Why I Don't Use Dirt In My Fish Tanks...

[@AQUAPROS]

Who's got a dirted tank??? Setting up a small one next week :) Get some seriously LEGIT. Fish Food ➡ geni.us/shopLEGIT

[@rafaelgonzalez4175]

I have three dirted tanks. a 125 a 75 and a 55. All are made of the same mix. The earth from my back yard and the sand from a few feet down. I have the strangest mindset. I would rather not pay for it. Too many laws around to tell me not to go to the park and take the roots of a turned over tree. Or not to go to the beach and remove the sand for my use. Capitalism. The wealthy know how to make you pay for it. I simply dig. My best three tanks. little over 3 inches of dirt sand and gravel. The Plants were doing well until my cichids ate them up. Now the plants are away from the fish behind the built in. My 55 has no plants but the bottom is the same. HOB filters run that and water is always pristine now. It took quite some time to get the parameters balanced. Fish had to be added slowly. Thankfully my 125 is stocked with Convict Cichlids. They just keep breeding. The 75 also has A Garden variety snake plant in the built in. Took a long time to settle and make an aquarium capable plant out of it. That 75 is my Silver Dollar community tank.

[@streettrash4220]

I ❤ dirt.

[@-EJ00]

I have a 40g dirted with sand cap. Use the media bags, then cap over them. Keeps everything out of the water column if you need to replant.

[@streettrash4220]

@@-EJ00 I’ve done this too . Media bags work great! Also I’ve had good results using a mix of 50% soil, 25% bentonite clay, 10% coarse paver sand, 10% crushed lava rock, and 5% worm castings. I sifted out all the wood chunks and random junk from the soil, then premix everything with a bit of water so it’s got a thick, pasty consistency. The clay helps keep everything stuck together so it doesn’t want to float up as much when planting. Use about 3/4”-1” of this with around a 2” sand cap.

[@TalisaAquarist]

I like using aqua soil and capping it off with sand, it’s more expensive than using potting soil but it’s much cleaner and easier to use! The plants love it and my tanks are thriving! You’re tanks look amazing! 🤩

[@FatherFish]

The last 7 years have seen an explosion of research in dirted tanks. All of the problems that frustrated you and other Walstad followers have been resolved. This is as close to bullet proof as it is possible to get. Hundreds of folks are experiencing the joy of fish keeping with this system. I challenge you to set up a tank acoording to the system we are teaching and compare it with your absolute best tank.

[@steefan2248]

Hey, FatherFish. I thought of you while watching your videos. Years ago (before Subscribing to your channel) I used a very similar method to your's by "bringing nature indoors". That tank was bulletproof, low tech, low maintenance and lasted for YEARS. Then I wondered why every "sanitary" pebble substrate tank I started was unstable and eventually fail. You got me back on track by realizing what I was doing originally that made it work, also I learned countless other tips from you.

[@ozpinoy]

Been in W.A where we have strict biodiversity laws. I chose to go mostly native. Followed your method FatherFish, I filled buckets with local river mud and hard scapes. Went through so much quarantine laws just to import Smaragdinas from Franksbetas. Been running over 2 years and I’m planning to have a 10 gallon long in my office. The single best advice was to leave it alone, and trust nature.

[@dimitrijekrstic7567]

​@@ozpinoynice! Hope it turned out the way you wanted it to, and boy are those betta smaragdina wonderful looking fish!

[@piercemccauley7079]

I have all of my tanks dirted and capped. I legit use the cheapest topsoil you can get and I have no problems at all

[@anti-popfpv4638]

Like growing anything there is more than one way to skin a catfish. I think L amino acids and enzymes with any substrate will give desired effect. I prefer build a soil myself but new style works too.

[@sebastianflores848]

I am biased I prefer natural aquariums over high tech manicured aquascapes. I experimented with the Father Fish method and mixed cow manure, with organic potting soil and peat moss and capped it with 2 inches of sand. so far I haven't had any problems with my tank it has been running for 8 months now. My plants are growing well and if you want a long term aquarium for the health of the fish and plants then a natural aquarium is a good option.

[@Arcadianx98]

Same

[@sbtw.zombie1798]

I love father fish

[@cottoncandyboigacha7052]

Did you wash the dirt before hand? If so how much?

[@Fauxkerykes]

That's what I want. Fully self contained (what it can be) eco system in the tank. That's my dream. Tons of pants. Could I add leaves if I boil them?

[@Carolina-ql1kn]

What do you do when the soil runs out of nutrients? Use root tabs?

[@bobs5596]

here's what i do, best of both worlds. i plant in clay flowerpots with dirt capped with sand/gravel! they get partially buried in the tank's gravel, no soil layer there. the plants grow terrifically, and i can move them about like plants on a windowsill, with no mess from disturbing gravel since there is no dirt. the plants still send down runners and carpet the tank, but those are stunted by the shallow gravel layer, and stay short which is desirable. use 6'' deep pots and give sword plants deep soil to grow big.

[@andrewgoldfish]

I thought about doing this for awhile. Seems like a great idea.

[@bobs5596]

@@andrewgoldfish i have upgraded to big square plastic baskets used for aquatic lillies, sold on chewy. pile rocks around the base to hide the basket.

[@jase123111]

Wow. Amazing idea. Cant believe i never thought of that...because I do that in my garden pond already. 😂

[@MacTX]

Any planted tank eventually becomes a dirted tank given enough time. I have a planted tank that's been up for 4 yrs that has basically converted itself into a dirted tank even though it wasn't setup as one. There's a 2 inch layer of organic matter that has settled to the bottom over time that the root plants have tapped into. Their growth started taking off a couple years back and I couldn't figure out why until the dirt layer got large enough for me to see against the glass.

[@OceanLife6977]

Hey, went to your channel to see if you have any videos. You should make one so to see your tank! Subbed!

[@MacTX]

@@OceanLife6977 Thanks, I did a long time ago for both my freshwater and saltwater tanks but KZbin kept changing their rules, and the last time time they changed it, years back, I stopped posting videos and private them all because there was language in their TOS that I didn't like, including their ability to delete my account for something others did, like comments left on one of my videos.

[@OceanLife6977]

@@MacTX Wow! Frustrating to say the least! I am doing as much research as I can to achieve an aquarium with the perimeters like yours, and this KZbinr to where we left our comments. I saw your own comments interesting and would have loved to have seen a video, but I definitely understand your point about posting. Anyway, tank on!

[@MattyP650]

@@MacTXyou have autism bro

[@Aiken47]

I found the same thing with substrate that isn’t vacuumed, those tanks did so well

[@sendit7777]

I just started reptiles. Then to springtails and isopods. Then started learning about aquariums by accident. Found father fish and have a 2 month old dirted tank now. It does make you feel alot more connected to nature.

[@CatFish107]

Love to have houseplants that I can't forget to water. Isopods are pretty neat too.

[@dimitrijekrstic7567]

Heck yeah brother. Very cool

[@joeyandozzie101]

I started with isopods, then moved my colony to a big tank and just turned my old 10 gallon into a shrimp tank with stick, rocks, and compost from my yard. The shrimp and plants are thriving so far.

[@zackmorisco1854]

I have switch to dirt tanks after 20 years. Basically no more water changes. From 50% once a week to maybe 20% every 6months. Make sure you have enough sand to top it off so it won't leak in to the water. And alot of plants. Wish I could post some fotos. Good luck yall

[@lalystar4230]

that's the main benefit of a planted tank for sure. I haven't done any water changes in 2 years, however, I have had to top up the tank pretty regularly (about 2 liters every 1-2 weeks), but then it's an open top with a couple of monsteras and herbs growing out of the tank haha.

[@CatFish107]

​@lalystar4230 LOL. There's not much more, beyond heating, that you could do to increase evaporation. Aquaponic monstera ftw.

[@lalystar4230]

oh.. i do heat my tank as well.. so there's that too hahahhaha xD

[@lindamorgan2993]

At 7.00 there is a tank in the background that has growing what looks like small trees. Or maybe like heads of broccoli. What is that plant?

[@IdratherbeinHobbiton]

I'm so glad I read your comment (about covering with sand) as I've been wondering if that would work. (That's the look I want to go for). I'm wanting to do a planted betta tank, my first time ever doing a planted tank so I'm trying to do my research first!

[@benserko]

He starts actually getting into the cons of a dirt tank at 11:00

[@Starkness1]

Tip for the rooting out og plants, use a panty hose to put the dirt in and them place it in the tank pat it down and then put your substrate ontop of that, later when you want to pull a plant the dirty will not come out much. Also do no worry the plant roots will easily find it's way to the dirt through the panty hose once planted into the substrate.

[@letsgonow5641]

Right lol dude can talk lol..

[@fernandacappucci8412]

Half of the complaints are that water sometimes get cloudy lmao

[@ronannezlev2276]

Aha, that’s helpful

[@RicoHarding]

Thank god! Monetizing videos def keeps the youtubers talk forever

[@jacquejecker4435]

One BIG suggestion, KZbin "Father Fish". If you follow his recommendation for setting up a dirted tank, NONE of those negatives yo mention will be a problem. Basic rules are one inch of soil, two inches of rinsed play sand, add certain items to the dirt to help it through the first year, which he spells out, plant it the first day. Add a few fish the Second day, increase a few at a time a week or so apart, NO water changes, only replenish for evaporation, NO external or power filters, only a sponge filter and maybe another bubbler in the opposite corner just to add water movement. I am in the 4th month of my new tank and the only problem I had was tannin's from a large root ball I added, which gave the water a light tan hue. It has been crystal clear from day 1, well, maybe day 2. It was just a bit cloudy right after I filled it the first day. Father Fish's oldest continuous dirted tank that is 23 years old. He had a very successful store in Florida for many years until the government severely shut down on imported pets. He had to close up and move to Maryland a couple years ago. He continued his plant and substrate store after the move and is only now getting back into stocking fish in his new small warehouse. So if you have not heard of him, check him out. Even if you don't try his method you will probably still learn something from him. We never stop learning. PS, another PRIME point. Only feed the fish once or twice a week and then only a very small amount of food. Over feeding is a prime cause of foul water.

[@ethanvarnell6190]

I just stumbled on father fish today blew my mind I’m getting me an aquarium asap

[@I-hate-youtube797]

He doesn’t really spell it out. It takes awhile going through dozens of his videos to hear what he’s using. In one video he’ll say this and another that. But he’s never given clear directions and said exactly what each product he uses it how much he uses and when to put them in and how. Least not that I’ve seen. Also find it ironic that he chose discord as the site to help people on. Of course a fish keeper, someone who likes overly complicated pets would opt to use an overly complicated website! Oh the irony! He’s a nice man and it is obvious to me he knows what he’s doing. But he’s not very organized and his videos lack a lot of context. It reminds me of a math teacher that’s really good at math and already understands the concepts explaining them to someone who doesn’t. He knows what he’s doing so he’s assuming others know more than they actually do and he leaves out a lot of stuff or isn’t very clear when he explains steps.

[@alienhybrid51]

Bought his 60 dollar plant variety deal it was a great deal arrived in good condition.

[@ednapatriciavargascolon155]

@@alienhybrid51are the quantity of plants of this bundle enough for a 55 gal tank?

[@alienhybrid51]

@@ednapatriciavargascolon155 Yes its definitely a good starter bundle Maybe add one or two bigger plants after you see what space is left. But if your picky i would just pick out what you want.

[@RoyalMetal9]

1 inch of dirt maximum with at least a two inch minimum sand cap. No dirt will leach out if water is added very carefully without disturbing the sand cap. Plant heavily. Add a handful dry leaves every few months. I have several tanks like this. No root tabs needed ever.

[@sjfarrell2.0]

I switched from all aquasoil to a combination of aquatic compost at the back of the tank and aquasoil at the front. All capped off with fine gravel. The plant growth has been better and my bank balance is healthier. I don't plan on removing any of the plants at the back so never have the issue of cloudy water and doing a trim at the front doesn't cause problems as its aquasoil.

[@Banchetph]

I built my tank that I have had for 7 years based off of your dirt method. I even used the mess sacks full of lava rock. Soil is going great. The crypts love it.

[@carravagio16]

when you decide to do another dirted tank maybe you could only dirt half of it, plant the same plants on each side so then you can get an experiment going using the same light / water/ and such. just a thought. happy new year

[@Prairiefish64]

Thank you. I really appreciate hearing pros and cons of everything and you really gave some help with that. I will continue to consider doing a dirt tank but it has helped me understand how to better prepare for some of the cons. Keep up the good work.

[@faceshredder2576]

I have a dirted tank capped with sand and have had it for a few years now and it’s my best tank. I used my garden soil from my raised bed and pool sand🤷🏻‍♀️ I actually call it my “mother tank” that’s where I get all my plant clones from. I actually have no filter on this tank just an air stone. That aquatic soil is ass and runs out of nutrients fast like less than a year FAST. The dirt releases gases essential for the plants by cleaning the water of nutrients and exchange that for oxygen and essential for the fish from the oxygen return from the plants I’ve tried other methods as well but Leme tell you the walstad method is the best and I will not change anything haha for dirted tanks to work well you need at least two inches of sand capping that soil and YOU NEED plants to the point you think you’re over stocking plants

[@BarityOne]

Have you considered doing side by side test tanks and making a series on it? It would be awesome. E.g. soil vs active vs sand only vs gravel. Being you are an actual scientist, it would be legit lol.

[@MattyP650]

There is no comparison, anyone who has been growing demanding plants knows.

[@BarityOne]

@@MattyP650 You missed the point. The series would cover many topics. E.g. Subtrate, plant species, ferts, food, filters, etc etc... like a battle series.

[@racialslurry]

There are other youtubers that have done comparisons between dirted+sand cap vs. active aquasoil. Results look fairly comparable between them.

[@madcowracing88]

Thanks for making video. I've had all sorts of tanks and no one ever seems to put the negatives out there. The biggest problem I have with FF is his and some of his "follower" attitudes toward others hobbyist who dont follow exactly what he says or respectfully challenge his concept. Just watched video where he goes off and literally was putting down others and made fun of them if you only use gravel and not soil etc. Kinda like a freaking cult cause if you question any of it in the forums you will soon be attacked by some of his "extreme super fans" lol. As a hobbyist for 35 years I love having a new 6 month FF hobbyist lecture and attack me after speaking about root tabs or gravel telling me how I am wrong and my 30 tanks in my fish room are somehow less than lol. He is hypocritical in saying dont add stuff to your aquarium and keep natural and never use fertilizers or chemicals yet he himself adds them but it is just in the beginning added to soil mixture as he continues to sell his products. The same chemicals he speaks so negatively about contain many of the sakme things he adds to his "soil in bag". Its the same old business structure...shame your competitors way and promote yours as the only and best.

[@cheh1311]

Exactly! You put the same things in there, just at different times. No need to feel superior if you do it at the start. But I'm sure some 18 year old who whatched a few FF video's knows better than al of us that had succesfull aquariums since before they were born. ;)

[@dennisvanopstal7360]

I never understand why people are worried about anaerobic areas in the tank. The gasses indeed dont dissolve in the water that easily. And its the place where anaerobic bacteria live and break down nitrates to nitrogen. To get a full nitrogen cycle you need that right.

[@lalystar4230]

if the gass bubbles up, unless it's being diffused like you do with a CO2 diffuser, it's very unlikely the gasses will dissolve in any significant amount, during the time they take to go through the water and out the surface xD

[@AndrewFishman]

And in anaerobic areas you also get hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide. Swamp Gas. Have fun with those.

[@ChadGardenSinLA]

This video reminds me of soil vs LECA/semiHydro. It all depends what we're trying to accomplish with our setups and our own husbandry. Thanks for sharing the soilless options.

[@kathismith791]

I don’t understand why people have to be so negative! Yes, I like a natural aquarium, and they are successful. So does this guy. He’s just giving an alternative that also works well. For his purposes it works better than natural dirt. I appreciate his education and his beautiful tanks. And I also appreciate Father Fish. And Dustin.

[@yeeet000]

Yea absolutely, I have a 10 gal that's dirted with a gravel cap and a 55 gal that uses sand form elevation and capped with Seachem's black soil and in my opinion plants are doing better in the 55 than the 10 gal.

[@MDFishTanks]

This has literally made me want to do a dirted tank again 😂😂 The tank in the first clips and with all the s.repens is what made me try it about 3 years ago as well

[@AQUAPROS]

My dude! Lets both get on it!

[@richardshen6404]

Yup, I agree with you I use coarse sand and have had good plant growth with no issues and worst comes to worst redoing the scape doesn't make a big mess because the coarse sand just settles down 🥳

[@mr.tallow]

Never had those issues with my dirted tank. It is not only about the tank set-up itself. You need the right amount and variety of its inhabitants. Shrimps, snails, few ottos and corydoras added to your other favorit fish is the key. They are my dream team for every healthy eco-system. Feeding them once a week with fresh garlic keeps the good bacteria alive and parasites in bay. I never change water only add when it evaporates.

[@JimEJG]

Do you mind if I ask how you introduce the garlic? Is it whole or crushed..??

[@mr.tallow]

@@JimEJG Hi there! My fishes are small so I grind a small fresh garlic and mix it with some other food. I saw garlic juice in stores for aquariums but I assume a fresh one is better. The garlic smell will disappear within a day or so. Have a nice day!

[@kefrensmegademo]

Is it possible setting up a Hi-tech aquarium with dirted tank style?

[@gallardo20000]

I think dirted tanks are best suited for plants you never plan on replanting; crypt only tank would be an excellent example of this and they come in a ton of color variations which would make it a viable choice.

[@fayded.]

Crypts are awesome. Just pick out the dead leaves and new ones will grow right back. Super low maintenance plant

[@danielcaridad2425]

This is crazy for me. I set up my first PLANTED and DIRTED aquarium ever less than 3 months ago. I have experienced literally EVERYTHING you mentioned on the video in a period of just about 2 months since I set up the tank. The rearranging, the gass bubbles, the balance, the plant growth, the gravel cap, the tanned water, and the SUPER PAINFUL gravel cleaning after I took the soil out of the tank (yeah, luckily the gravel can be washed, but it was a horrible and hard experience and even after al the work the gravel is still not entirely clean). Basically every single thing you mentioned was the stuff I concluded from this small gap of time 😅 and it seems I wasn't so far from the truth. Great video! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

[@sebastianflores848]

I used sand to cap my soil and so far my tank has been set up for 8 months with no problems.

[@danielcaridad2425]

@@sebastianflores848 don't get me wrong, I didn't have a single problem with the tank while it was dirted, it was always really healthy and balanced. It's just that it's not the most practical thing depending on what you want to do with the aquarium. I loved doing the dirted thing!

[@andrescastaneda5362]

@@sebastianflores848I did mine with dirt and added sand 3 times the amount of dirt. That much of sand won’t let any dirt mix with your water ever.

[@yurigaming4068]

If you have problems you must have done it wrong.

[@rowanwhite3520]

I just put an inch layer of sand with no plants in the substrate and have lots of wood with epiphytic plants on the wood. Sooo... much easier to maintain and looks amazing. Love your videos!

[@neutronshiva2498]

Thats a good way of doing it!

[@tierneylogan5943]

That is the direction i am going in too. It looks amazing and sooooo much less stressful

[@gsellis]

I have tried a UG filter driven by my canister filter and a bubbler head. At 1 year, it suffered from soil compaction causing a backflow issue. I then probed the base to loosen it back up. Biggest problem has been the black beard algae. Oh, and Purigen in your canister gets rid of brown water faster than you would believe.

[@MrBoab67]

What plant are you using for those trees? I am looking for a plant to give the effect of leaves and yours looks great

[@aquaestate6241]

should be monte Carlo

[@MrBoab67]

​@@aquaestate6241brilliant thank you will get some ordered that looks really good setup like that

[@macsarcule]

Incredibly helpful. I’ve had planted aquariums on and off for 30 years, and was considering starting a dirted, planted tank. The clean-out of extra plants has been in my mind. I imagined it would pull up the soil and your video confirmed that. The biggest proponents of the dirted tanks on KZbin aren’t sharing this huge drawback to a planted tank. I’ve never had a planted tank that didn’t need thinning and discarding of plants every few months. Vallisneria and others fill so quickly, they have to be thinned. Excellent pro/con video. 🙂👍

[@CatFish107]

Oh yeah, jungle Val does need to actually be thinned. I enjoy the thick jungle look, with many hiding spots, so I usually only prune and trim. But the floaters and jungle Val do get yanked from time to time. I have had great success growing in gravel with broken up houseplant spikes as root tabs.

[@KentoLeoDragon]

Dude, I just had the biggest scare of my life the other week. I had just set up a 20G long and put a thin layer of soil at the bottom, capped that with some medium gravel and topped that with sand. I was sitting on the couch watching TV and heard the LOUDEST roaring splashing sound. I spun around looking towards the tank and saw these huge baseball sized bubbles bursting out of the substrate. In that first instant I was certain the tank had a catastrophic failure and water was gushing out on the floor. I ran over in a panic, looked around and the tank was fine. No water leaks. Once I got my heart restarted I concluded it must have been built up gas from the soil. Don't ask me how that much gas built up and released all at once like a volcano. There was sand all over the filter and plants and hardscape but surprisingly no soil escaped. Never experienced something like that before. Anyhoo, you ain't kidding about gas buildup. It's happened again but now I know what's happening.

[@AQUAPROS]

thats wild.... what soil were you using???? how much roughly???

[@Dare_Devilss]

Its important to put water in dirt soil to make it mud before capping it with sand! Maybe you put sand directly on dirt without making it mud!

[@KentoLeoDragon]

@@AQUAPROS Miracle Gro potting mix. Nothing fancy, but it does say "feeds for three months." I soaked it in a bucket first and added maybe a half inch or so.

[@BiGenXGardener]

did you wet it first? like if you make it into a mud, let it sit as a mud for at least 2 hrs (24 hrs is idea), then cap it, it should prevent that

[@EuroGupper]

​@@AQUAPROS Any natural (potting) plant fertilizer capped with a thick sand substrate will cause gas to buildup. It's pretty cool seeing the bubble escape. But soil is messy, I just use sand as well. It takes a bit longer to age and become enriched, but when I want to do maintenance or start a new aquarium I can use the sand again

[@assiahinarkansas]

Excited to see your fishroom evolve! Most of my tanks are dirted, but not all. They are all so different, I've got em ranging from deep substrate to bare bottom. I enjoy the variety. And thank you, I am happy with the Legit food. Fish, frogs, shrimp, and snails are all going for it.

[@aquahobby1982]

❤❤❤❤ what a beautiful video 🤗🤗 the same reason I gave up using substrate all together is simply because it's too much work while rescaping . Any plant uproot and my tank is the murkiest ditch I ever noticed..... now a days i just prefer to use hardscapes and epiphytes attachedbto it.. with co2 in almost no time they fill up the tank. I do save quite an amount of money here as well as i dont have to purchase substrate

[@discordiacreates6669]

Great video and yes, all excellent points and I'd like to add that dirted tanks really are not for aquascaping, due to the problems you mentioned with rearranging and pruning, they're actually far better suited for jungle style aquariums in my experience since those are much more wild and plants may be trimmed down but are rarely fully removed in that kind of setup. Keeping that in mind and never forgetting to presoak soil before capping and filling the tank should save a lotta people a headache later down the line. I'm currently primarily using the dirted tank method because it is a bit cheaper and you can get more plant growth early on when done right, though I do feel like long term growth levels out with sand or gravel only tanks so it's really more personal preference imo, but yeah... If you're an aqascaper then you might wanna stay away from dirted tanks not because they're bad or inherently wrong, but simply because rearranging or replanting things is extremely messy and I won't lie about that, I've instead decided to focus on slow growing plants or a monoculture carpet if I can get anything to carpet without CO2 so that I don't have to worry about keeping plants to their designated areas so much. Good luck with any new dirted tank project btw, it's true they are super fun and a great learning experience, but they do tend to start out looking like a dusturbed pond lol Question btw, in the tank with the neon tetras and rummynose tetras, there's a nice little group of bright green plants in the front right corner of the tank with long, thin, toothed leaves that almost looks like a tiny version of a terrestial fern, name please? I don't recognize it and would love to look up their availability and care requirements as they look super neat and have a unique texture for an aquatic plant. Also I guess I have two questions because I'd also like to know if they're in a larger tank because they get big or grow more aggressively or they're relatively small and it's just an aesthetic choice, because depending on care requirements and size I'm getting a nano tank idea from looking at them ^^'. Ty for any responses

[@wheelbite9]

I never had the cloudy water problem with any of my dirted tanks. I always used cheap, no-name top soil, removed every stick, stirred it up with just enough water, and let it off-gas, stirring occasionally for a few days before capping and filling, so that might be the reason. From my experience, beginner root feeding plants actually benefit the most from a dirt substrate. Crypts, vallisnerias, swords, and especially dwarf sag go crazy in soil even though they do well in anything. Plants that are a little more needy like hygrophilas don't seem to have the same benefit, and I've actually had a few higher tech plants get root rot in soil. They need dosed no matter what the substrate, and I see my hygros doing better with just fish poop in gravel and ferts vs dirt and ferts, so I'd love to see your dirted tank video test that aspect if possible. I've switched to aquasoils recently after seeing Fishtory's video on substrates, but I'm too new to them to give any kind of review there. Another con to dirted tanks is the smell when you tear them down. Omg it's like a port-o-potty on a hot summer day.

[@neutronshiva2498]

Pretty good comment, thanks for writing it. I had similar experience. Nobody told me that, but most of the stem plants dont really benefit in any way from dirtied tank because they feed off water rather than what little root they might have.

[@johnjwedrall4290]

I really love that sanded tank with the dead tree. Awesome ‼️

[@lopres]

Best tank I’ve ever had used topsoil/dirt from the back yard. 100 gallon. Best tank ever. Love the video. New subscriber!!!

[@Fishtory]

Yes! I totally agree with you. I only use aquasoil blends,/ADA and fluval stratum now, but still, I like the inch cap for planting and clean looks. Aquasoils like Amazonia and all the big active soils are 2 composite materials... a dense clay and pourus clay or mud. Dr. Tom Bar has a published paper on the action of each little sphere of aquasoil... and anything over a milimeter radius allows for anoxic microbes and future ammonia sequestration, and the outside is aerobic for up to 1.5mm, I did a video on the paper called " What is the best substrate".

[@marycollins1024]

I was wondering if I could cap the active substrate with sand.

[@cheh1311]

@@marycollins1024 Yes you can, no problem.

[@0action847]

I recently started aqua scaping but i have had bonsai for many years. I bought a bag of aqua soil and realised it is just a fried clay, like Akadama from my bonsai soil mix. Then i read that Takashi Amano used akadama in his early tanks. So i set up a akadama tank and it's going amazing, a lot cheaper than aquasoil.

[@0action847]

i have my suspicions that ADA just remarketed akadama into a more expensive product.

[@Orwellian-Purple-Grapes-1984]

Where I am, Akadama is pretty expensive. Kitty litter is cheaper.

[@benwilliams3539]

Need to add fertz though yeah? Those fired clays wouldn't have any of their own I'm guessing?

[@0action847]

@@benwilliams3539 yep you need to add it but akadama pretty much soaks up fertilize and make it available to the plants.

[@0action847]

@@benwilliams3539 also you need to start fertilizing aqua soil after about a month anyway.

[@matthew_thefallen]

The problem with soil is that people tend to plop a great quantity of it without sifting it. You just need a tiny amount of it under where you want to plant your plants. At least this is what I saw doing from those who do it without any dirty water issues.

[@SininStyle]

Really questioning the need for soil. How much do aquatic plants really take up from roots? Really think true aquatic plants get it from the water column. Any studies on this? Tests?

[@tierneylogan5943]

This was well known back in the day, before companies started pushing expensive products and claiming aquatic plants can’t take up nutrients from the water column lol. I never even use fert tabs. Plants get all they need from fish waste. If i see a deficiency i use a water based fert for a bit.

[@zacharnold6350]

I just got my order of LEGIT fish food my fish love it an Mike u give me stickers an a Autograph sticker Buy you and I've never been so happy in my life. Thanks for bringing me all that joy.

[@AQUAPROS]

Zach, you rock! Merry Christmas dude

[@strangerthings88]

@@AQUAPROS why is there whey in your fish food?

[@DPac9]

ADA, Tropica and all other aquatic companies will be very thankful for your valuable perspective on dirtied tank. Hopefully this attempt will get more customers buying their active soil products! 👏🏼

[@markfranklin8831]

What a awesome video about the pros and cons of a dirted tank. Im still on the fence but diffitley leaning towards a dirted tank in the future. Thanks for sharing

[@AQUAPROS]

do it! they're fun :)

[@-EJ00]

Try dirted tank in the mesh bags so it dosent come up into the water column so much if you have to rescape

[@TheFatAssCat]

This is the big thing. I would never cap dirt with sand like he did - you'll always get the messy mixing whenever you rearrange things. Strange the video author never mentioned it, he otherwise seems knowledgeable.

[@-EJ00]

@TheFatAssCat yeah I did dirted in mesh bags with a sand cap..much less messy than without the bags

[@keyahsblair]

Alllll of your IDK's father fish actually has an answer for! He's tried and tested the dirted aquarium for over 30yrs. He has a 22yr old tank

[@Boogerboys1990]

Deep substrate for life. It's not just dirt. Father fish method I've been on for years uses a bunch of nutrients. And are forever tanks. Aquasoil breaks down after a few years and can make a mess. Or u need to cap it in a few years. U want ultra slow nutrients in the mud. Also, the deep substrate is a septic system for ur tank. Happy fish keeping.

[@fireflyfree311]

I'm trying sand , father fish suggested in one of his videos this was before the soil video. Dirt will create itself under the sand in time. I also have a filter and will use plant tabs for awhile. Excited about using real bacteria from the woods and pond.

[@pubwvj]

I have been using natural sand and dirt in both fresh and salt water tanks since the 1960s. I have always lived where I used my well or spring water and just setup a continuous water flow through the tank at a very slow rate for almost all of my freshwater tanks. This made the tanks into part of my outdoor ecosystem. Mostly I have high plant load and low fish load. Plus lots of smaller critters.

[@lj4160]

Love the look of the moss in the tank you’re showing in this video. How do you attach it? Why does it look so beautiful and green? Do you fertilize the water column?

[@Spacey7]

Hi. I had a soil base tank & it developed that eggy smelling sulphur started coming out when the substrate was disturbed, like when planting new plants or water changes, cleaning the surface. It started killing my Guppies. They got so bad I had to completely clear out the tank & start again. I used gravel & rocks this time. Keeping an eye on my other tanks now.

[@mfstarboy8690]

It seems that substrate got released into the water column, sand should not be cleaned, i dont know if you did that and why.

[@andyacosta151]

What is your opinion on Father Fish then? Because he preaches the dirted substrate & soil.

[@dinoprimi3914]

In my opinion, nothing beats an established dirt tank. All those aqua soils won’t last very long. So if you are someone that experiments and wants to change their tank every year or so, then definitely use aqua soil. If you are chasing long term balance and overall health for both fish and plants, go with dirt. I’d recommend searching father fish and watching a few of his videos, his supplements(additives to the soil), has solved many of the issues people face with dirt, and his soil mix is 2:1:1(2 parts peat moss:1 part potting soil:1 part organic compost), allows for long term nutrient release, while not being overpowering like going with 100% potting soil. Peat moss is inert so it just hold the roots. 1 inch of the soil mix with a 2 inch sand layer(I use pool filter sand), and you are ready to rock. It will be cloudy the first day, but after you do a few water changes, you are sorted. This is all assuming you want a heavy planted tank.If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[@darrellelliott1553]

Father fish is getting pretty annoying with all that

[@dinoprimi3914]

@@darrellelliott1553 it’s only annoying because it’s true. Most people really, really want to believe their extremely expensive aqua soil is the best around, unfortunately it’s not. Most people that use aqua soil also use liquid fertiliser and that is a ridiculous amount of work to maintain.

[@helzing5114]

@@darrellelliott1553 the affiliate links sums it up... just trying to sell you something

[@dinoprimi3914]

@@helzing5114 last I checked, all KZbinrs are trying to sell you something. Simply having a KZbin channel is you selling whatever it is you have to offer to the world. At least make an argument that makes sense bud

[@coolbetty]

thank you for the great video, i appreciate the perspective using no soil based on how much i plan on revamping it.

[@drfill9210]

Technically NOT soil. I have a degree and a phd in this. Fire the clay and it becomes at best a technosol, more closely resembling a rock horizon. We are now talking geology, not soil.

[@HopeB555]

I have 7 tanks currently, 6 with a 1-2" sand cap, fluval stratum middle layer, and organic potting soil as the bottom layer. My 7th tank has pots layered the same (breeding tank for angelfish). Only one of my tanks has had any bubbling and that was for the first couple of weeks and since then zero issues. I've never had a tank cloud up on me yet. It's interesting hearing a less than 100% positive review of dirted tanks.

[@6speed818]

I was thinking about doing the fluval with potting soil capped with sand on my next big tank to save some money. I have the fluval capped with sand in my 20 long. I love that stuff but expensive I put 3 bags in.

[@HopeB555]

@@6speed818 lol. Yeah it's pretty pricey. 😅 Sounds like a fun project!

[@Richiko06]

Aww those guppies and the other fishies ❤ they are just so cute 💙🩵😍😍😍😍😍

[@scottplumer3668]

I have two dirt tanks because you recommended it a few years ago. Neither one has had any cloudiness issues. They've had tannins, but I like that, even if the water does look like pee. I'm going to be redoing my 55, and will probably use Controsoil, but that stuff is expensive.

[@mackgmoney1515]

Eco complete.....after a year or two youll have enough mulm down in the substrate that its pretty much dirt anyway. Works for me.

[@GraphixGlitch]

Thanks for the great video! Only one out of my 14 tanks right now is a dirted tank. Mainly did it a few months ago just to experience and compare results with other builds. Cheers!

[@hugoalvord2779]

As someone who really likes the idea of dieted tanks but doesn’t have a ton of experience, it’s interesting to me to see someone’s perspective who doesn’t prefer that method. Thanks for sharing!

[@Twiggyay]

I have three tanks ranging from 70 to 350 liters, and while tannins are staining it somewhat it's crystal clear. I enjoy the natural aspect of dirted tanks. It feels right, it looks right, and i am convinced it's right for all parties involved be it plants, fish or me. But ykno. We all do things differently, and doing your own hobby your own way is part of the game!

[@ShaunOnToast]

The ghetto aquarium video got me back into fishtanks too ! 😂

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Informative video, thanks 😊

[@ProductRandomReviews]

I discovered using soil from experiment and then decided it was cool to use and helped plants grow. Soil is best because it is free. lol. I get it from my yard. Anybody without a yard can get it from a park. Its great. Its like getting tap water vs buying water.

[@rossallen738]

One thing that I saw on a couple videos was putting high nutrient soils in bags. I put soil into panty hose and then capped with fine sand. Theoretically, the soil shouldnt be able to come out and get into the water column, but the plant roots should be able to access the nutrients. My tank is only 3 weeks or so into its life but it seems to be progressing decently.

[@zxan5819]

How it doing now

[@rossallen738]

@@zxan5819 it's doing relatively well. Dwarf hair grass seems to like it.

[@thomaslytje8656]

You really really should learn to do it right. To be honest, I don't know how good things can be without. I was lucky enough to learn about the Father Fish method right when I started. But all of the problems you are talking about is nothing I experience. I did setup one with not enough sand (probably the 1 inch you suggest) and taking out a big plant ruined everything. A huge soil spillage. So I had to get all livestock out immidiately. But that was because I did it wrong. With my tanks I am doing right (e.g. according to the Father Fish method) there is no problem about cloudy water, no problems with moving plants or re-scaping. But I am new in the hobby. I started around 5 months ago. I am sure I'll run into problems. But I really doubt it's going to be because of my dirted deep substrate setup!

[@Diet7he]

I’m really interested in the Walstad method, which incorporates soil into the substrate. If you're delving into this level of aquarium building, it’s crucial to approach the process scientifically, as there are many variables to consider for each unique setup. From my experience, there is a significant learning curve with the Walstad method, and I did encounter some of the challenges mentioned in the video. However, it’s the only method I truly enjoy. I love the idea of recreating the natural substrate buildup found in ecosystems. For example, studying the sediment layers of the Amazon River has inspired me to create a more authentic substrate for my tank. That said, achieving the specific aesthetic shown in the video can be more challenging when using soil, given the level of interaction required.

[@dgleitaocontratos]

Do you have any videos specific about should I vaccum clean or not the substrate for a planted aquarium?

[@retro6652]

Just wanted to say thanks for the video. I think we all aspire to have beautiful tanks, and when you look online (Pinterest, etc.), it's easy to fool yourself into thinking everyone else was able to create gorgeous masterpieces while you are struggling through a messy tank as though you were doing something wrong.

[@thinhduong8182]

Your dirted tanks have a lot of hair algae at the bottom and mine too. Not sure if it’s a dirted tank thing because we don’t siphon the sand too much for fear of dirt leakage.

[@Frailerpark]

As with any pond you definitely never want to use any kind of compost mix which has lots of organic matter to break down and create a rotting, gaseous, smelly soup . A loam based soil or even just baked garden soil better for aquatic environment.

[@CatFish107]

After mucking around with several smaller tanks, I decided to put all my rescued tetras and big colony of guppies and mystery snails into a 75-gallon. I chose to go plain, low cost. Just aquarium gravel and busted up Jobe's houseplant spikes as root tabs. Sponge filters, and some vine plants growing out the back. I have had zero issues over 9 months so far. Jungle Val, dwarf saggitaria, a couple types of sword, and crypts. Ludwigia and rotala aren't doing great, tbh. But everything else jungled out.

[@TherealShabbadang]

In my main tank (360 l) that I set up about three years ago, I put clay plus peat in the bottom layer, that I mixed, then I put ECS substrate on top. I don't know if ECS is what you call an active substrate but it is like small, brown pellets, and it is burnt, mainly out of clay. It is quite porous but it sinks and it looks great. If I was to set up another tank I would use the clay, but skip the peat, I think. It seems that the peat produces some gas that some plants roots don't like and they seem to get brown roots from it, f.x. Sagittaria. Crypts don't grow fantastic in it but Nymphaea grows fantastic, as does Aponogeton and Echinodorus. I also put micronutrients in with each water change.

[@twunderaquatics1770]

The only time I have had an anaerobic issue is when I used a hollow resin stump. All the fish started dying in just a few days, and before I could figure it out, you could smell it. Unless an item is solid or if hollow has openings in it, don't put in your tank. Lesson learned the hard way.

[@amiedoll60]

I use gravel because I wasn't going to plant the tank this time around. 10 Years later I wanted plants again, so I put some Aquarium plant substrate in terracotta pots for my substrate needing plants (amazon sword, etc), and I got a bunch of Hornwart and Java fern to put around, and I have some Duckweed coming for the top. All in all I have a lot of plants now, and I didn't need to change my entire substrate or tank layout. I think it all looks great, and I can't wait to see how it all grows in.

[@zawy673]

I love Active Substrate, healthy growth without making a mess.

[@rusle]

I have tried several things as substrate. I have used clay, cat litter, potting soil and turf and also used strong acid to kill the alkaline in the clay. Most of the time I was making a mix that I put into the tank. Yes it was working great but the easiest is the pre made active substrate that I mixed with gravel and I am not able to see the big difference when it comes to plant growth.

[@ryanmassey586]

Trumpet snails rapidly sequester nutrients into the sand bed. You can season a substrate very quickly if you start with enough snails. I use this and good quality root tabs for 20 years with good success.

[@OK-pi6fq]

I’ve been checking out no or low maintenance tanks and the recommend that substrate, but capped with several inches of sand, as the sand filters waste down and seal in nitrogen etc. mixed with lots of plants and best included wild pond flora fauna to create a biosystem. It’s a cool see.

[@yashtapase3821]

Hello sir I do have potting soil outdoor pond with no cap of sand or gravel straight up potting soil cause never think that i need to cap the soil with something now the videos are saying that it needs to be capped But iny case never had any issues even the water cloudyness cause i didnt use the fishes that swim through bottom or inspect what going on here there My pond has bettas , angels , various tetras , gouramis , they all are happy in it 😀 But i dont have tanks that i scape with potting soil because i have so much corydoras they like to dig alot especially when there is potting soil in it i dont they smell or feel that thing 😅 So i have epiphyte plants for tanks And they are doing good for me ❤

[@kinglyzard]

I totally recommend Fox Farms brand potting soil. It's all natural, has bat guano, mycorrhiza, microbes, and micronutrients, awa other healthy ingredients. No slow release chemicals like Osmocote, etc. A little spendy, but worth the extra $

For me what make a dirted tank superior is that my dirted tank spawned seed shrimps, limpet and lots of other critters. Active substrate dont do that. After 6 month to 2 years both style used up their nutrient anyway and need root tabs anyway.

[@jamescapb3795]

I think using straight up mud from outside (almost like a clay, I don’t know how to describe it but maybe you know what I mean) makes a big difference when you want to take established plants out of the substrate without a mess. That what’s I’m using , straight up mud from outside and the dirt seems to just stay clumped together underneath the sand. It could just be the specific soul we have where we live at. I’m not sure, but either way God bless you whoever you are reading this and remember You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart Jeremiah 29:13

[@crab_aesthetics]

I set up a 30 gallon used tank last year, dirted and capped with sand, planted, had some tiger barbs and other things in there, then I left for Thanksgiving and when I came home, I saw through the window that the tank was only half full. I go inside and find that the back panel of the tank had begun to separate from the right side, and about 15 gallons of water had leaked out all over the floor. Luckily none of the fish or invertebrates had gotten out. I ran and got some clamps, clamped the tank together, sprayed the outside with flex seal, and ordered a replacement/upgrade 55 gallon tank. When I got the 55 gallon, I got some buckets, added tank water and a lot of salvinia to a bucket, removed the fish, snails, and shrimp from the 30 gallon, put them in the bucket with the salvinia, added some more tank water to another bucket, put all the plants into that bucket, then removed the hardscape and put that into the third bucket. Then, the hard and disgusting part was removing all the dirt and sand from the 30 gallon tank. I ended up sifting it through a wire serving tray thing to remove larger rocks or pebbles, into a big tote box, and it smelled terrible, just the worst possible smell of decomposition. After I got it all scooped out I put the old tank outside, put the new 55 gallon tank in place, added the old dirt back from the original tank (at this point the dirt and sand were mixed and I didn't see much point in trying to un-mix them), added hardscape, capped with new layer of sand, planted the plants back in, and left it overnight. The next morning I added the fish, shrimp, and snails back in, and a few days ago I added more tiget barbs and a couple of zebra loaches. Everything seems fine, the water is clearing up, and the crypts didn't even melt at all from all that disturbance. Long story short, dirted tanks are very cool and if I were setting up a new tank again, I would still use and recommend using dirt + sand cap, but breaking them down can be a tedious and gross job. Also, if you buy a used tank, you might want to reseal the silicone before you set it up.

[@AQUAPROS]

Dang, ya thats a horror story for sure.... Mostly cause the tank leaked (obvi) but ya dirt tanks are def a pain to tare down, just the cost of doin business 🤷‍♂️

[@crab_aesthetics]

@@AQUAPROS So true, but worth it for a budget build, low tech sort of setup.

[@bloatus7611]

The worst part of dirted tanks for me has been the teardown. It is just not worth it to me anymore because I'm a sand guy and separating it is incredibly annoying. A fine sand is impossible. Now only one of my tanks is dirted. And I had a 40 breeder that started out as a holding tank for my corys and now holds about 30 fish and hundreds of shrimp with just a thin later of sand. I planted just to make things a little more comfortable and to not throw away plants. The plants aren't struggling really. I started this hobby with a dirted tank because I thought it would be the simplest method. It worked out pretty ok with that tank.

[@bloatus7611]

@@madji6886 Because it's sand. It is reusable lol.

[@BassManStrikes]

What gravel did you use to cap the dirt? It looks bigger grain than sand but smaller than standard gravel.

[@quackchung]

I have a couple of dirted tanks but never had a problem with murky water as you said. Yes you can get that at the beginning if you haven't thoroughly washed your sand, but I have 1 inch soil 2 inch of fine pool filter sand in 20 gallon tanks. With that ratio, I don't get any leaching of soil whatsoever. You seem to only use 1 inch of coarse sand which may be your problem?

[@kndawsey]

I been using volcanic soil and smooth garvel. I'm super new to the world of fish-keeping. My little Koi betta is only 6weeks she's very particular. I want get more plants, and I still have to get her another tank.

[@HeadsetProfessional]

Im a beginner and cost is a big thing, So what I do is use small glass fish bowls, use the expensive substrate 3 inches deep with sand ontop. That way I dont have to use it throughout the entire tank.

[@petes3011]

Garden soil is free and plentiful and hasnt been processed(sterilised) and shipped halfway around the world. But it can be messy to handle/scape. Garden centre Potting compost can be full of bark/peat....that means tannins/brown water and hard to get rid of. I got baffled by the amount of info/advise on the internet. Forget about the chemistry talk. I used garden soil capped with dune sand from well above any seawater and have no problems (all free). Anyway a good vid in anycase.

[@Crystalclear17693]

Ive never set up a planted tank that didn't mantain perfect calrity from the get the go, do you think maybe you just didn't cap it well enough? Same with changing the plants, so long as you pull slowly if it has deep roots you may get the tiniest smidge of soil up but nothing noticeable... As to removing the substrate i just drain water and then scoop the sand up with a flat edge scoop and it seems to be perfectly easy to get 98% of the sand up without disturbing the soil and then you just end up with a microscopic amount of sand in your dirt which is fine anyway 😊 But thanks for you video, i was questioning if i should go back to aquasoil but your video clearly lets me know there is no point to that and it has no "benefit" other than being more expensive!

[@OceanLife6977]

Love this video man! I went through the same and I am now trying your particular setup. That’s how I found your video since I am doing more research. Subbed!!

[@KingOfShenanigan]

Can you please do that sand vs. soil planted aquarium experiment you were talking about where all the other variables are controlled?

[@al44tec]

The trick is having a large enough sand cap. The 2-1 ratio is key for dirt tanks. 1” soil to 2” sand cap. Just depends on depth of soil. Pretty fail proof if done right. Very simple. And last a long time if low tech. 10+ years on my main tank so far. Fun project

[@konagirlguppies1374]

So I tried my first planted tank 2 years ago. I used Fluval Stratum alone. Didn't cap it or anything. It is now all dissolved into a muddy mess. Any disturbance makes the water black. Is this how these substrates act? What do you do? Start over every year or two? I guess I just stupidly assumed it would stay pebble like forever! 😢 I plan on dumping it all out and using sand next time. Thanks.

[@FustFPV]

I find most people in the aquarium hobby don't know about aquaponics. Its liturally an entire field in growing food in which we use fish INSTEAD of dirt/soil/manure

[@SwissFrogGuy]

I find this absolutely fascinating. Thanks a lot for this really great video!

[@jumpingspider7105]

I think the biggest myth with dirted tanks is that you have to put a cap on top. You can make a mixture of say 50% sand 50% rich compost, and just place that in the aquarium with no cap. You will have cloudy water for ~1 week but basically as biofilms grow your water will settle down. there are no big downsides if you just use mud to scape.

[@kinglyzard]

I think i see your problem with dirted tanks leaching the next day @11:15. I noticed you put your hardscape in before your substrate down. I think this is causing your breach, as the hardscape causes a bridge to the surface