically around the swordplant and seachem fertilizers after weekly water changes.

[@TheWaterBox]

Got cha!

[@tropicaltanklover2160]

Fantastic video and so informative. Because I am a cheap-ass I used Tetra Complete and Tetra Active capped with gravel in my 50L Nano. They are cheap. Plants are growing fast and tank looks great.

[@TheWaterBox]

Great to hear!

[@miketager1775]

Types: dude, it's dirt LOL I'm working on setting up a 75 gallon planted community tank and your channel has been awesome for information!

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad you liked and I hope it helps. :) Thanks for watching

[@RaccoonCreekAquatics]

Potting soil is a great way to go!!! Personally, I don't mind paying the premium for Ada Aquasoil. You don't have to rinse it or cap it. I don't mind the increased water changes the first few weeks due to nh3 leaving.

[@TheWaterBox]

Agreed! Just not very intuitive for first time users or beginner planted tankers otherwise I would have placed it higher.

[@chadashton7029]

My big turn off is possibly having to replace it every 12-18 months. I'm not one that likes to rescape often...or ever. I like to get my tank to a good place and leave it alone.

[@TheWaterBox]

In that case Seachem is a great choice (rinse the crap outa it) or more affordable eco-complete. Make sure you're dosing and root tabbing for both! :)

[@conman20000]

@@chadashton7029 why would you have to replace it?

[@chadashton7029]

@@conman20000 Because in time active soils like ADA lose their buffering ability and turn to mush therefore becoming ineffective at doing the things you initially bought and paid a lot of money for them to do.

[@gabrieldemiguel9380]

This is probably the best aquascaping info channel on the internet. Thank you so much! I will end up buying a shirt. Do I have to replace fluval stratum ever though?

[@TheWaterBox]

Hi Thanks! I never used it long enough to do that. I didn't like stratum at all (too light, plants kept uprooting) so I ended up tearing it down and restarting (It was a small tank).

[@GabbyRocio]

Your videos have such great info I find myself watching them multiple times!

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad you like them!

[@silv4276]

as soon as I saw 'Types: Dude, it's dirt' you got my like XD

[@TheWaterBox]

haha thanks

[@sethdickin4423]

I used tropica sup, can I cap it with tropica soil , it a new tank and still have the white cloud of a new tank ,could it be from the substrate and soil as it has been three weeks

[@TheWaterBox]

Probably from the soil unless you have some kind of bacteria bloom. Is it still cloudy?

[@considerthebirds]

“Organic Disney land, add another thousand bucks....” Great info and funny! Thanks 😂🙌🏻

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks ;)

[@WombatMuffler]

Another con to using "organic" soil is that it is often enhanced with manure. This wouldn't be bad on it's own, but in my experience this ALWAYS comes with blue green algae outbreaks(Cyanobacteria) and if you're new to planted tanks, it will OVERWHELM YOU! If you are new to planted tanks, DO NOT TAKE THE CHEAP WAY OUT WITH ORGANIC SOIL! DO NOT DO IT! Learn how to maintain a planted tank with gravel or a reputable substrate first.

[@TheWaterBox]

Sensible tip. :)

[@robinsnestfarm7322]

Thank you!!!! Excellent content-- precise and to the point! I just bought some Miracle Bro from the link you provided! : )

[@gracehart6289]

Incredibly re-assuring and informative video, answered every question I had without ever making me feel dumb 😂 Thanks, subbed! Looking forward to checking out your new content!

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad you liked :) Thanks for watching!

[@kirkgreen7973]

Great advice! I too have only used organic soil. Cap it, grow it, love it.

[@TheWaterBox]

It's great stuff!

[@Mr.Plant1994]

These videos are so helpful.

[@TheWaterBox]

I'm glad they help!

[@Verntheowl4]

I have been doing soil with eco-complete on top with amazing results

[@TheWaterBox]

Awesome! Glad to hear it!

[@Egglitt]

Thank you for this video it really helped me get some insight on the different subrates. Question: I have a bag of the caribsea eco complete which I want to use in a planted tank but it doesn't have much nutrients however I also have some left over ada soil. Can I use some of the ada soil bits and just stick it in the dirt to use as a form of root tabs? For a planted tank I'm trying to start. Thanks (:

[@TheWaterBox]

yeh, you can mix it up and it will help.

[@keola7111]

subscribed because of the word from your sponsors

[@TheWaterBox]

👍

[@Fusiongearz]

Nice list! Hope to see more of these in the future for other aquarium items like filtration, lighting, fertz, etc.

[@TheWaterBox]

People really seems to like lists. lol Do you like how I do then in giving you the info as I go down them?

[@Fusiongearz]

The Water Box Yes, I think the format you have in this video is great. The only thing I didn't like as much was how ammonia was written as nh3 and had no idea what cec meant or why it mattered. Everything else was great though and I look forward to your future videos.

[@TheWaterBox]

I was trying to save space but realized at the end, I could have fit it but was too tired to go back and re-edit everything. lol For CEC I link to a video in a card that explained it.

[@lexicon2883]

I've just tapped subscribe. seen a few of your videos and I am very impressed how informative your videos are. Your video editing skills is probably the best out of all aquatic youtubers out their and your communication skills is impressive. I didn't hear a single uhm in your videos unlike popular youtubers who does uhm every time. You make your videos very professional. You deserve a million subscribers!!! Now you only have 4.5k subscribers and I can't wait until you have a million subscribers. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming!

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks man! the ums are cut out cause of the editing. That's why it's jumpy at times. ;)

[@lexicon2883]

The Water BoxI think you put a lot more time with editing compared to the others who does make a full scene that does uhm. I think its a very amateur thing to have uhm in videos. Your videos being jumpy is not bad, it is well spot on when it jumps.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks! I do keep some ummms, in there though. As long as it's natural and not over board. haha

[@mrsmoonjelly9522]

Just found this channel. Finally some sound advice for newbies. Thanks!

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad to help!

[@keith161]

I add 3 substrates. I use a soil base layer. Then I cap it with a thick layer of EcoComplete and Fluva Stratum. I think it provides the benefits of all of them. Also, in nature, it is rare in a freshwater system for the substrate to be completely homogenous.

[@TheWaterBox]

ok.

[@Ingaingaweloveanimals]

I did the same. I put contra soil brown on bottom gravel in the middle which im regretting.. And then contra soil black on top.

[@samuelflores3574]

How much of each layer

[@craigsfreshwaterfishplants9426]

Great comparison of products. Love the pause for your sponsor's! Very funny, nice break in the action.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks Craig! They pay me tons of money for that spot! I hope you visited their link! If not, please do so, it'll only take a sec! 😜 Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@christinecho779]

I rinsed seachem flourite over 7 days for 20 minutes a day in cold water. This made it work... lol

[@TheWaterBox]

HAHA! Good to hear! :)

[@garageman_]

Im new to planting substrates and this really helped me, Thanks!

[@TheWaterBox]

I'm glad it helped!

[@jimmygimbal]

This was such a well made video. Great info!

[@TheWaterBox]

Haha thanks buddy!

[@ACAquatics]

Great video as always brother. I'm a Eco Complete man myself. I just like the color and it's all in one and ready to go. Thanks for sharing and for the great advice. Keep doing what you do if it works for you.

[@TheWaterBox]

A.C. Aquatics exactly! Go with what works for you!

[@elgezouliabdul4973]

Thanks a lot for this vedio. What is your opinion about dennerle deponit 10 in 1 for biggner and easy plants I want to use it with gravel on top . Please advise . Thanks

[@TheWaterBox]

Can't say as I never used it.

[@elgezouliabdul4973]

@@TheWaterBox thanks for the reply.

[@HCAqua]

Great video! Haven’t tried organic soil or fluorite yet.

[@TheWaterBox]

Get to it! :) Thanks for watching bud!

[@brandonhern]

Late to the game but I'm doing my first planted tank and I went with Fluorite. I didn't find cleaning it to be too hard (but I've done sand before...that was tougher). I just poured one bag at a time into a 5 gal bucket, poured in some water and then dug around with my hands. Dump the dirty water and repeat once or twice. After that I didn't really have any trouble and I also made sure to put a plate down when putting water into the tank to keep from disturbing it too much. A little dirtiness but it cleared after a day or so.

[@k9games721]

Thanks for all the information! switching substrate now!

[@TheWaterBox]

Any time!

[@Kmodal]

This was awesome. The sponsor part was gold

[@TheWaterBox]

Hehe thanks!

[@GD1_3]

I'm new to planted tanks I ordered fluval stratum and activflora. Should I put the fluval on the bottom and actiflora on top? I chose the red actiflora for the iron benefit. By advice will help

[@TheWaterBox]

I'd probable go with activflora at the bottom and stratum on top myself.

[@yoruva1]

Great video, very informative. Good analysis on substrate comparison. Keep up the good work.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks Joe!

[@dennismason9448]

I use thin layer of potting soil and thick sand topper. I rely on turtle waste for nutrients. I've been able to grow anything the turtles don't kill. Even have some plants showing some red with no iron dosing. I let thin layer of sand get saturated with waste for 6 weeks from guppies and baby turtles before adding more sand then added plants. There is a terrarium above the tank which houses the lighting (cheap led grow strip, uv lamp for turtles) which causes some parts of tank to not get much light but so far has been ok. I have small aquaponics filtration in the terrarium and after 4 months of adding pets and plants little by little I have not done a water change in 5 weeks and yesterday's water test was Amm-0 nitrites-0 and nitrates 10-20. It has become a beautiful and enjoyable set up.

[@TheWaterBox]

YAY! Glad to hear that!

[@kentlyone]

Thanks for this informative video

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kellys7018]

Very informative!! Thank you!

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks for watching.

[@TahsinR71]

Amazing review, just the info I needed. I have a question, I think the eco complete suits my need the best , does the eco complete disintegrate after a year or its good for life of aquarium ?! And can you just use eco complete or you need to top layer with gravel or sand ? Thanks a lot mate

[@TheWaterBox]

As far as I seen personally, Eco-Complete last way longer than a year. I'm not sure why some people have different results. No, you don't need to cap it with anything. That's just a preference thing.

[@virgiloix]

Mate, I love your videos!! This one is the best I’ve seen on substrates!! Thank you.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks man! Glad it helped!

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

you have some really GREAT tips & advice thank you your channel is VERY helpful.

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks! Glad you like it.

[@allanarsenal7999]

What about tropical soil? I’m going to make my first aqua scape and I’m going to use Jbl volcano mineral, Jbl volcano mineral powder as base and topical aqua soil. What do you think? Is it good combination? And fertili capsules under the soil which is tropical as well.

[@TheWaterBox]

I heard it works well. There's no active nuturients baked into it so depending on what you are doing, you may want to suppliement with tabs.

[@human47134]

how do you replace the amazonia when you have livestock? temporarily house them in a plastic tote? for how long?

[@xoallison12ox]

I have mixed feelings about Miracle gro. I had a lot of problems with water quality for my panda corys. I just started a new tank with Eco-complete & a top layer of ADA Amazonia. I already enjoy aquarium specific substrates over dirt+sand. I haven't had luck with the dirt method. It just takes longer to find a balance & I had a lot of leeching & anaerobic pockets.

[@TheWaterBox]

Sorry about the Cory's :( I normally wait until the tank cycles out for more than two months. I think maybe that why I usually have better luck. At least that what it seems when I compare notes with some peeps. Sometimes go over 4 months. I'm thinking of trying other non miracle grow soil too. See if I can find something not so punchy. Ada and eco are great combos though!

[@xoallison12ox]

The Water Box Thanks for the advice! If I do start another dirted tank, I will definitely wait longer before adding my bottom dwellers. My rasboras didn't mind the dirt set-up though & were completely unphased. Interesting how different fish have varied tolerances for dirted setups. Anyways, I still found your video extremely helpful!

[@TheWaterBox]

Allison I'm glad it helped! Thank for watching!

[@oriondragos5876]

What about bb sized natural river gravel? I've used that in the past and plants grew fine.

[@TheWaterBox]

Should be fine.

[@AussieAquatic]

I just bought some "Oliver Knott" Aquasoil,...……...and I'm loving it :)

[@TheWaterBox]

I heard it's good stuff

[@AussieAquatic]

@@TheWaterBox I can say it's AMAZING!!!.....and I don't see any reviews on it. I'd better make one :)

[@jessiealexander9194]

Then that two year mark come, instead of replacing the soil could I add root tabs? I’m trying to find the best way to go about soil substrate. On another question could I capp fluval with pool sand?

[@TheWaterBox]

Yeh to both questions. Soil will most likely last longer than 2 years though but that was a minimum I stated.

[@jessiealexander9194]

@@TheWaterBox Thank you so much

[@deletethemedia3445]

Thanks for the info brother! New subscriber here. I kept going back and forth between Fluval Stratum and Eco Complete. I like the idea of not having to change out when the nutrients get depleted. My problem is, I have a high PH out of the tap of 8.2 and a GH of 15. I have never had a problem keeping all types of fish over the years with this water but I am new to the planted tank. I know some substrates lower PH and soften the water. Would this be ideal for my situation? What happens when I do water changes? I would imagine that adding tap water would just throw everything out of whack and everything alive would get stressed. What are your thoughts?

[@TheWaterBox]

You can always mix the tap with RODI water. That'll lower the PH. How much would depend on the amount of water change you're doing. I'd just grab a container and fill them up at a LFG that sells RODI or even use one of those drinking water dispensers. Use a large wood decoration will help as wood will help soften the water a little. I advise against using chems to lower the PH cause it's temp and can cause swings.

[@boban1241989]

Can I put Ada basic sand S like a basic first coat ,on top fluorite(or Jbl volcano mineral? Does that have sense? I like fluorite structure, color and I choose them for top coat. Thanks for advice i follow you.

[@TheWaterBox]

You can, sure.

[@RichardFRicardo]

have you tried adding AquaChar to your filter media mix to help absorb any ammonia that organic substrates tend to leach into your tanks?

[@TheWaterBox]

No. I've talked to them at aquashella though but I haven't had the need to use aquachar

[@madturtle8826]

I just saw your channel mentioned in another video so I stopped by to check it out👍🏻 I am going to be setting up my first dirted tank, so I need all the advice I can get😀Instead of replacing the organic soil after a few years, why couldn’t you just use root tabs to replenish the nutrients?

[@TheWaterBox]

You can. No one said you can't :) Here's some more of my videos on setting up a dirted tank: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ_Ol4d3nZh8bq8 and here's a video on how to buy soil for your tank: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaqynoSZotBpobM

[@madturtle8826]

@@TheWaterBox Thanks! I have already started watching them😆

[@arcadianflight8291]

This was such a useful video! Just what I needed.

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad it was helpful!

[@altpapapi]

I'm thinking about using Flourite Black (not the sand) for a new tank. I have read that it doesn't break down into a mud pie. Is this true? Does it remain in large particles?

[@TheWaterBox]

For me when I used it, yeh. At least I wen for about 2 1/2 years with it a while ago and there was no break down.

[@altpapapi]

I might bake it in my oven on super clean setting just to make sure. I've read it very "dusty" so I'm prepared for that possibility. Apparently Flourite has an excellent long term cation exchange rate, which makes sense for a clay based substrate. Something I learned in horticulture school.....lol.

[@TheWaterBox]

Haha, it does help for sure! :)

[@syazwan1324]

Im making a nano betta tank. Im planning on using only 6 plant which is 3 cryptocoryne and 2 anubias, java fern on the wood. Im thinking of using ada aquasoil because i like the dark black colour but for 3 fore ground plant is too much nutrient right. What soil should i use with only 3 crypt on the ground ? How many water change i must do for a few week ? Im planning on using seachem matrix in the filter and seachem stability for the water. This is my first time :)

[@TheWaterBox]

You can do ADA with one plant if you want: I'd do 50% water changes once a week for a couple of weeks. You should be ok. Better yet, just measure ammonia and water change if it looks too high. You WANT ammonia during your tank cycling.

[@syazwan1324]

@@TheWaterBox thank u so much, this really help

[@andreanthony7525]

Great video. Im currently getting all the things together to start up a 29g planted tank. Im new to this planted life, been running a reef tank ever since i got into the aquarium hobby. Because of my reefing experience I really like to see variety ; plants, fishes, shrimps and snails. From the reviews I've seen i was thinking to do organic soil with eco complete as a cap. What do you think?

[@TheWaterBox]

Soil with a eco-complete cap work great. Your tank in the way of color variety will be pretty green. For more colors you'll have to go into a more high tech set up. Just know you won't get bold colors like a reef with planted tank s though.

[@andreanthony7525]

The Water Box Thanks , well so far I've purchased a satellite plus pro for lighting. A aquaclear 50 for filtration. And also followed your advise on the DIY co2 build with the solenoid. I Hope thats high tech enough.

[@TheWaterBox]

You probably will upgrade to a pressurized co2 later depending on what you're trying to do and get into. The lighting looks good. The par rating and spectrum charts looks like it'll allow you to grow most plants out there. Start low setting on that light fixture and slowly go up as your plants grow in. Plant A LOT when you set it up. Then just go from there. Good thing about plants is it's not as expensive as corals so you can do tons of trial and error without going broke. I don't have a comprehensive fert guide yet but look around for that. Like corals, plants need nutrients. Similar (but not the same) to corals so it shouldn't take you took long to figure it out.

[@andreanthony7525]

The Water Box thanks for the help, I'll definitely take everything into consideration.

[@TheWaterBox]

No Prob. Just go with it now. Good start. See how it works out for you and then decide later.

[@AlphaAussies]

How would you add the organic soil? Wont it always cloud the water?

[@TheWaterBox]

Check out my soil tank video for that answer: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jajNgICjrb2CZrM

[@Sue.5776]

Thank you, that was helpful

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad it helped Sue

[@KellyRoberts]

A word from our sponsors... oh wait... lol 😆. Nice video

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks Kelly! :)

[@FrankyMitsu]

how long will the fluval stratum last 1 year too? how about eco complete

[@TheWaterBox]

Both fluval and eco-complete will last as long as it doesn't break down. They are inert substrates (no active nutrients baked in) so there's no "how long does it last" questions with either of these products.

[@BlessedShihtzu]

Lmao! I love your sponsor ad! 😂

[@TheWaterBox]

Why thank you! ;)

[@tajumochi]

Have you ever used TCFM's ecosoil? Would love to hear your opinion/review of it

[@TheWaterBox]

I have never used TCGM. Sorry

[@wilsonhunter7496]

Great video! Do you need to re-soil an established dirt tank, or could it continue to thrive by root tabbing after 18-24 months?

[@TheWaterBox]

Soil tanks SHOULD last more than 2 years. Depends on how much plants take up in the nutrient but yes, you can keep it going by supplementing it with tabs after it looks to be depleted. :)

[@wilsonhunter7496]

The Water Box cool thanks for the reply!

[@TheWaterBox]

np!

[@Wissassin]

@The Water Box ive been watching a bunch of your videos and ive been looking for a organic potting soil. Its pretty much impossible to find your number 1 soil. So ive been scouring box stores and every one ive found contains perlite i can get close to what is in the organic choice. I cant use it if it contains perlite correct?

[@TheWaterBox]

If it contains perlite you're fine. Just don't get a bag of just perlite. Here's a video that breaks down the label in commercial soils and explains what you should and shouldn't look out for: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaqynoSZotBpobM

[@nergrohombre]

Could you touch on the Miracle-gro. I can't seem to find that bag you have in the video. I see it on their website, but all I find in the stores is the stuff with the "Water Conserve", labeled Nature's Care® Organic & Natural Potting Mix with Water Conserve®. Is that safe?

[@TheWaterBox]

the only problem with this is the water conserve part. They are like little white thing in it that absorbs water so I don't know what it will do in your aquarium. Usually any brand that's organic potting mix that's not water conserve should work if you're not sure how to look at the mix label. If you need more help, try joining our facebook group. Lots of people in there can help. facebook.com/groups/thewaterbox

[@kellyvermilyea6186]

I will be starting my first 29g planted tank, do you recommend me using organic soil, with peace river gravel as a cap? Also, would I have to change this out eventually or should it last? I do plan to use root tabs and fertilizer. Thanks, love your channel!

[@TheWaterBox]

That can work as long as you can anchor the plants. Soil can last for a few years. Really depends on the plant load over time.

[@Yog_Los_Mas]

I've always use branded aquarium soils you mentioned, especially Caribsea on my last setup. I've always thought regular potting soil such as miracle-gro would cloud and make a titanic mess in my tank as well as containing a lot of chemicals (pesticide as such) harmful for aquarium setup. Im getting back into the aquascape scene and im totally going to try #1 method and capping it with my left over caribsea.

[@TheWaterBox]

Good luck! Normally branded soil brand usually don't have pesticides in it. Here's a video teaching you how to buy branded soils: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaqynoSZotBpobM

[@maxreaume4173]

You make some pretty awesome and informative videos!

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks Max! That means a lot! :)

[@nycjt6267]

Awesome video. Is it possible to just add some tabs to the soil to prolong it after it loses its nutrients?

[@TheWaterBox]

Yes! Of course you can. :)

[@Napolitano24]

Organic Disneyland LOl !!! Your vids are awesome

[@TheWaterBox]

I'm telling ya man!

[@yulmarodriguez4]

So I’m setting up a bamboo partially submerged tank. I was planning on using organic potting soil and topping it with aquarium gravel. I don’t want to have to replant the tank in a year or something like that could I add nutrient tabs to add nutrients back into soil?

[@TheWaterBox]

Yes you can!

[@jdoraz86]

If you were to add aqua soil under an existing substrate how would you go about it? I wanted to add it in pockets where there are plants are but don’t want to disturb the tank too much or risk an ammonia spike... When I first started my aquarium I didn’t think I would ever go planted (I was very wrong haha)... love the video and info btw 🙌

[@TheWaterBox]

Just put the soil in the places you wish to plant and cap it carefully

[@CoffeeTimeBrian11]

Believe it or not; I've been having great success with gravel. I've been growing Rotala Walichii, Bocopa Monieira, Cryprocoryn wentii bronze, Banana lillies with great success, on gravel. The banana lillies are even putting out lilly-pads. I also have plenty of Anubius (nana, cofefolia, and nana petite). I'm very new to this hobby and i could be wrong, but I believe it's the water that plays a big role in plant propagation. The ability of the water column to retain nutrients until the plants absorb them.

[@TheWaterBox]

Awesome! That's good to hear!

[@human47134]

also, for bottom dwellers, could you just cap the substrates with sand? I know some people say don't do that but I've heard you can do that and it's fine...

[@scarlet702]

For the substrate that clouds up the tank are you supposed to use a siphon (gravel vaccum thing) with it and how are you supposed to do that with grass type stuff on the bottom?

[@TheWaterBox]

Just put the valcumn up against the grass and suck up any debris.

[@celticstephenhill]

What do you think about using an inch or two of miracle grow soil substrate with a flourite or something over it to keep it packed down? Any benefits to layering substrate?

[@TheWaterBox]

You're just capping it with Flourite (or something) and that's just fine.

[@sarahelliott2046]

I bought clay planting media (lil balls), and the flora substrate. I'll put the balls on the bottom and the subrate on the top, I feel like the balls will be good for deep rooted plants and the regular substrate will just be real good for extra nutrients. I wish they were on here, but I just got the cheap stuff from petsmart.

[@TheWaterBox]

That will work fine. :)

[@sarahelliott2046]

@@TheWaterBox I didnt know those stupid clay balls float! Good thing I added a good amount of the substrate before the water. Probably about a 1/2 of them made it back to the bag. Thanks so much for replying tho ❤

[@TheWaterBox]

Oy vey! that's not good!

[@nicetech288]

I use my akadama for my bonsai trees its hard fired clay same as you get for tanks but alot cheaper and is perfect with neutral ph

[@TheWaterBox]

Nice! Thanks for watching

[@edjumuhcated]

Great info. Was looking for a vid like this, thank you.

[@TheWaterBox]

Glad it helped!

[@greypoopon]

Awesome video man. Thank you

[@TheWaterBox]

You are welcome!

[@djmitchell3938]

I already have a lower ph of about 6.0 out the tap, what substrate would you recommend me using for a planted tank? I want to have about an inch top layer of pool filter sand as well… Thanks!

[@TheWaterBox]

You can try Contrasoil.

[@madfishdiva]

Excellent info. Thanks.

[@TheWaterBox]

You are welcome MFD!

[@jarrettburford1710]

Love your videos man!

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks man!

[@Adileigh23]

I'm using the ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia and I wanted to share something that was not covered in this video but I think is extremely important to know. The Ph buffering is dramatic. My tap water is 7.8 and this took it down to 6.6. This is good for my needs; except for one thing... water changes. When I change using my tap water, it causes a huge swing in Ph that takes three days to recover from. When I researched this I found out that if I keep doing water changes then "eventually" the buffering capabilities are reduced. There is no clear definition about how long "eventually" is. Beside that, I want my Ph to be lowered. I've resorted to keeping home depot buckets full, and chemically treated, to be ready for the next water change by using ADA be-Soft. It takes 24 hours for be-Soft to reduce the Ph, and it takes 2.5 cap fulls per 5 gallons of water to take my tap water from 7.8 to 6.6. If I don't have water prepped, treated and heated, there will be no emergency water change for the fish. I'll probably end up setting up a second tank for quarantine and emergencies... All because I chose to use ADA Aqua Soil

[@TheWaterBox]

Thanks for sharing!

[@philippadalino3416]

I use the Amazonian Aquasoil and so far it has done me justice in growing plants, but like most aquarists I want to try something else. I want to try doing a Walstad tank with soil but the idea of having to redo the whole tank after a year or two freaks me out. Do you have any advice on ratios? Like two inches of dirt and an inch of substrate?

[@TheWaterBox]

Soil lasting 1-2 year is a pretty conservative estimate. I've gotten people telling me they've gone longer, like 4 or more years. I've already gone more than 2 years and it's still working for me. If it runs out of nutrient you can always do is us root tabs. From what I've seen and heard, soil lasts longer than ADA but again, it's different for everyone.

[@desireeallen3805]

What soil would you recommend for a beginner?? Please help. Wanting to do a live plant tank

[@TheWaterBox]

For soil, it's better to know how to buy the right one looking at the label: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaqynoSZotBpobM

[@Shayeblehhhh]

Does anyone know a good substitute for the Miracle Grow Organic Choice? It hasn't been available for awhile online, and i cant find that specific one in any store.

[@TheWaterBox]

Watch this video on how to buy soil. This should help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaqynoSZotBpobM

[@Shayeblehhhh]

@@TheWaterBox thank you!!!

[@TheWaterBox]

@@Shayeblehhhh yw!

[@egxv9700]

Hey new subscriber here, love your vids. What do you think about an organic soil capped with ada Amazonia? I won’t be adding any fish until fully cycled or adding plants so I’m not to worry about ammonia leach. Is that to much? Or would that work? Also once the soil runs out of nutrients do I have to replace it or can I leave it and add root tabs? Thanks

[@TheWaterBox]

It's over kill but will work fine. I'd just be VERY careful about the ammonia. You don't want to burn some of your plants with too much of it. Some plants are sensitive to too much ammonia. and yes, you can use root tabs. :) My video I released last night actually is about using root tabs in inert substrates or substrates that's lost it's charge. Thanks for the sub!

[@egxv9700]

Thanks for answering. One more question I’m thinking on getting a finnex planted plus 24/7 for a 20 gallon tank. On a 20 high the par would be 65, on a long it would be 75. I will be running co2. Which one do you think would be better if I wanted to have a dwarf baby tears carpet or maybe a Monte Carlo carpet. I’m not against a dwarf hair grass carpet but it would be my last choice. Thanks

[@TheWaterBox]

Hey Egxv. Either way. the HC will do fine (65+par is already on the high side). From experience, as I used to have a dutch 20g long , it's EASY in a 20g long. I even raised the light 4" for coverage and it was a little too intense. I basically chose that tank because of the height. The ONLY problem was, well, the height. lol Your stems won't have much room to grow. Since I was doing a Dutch style, it was hard to get a bush of Rotalla, Limnophilia, etc... You can go watch the video build on the results. I went up to about 12 weeks updates before life hit and I let the tank go. kzbin.info/aero/PLl7jTu1aWwVaMnkR6tK4-MPDTeo4JC-yT