# will fish waste become soil?



## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

Roots will act on fish and plant waste and turn it into soil over time. I noticed this around the roots of swords and crypts. 

Trumpet snails will stir the top layer and blackworms will sort of do the same, but will be eaten about as soon as fish find them.

Plants roots send O2 down to the gravel bed and prevent an abundance of anaerobic pockets


----------



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Microbes will do most of the work decomposing fish waste, fallen leaves, dead roots, left over food and so on. 
These materials will eventually become part of soil, though it is not all the particles that should be in there. I would add something finer than gravel, and gradually remove the gravel.


----------



## bmeate (Feb 9, 2014)

anything i can do to ~mildly~ suppliment my soil/mulm/gravel mixture?

my plants seem yellowish, is that a sign of iron deficiency?
i live in oakland, do you know much about the water quality therE? same as contra costa wateR?


----------



## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

bmeate said:


> how come deadly gas pockets dont form in soil planted tanks?
> 
> is there any worms or types of life i could introduce into the tank to stirr all the decomposing poop in the bottom?
> 
> ...


Hello,

I would not worry about gas pockets unless you have a deep layer of garden soil underneath for example.

There are some snails that live in the substrate. I do not know their name in english. But they stir the substrate which is a good thing.

If the tank is old, mulm has accumulated, you can check with a finger, push into it, see if bulbs comes out.

Michel.


----------



## Smudger (Jan 19, 2015)

Malaysian trumpet snails MTS. your Lfs will undoubtedly have some they will probably just give away. They reproduce like crazy though. In my shrimp tank I have dozens now but hardly see them in my main tank (hiding from corries probably) but I started with 10 or so. They come out at night and will be everywhere, and aren't too bad a cleaning to, not damaging plants.

Richard - Happy Fish Keeping


----------



## TheGreenWizard (Jan 19, 2015)

bmeate said:


> my plants seem yellowish, is that a sign of iron deficiency?
> i live in oakland, do you know much about the water quality therE? same as contra costa wateR?


Could you provide a picture? Saying that they are yellowish could describe an Iron, Nitrogen, or Phosphate deficiency... 

As for the water quality, you can always look it up. I'm assuming you're in Oakland, CA? If so... https://www.ebmud.com/water-and-wastewater/water-quality


----------

