# Layering of Substrate



## MiniPike (Aug 25, 2013)

Hi,

I am planning to start my walstad dirt tank soon and i am pretty lost after much reading. It seems to have a lot of considerations, particularly on substrate. One of my major concern is the soil turning anaerobic or releasing poisonous gas killing all living beings in the tank.

I plan to make use of the remaining substrate i have currently, and add on new substrate, probably eco-complete or similar alternatives. My plan is as follow below. Please advise me whether this set-up will pose any problems, such as it being anaerobic...etc

*Tank Size* : 70 Gallon
*
Remaining Substrate : *
1. ADA Amazonia Aquasoil (Probably 4kg left)
2. River Sand Gravel (Probably 2kg left)

*Planning to get :*
1. Organic Compost / Soil (Will sift it and mineralized by cycling 2 times.)
2. Eco-complete (20 kg)
3. Maybe some larger gravel to hold down eco-complete.

*Layering Plans:* (Starting from bottom to top) - Please advise me which layer you think is the best.

In all my layer plans, the organic compost / soil will be 1.25 inch deep. Total height of all layers after dirt base combined is probably around 2 - 2.5 inch.

_Plan 1_
1st Layer - Organic Compost / Soil
2nd Layer - ADA Amazonia Aquasoil (Will this thing dissolve in the long run and become anaerobic?) 
3rd Layer - eco-complete 
4th Layer - River-sand gravel coupled with more heavier and bigger sized gravel to cap

_Plan 2_
1st Layer - Organic Compost / Soil
2nd Layer - eco-complete 
3rd Layer - Aquasoil
4th Layer - River sand gravel / bigger sized gravel to cap

_Plan 3
_1st Layer - Organic compost / Soil
2nd Layer - Mixture of Amazonia Aquasoil, eco-complete and river sand.


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## MiniPike (Aug 25, 2013)

And what do you guys think about adding organic burnt earth to dirt?


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I would keep it simple by placing a mixture of the soil,aquasoil,sand,as bottom layer and cap it with gravel or the eco-complete.
Anaerobic condition is not much to worry bout unless your substrate is deeper than four inches.Even then,,The gas released is said to be harmless once it makes contact with oxygen in the tank ,and have heard of no one in many year's who could directly affix death of fishes to this release of gas (Hydrogen sulfide).
Much more chance of anaerobic condition occurring in dirty canister filter's where cleaning's are few and far between and thus leads to low oxygen inside sealed canister which anaerobic bacteria prefer. 
Really anything that sifts,through or across the surface such as cory's,loaches,trumpet snails, prevent the anaerobic condition's from becoming an issue in all but deepest substrates such as Marine tank's that have deep sand bed's.
I fish many small pond's,lakes with sand,mud bottom's that never get sifted,poked,etc yet the fishes thrive here year after year.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

Anaerobic conditions really not a concern for healthy growing plant tanks. I use Organic compost/Soil topped off with either ADA or other artificial soil substrates. Seldom use ADA nowadays because of cost.

Using soil make sense for tanks which replanting is not done often; else unless your cap is thick it can get stirred up easily. A finer substrate for cap makes it easier to plant small plants esp if you're doing HC, so I usually avoid any larger sized gravel/substrate.

I've used burnt earth with dirt before, with a gravel cap to good effect. But the thing about mixing substrates is that it makes diagnostics difficult. Say one of your water parameters if out of check, hard to then tell if it is caused by the eco complete, ADA, or soil ? 

I'd recommend just using 2 layers; soil with a cap of gravel or artificial substrate like ADA. I'd bet you can grow anything you want; substrate won't be a limiting factor. Greetings from SG


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## MiniPike (Aug 25, 2013)

Thanks guys for the suggestion! I will keep it into account and adapt accordingly.

I will probably mix my remaining river sand gravel into the cap or into the soil, think it is only left with a kg, my dad used some for his crawfish. 

I was thinking of using ada aquasoil for some of my capping but i am afraid it will crumble and dissolve over a long period of time. 

Unfortunately, i think i will most likely have to use a mixture as i am on a low budget and got to live with what life has to offer me.


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