# DIRTING A TANK FOR NEWBIES! simple step by step



## sindy777

Thanks for this. I'm starting my 55gal soon and I want to do it right... is if necessary to add the gravel on top of the dirt if you use miracle grow? Thanks


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## FatherLandDescendant

A point of constructive criticism. 

Pool filter sand, blasting sand, gravel, or 100% natural Montmorillonite clay product such as Safe T Sorb oil absorbent or cat litter.


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## Ben125

sindy777 said:


> Thanks for this. I'm starting my 55gal soon and I want to do it right... is if necessary to add the gravel on top of the dirt if you use miracle grow? Thanks


I would highly recommend capping it. It helps anchor your plants down and makes it so you can siphon the bottom without sucking all your dirt out. Also if you ever touch the bottom or accidentally point your filter down you would have a dirt storm in your tank. 

I have never done dirt without a cap though so maybe someone else can put their 2cents in here.


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## alcimedes

Pretty sure you want Potting SOIL not potting MIX.

The soil product is dirt and bark primarily, the potting mix has a bunch of crap you don't want in your tank.


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## FlaFish

Thanks Ben125 good advise when I need it.
Question , can the "dirted tank" method be combined with deep sand beds ?
Would the 1" dirtied layer be the bottom layer or layered nearer or just under the Cap/show layer in a deep sand bed ?


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## ROYWS3

Not trying to start a flame war by any means but I don't do dirted and never will. I just don't see a 2" substrate as being deep enough - esp for strongly rooted plants such as swords or crypts


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## FatherLandDescendant

ROYWS3 said:


> Not trying to start a flame war by any means but I don't do dirted and never will. I just don't see a 2" substrate as being deep enough - esp for strongly rooted plants such as swords or crypts


I do 1" dirt and at lest 2" STS, giving me and over all sub of 3". Swords and crypts grow like crazy. The swords I moved into my dirted tank from my gravel tank have the biggest leaves I've ever gotten to grow when using gravel.


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## GraphicGr8s

I've used regular top soil. I've never washed it. I've never sifted it. I've only capped it once. And I probably won't do that again. Dirt is at least 2 inches and in most 3-4. Plants grow great. So basically I've done exactly the opposite and 10 dirt tanks and no real troubles. What does that prove? Nothing except that you really don't need to go all out with all the work to get superb results.


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## ROYWS3

FatherLandDescendant said:


> I do 1" dirt and at lest 2" STS, giving me and over all sub of 3". Swords and crypts grow like crazy. The swords I moved into my dirted tank from my gravel tank have the biggest leaves I've ever gotten to grow when using gravel.


 So you're doing at least three inches and 60+% of that is STS.

STS is going to be the bulk of the substrate in my next tank - along with some laterite, a sprinkling of osmocote and micro's with some Shultz Clay Soil Conditioner that I still have lying around somewhere, capped with a similarly hued fine gravel


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## FatherLandDescendant

ROYWS3 said:


> So you're doing at least three inches and 60+% of that is STS.
> 
> STS is going to be the bulk of the substrate in my next tank - along with some laterite, a sprinkling of osmocote and micro's with some Shultz Clay Soil Conditioner that I still have lying around somewhere, capped with a similarly hued fine gravel



Why cap it, STS has a great look all its' own.


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## ROYWS3

FatherLandDescendant said:


> Why cap it, STS has a great look all its' own.


 You're right but I just love this gravel! It's fine grained, lots of browns and dark reds and a little black - I picked it up in a shop in Pittsburgh many years ago and I have yet to find anything similar. It has been recycled through at least four of my show tanks throughout the years. It does work very well with STS


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## PierreG

I don't wash the Miracle Grow....I just sift the soil

I also put I put it in the microwave for 5-6 minutes....it burn potential bacteria...etc...


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## Monster Fish

PierreG said:


> I don't wash the Miracle Grow....I just sift the soil
> 
> I also put I put it in the microwave for 5-6 minutes....it burn potential bacteria...etc...


I don't see a reason for microwaving it. All you're doing is making a mess in the kitchen. Any terrestrial bacteria or pests will most likely die once your substrate is submerged. Just open the bag, sift it, and dump into the tank.


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## Mariostg

GraphicGr8s said:


> I've used regular top soil. I've never washed it. I've never sifted it. I've only capped it once. And I probably won't do that again. Dirt is at least 2 inches and in most 3-4. Plants grow great. So basically I've done exactly the opposite and 10 dirt tanks and no real troubles. What does that prove? Nothing except that you really don't need to go all out with all the work to get superb results.


Sometime it's good to contra the herd...


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## Mariostg

I never sifted/wicrowaved or did any kind of processing on the soil. I read many thing on the internet about the need to sift the soil but sounds to me like a waste of time. Maybe I have been lucky.

To me the recipe is simple. 
--Throw the dirt in the tank, flatten it, wet it so that you start to see some water. 
--Add the sand. (Cleaned in a wheel barrow with tap water from hose)
--Put the plants in. Best to start with short ones.
--fill up the tank.
--Measure NH3/NO2. No fishies until those read zero. 

Why do water changes? Some (many) plants prefer N in NH4 form.

Walstad is a must. It's old, not the most well organized book but a gem as far as I can tell.


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## PierreG

I microwave a lot....and no mess !

in botanical garden they used special oven to do so...to kill bacteria and bug....etc..


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## alcimedes

We used to use huge carts injected with high pressure steam to sterilize yards of soil at a time when I worked at a plant research lab.

For a planted tank, you likely wouldn't be as worried about microbes, as most stuff will die once fully submerged in a tank.

If you wanted to replicate the process of soil mineralization you can do the repeated wet/dry process, or in theory if you had something appropriate you could just cook it hot enough to replicate the many days process of mineralization. (similar to what a forest fire does to soil as it rips through.)


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## Qwe

Mariostg said:


> To me the recipe is simple.
> --Throw the dirt in the tank, flatten it, wet it so that you start to see some water.
> --Add the sand. (Cleaned in a wheel barrow with tap water from hose)
> --Put the plants in. Best to start with short ones.
> --fill up the tank.
> --Measure NH3/NO2. No fishies until those read zero.


Seems like a much more simple step by step guide for newbies, minus a few details of course. But if we're looking for an easy, simple guide, adding in steps like sifting is unnecessary...


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## Monster Fish

I think sifting is necessary depending on what bag of dirt you pick up. MGOCPM and what's sold as bagged top soil can contain lots of rocks, sticks, pieces of bark that are the size of a dime or larger, small piece of plastic, and other pieces of junk. Of course digging up topsoil from your yard would be the easiest thing to do but not everyone has access to land that hasn't been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.


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## FatherLandDescendant

Monster Fish said:


> I think sifting is necessary depending on what bag of dirt you pick up. MGOCPM and what's sold as bagged top soil can contain lots of rocks, sticks, pieces of bark that are the size of a dime or larger, small piece of plastic, and other pieces of junk. Of course digging up topsoil from your yard would be the easiest thing to do but not everyone has access to land that hasn't been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.


I have MGOCPM all I did was to pick out the bigger pieces of wood from the dirt. No problems here, tanks been running for a few months now with a STS cap and I barely have any diatoms even.


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## Qwe

I also always used MGOCPM and never even picked out the bigger pieces. The wood in the soil hasn't caused any problems. It may be better to sift, but it's certainly not necessary or more simple.


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## Mariostg

PierreG said:


> I microwave a lot....and no mess !
> 
> in botanical garden they used special oven to do so...to kill bacteria and bug....etc..


I will keep that in mind Pierre not tha I fear microbial problems. Bugs I might understand. Hey are you refering to Jardin botanique de Montreal?


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## [email protected]

I used an inch and half of dirt and kept it an inch away from the sides of the tank , Then topped it with 2 inches of black diamond blasting sand . no problems


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## flight50

Ben125 said:


> I have seen alot of threads on here about how to start a dirted tank. So I thought I'd just write a step-by-step guide to help people out. This is an extremely basic guide and I realize there are more advanced methods. It is intended as a simple guide that is cheap, easy, and works. Feel free to add suggestions or comments.
> 
> 1. *Get these items.* All of this can be found at Home Depot or Lowes.
> 
> -*Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting Mix* (get enough to cover your bottom in 1'') An extra bag may be required due to spilling, sifting out stuff, ect. Better to just buy an extra one.
> -*Pool filter sand or gravel* If you are doing a big tank this is the cheapest way to go. If you are doing a smaller tank, getting a bag of sand or gravel from the pet store might be better.
> -*some mesh screen* This is used to sift out the wood chips and other debris in the soil. If they have different sizes (as in hole sizes) get both big and small.
> -*a 5 gallon bucket* having 2-3 of these around is a good idea
> 
> 2. *Sift the soil.* This is the most important step so take your time here and do a good job. It will save you alot of grief down the road. Simply use the mesh screen and the bucket to sift out the wood chips and large debris from the dirt. Get out as much of the wood out as you can.
> 
> 3. *Wash the soil.* Just fill the bucket about half way with dirt and turn on the hose. You can hand sift it if you want. Just make sure to get all the stuff that floats out.
> 
> 4. *Add the dirt to the tank. * No more than 1'' of dirt is needed. Less is more. If you add too much it will create problems later on that are difficult to deal with. Use an old credit card to smooth it out and check the depth.
> 
> 5. *Wash the gravel and/or sand.* Fill the bucket half way and then turn on the hose. Sift it until the water runs clear and all the stuff that floats is gone.
> 
> 6. *Add the gravel/sand to the tank.* A 1'' cap is sufficient. Keep whatever you don't use as you will need to recover the dirt after large re-scapes.
> 
> And thats it. Fill it with water and plant heavily.
> 
> Note: Several water changes will be needed over the first month. Its dirt and it can be dirty. Just change the water and recap the dirt as needed. Don't add fish right away as your water will be very unstable for awhile. And be patient. Your water will settle and the tank will look great. If you want same day results, just buy aquasoil or eco complete.


Your number 2 & 3 are only opinions. Neither is critical and not necessary. In fact, should be avoided. I asked about screen MG a couple of years back when I was getting into dirt and the person who got the dirt tank club started on here (wkndracer) chimmed in. Its a good informative thread. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=411594&highlight=.

It's person preference but you will rid of half your back of decomposable material. Screening for larger pieces only isn't too bad. Prior to asking that question, I lost half my bag. If you dump too much, it defeats the purpose of using MGOCPM in the first place if you only seek the fine dirt out of it.


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## dzega

flight50 said:


> Your number 2 & 3 are only opinions. Neither is critical and not necessary. In fact, should be avoided. I asked about screen MG a couple of years back when I was getting into dirt and the person who got the dirt tank club started on here (wkndracer) chimmed in. Its a good informative thread. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=411594&highlight=.
> 
> It's person preference but you will rid of half your back of decomposable material. Screening for larger pieces only isn't too bad. Prior to asking that question, I lost half my bag. If you dump too much, it defeats the purpose of using MGOCPM in the first place if you only seek the fine dirt out of it.


ive used dirt in several ways and the only time i failed was when i threw it in tank straight out of bag. that particular tank went anaerobic where there were no strong root plants and after fighting it for 6months i restarted it with mineralized soil


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## flight50

There have been many people on this site and many others that have used MGOCPM without the issue you list. It's not the product that is at fault, its the way the tank is setup. Plant selection, circulation, substrate depth, etc. Even lighting, co2 and fertilizers can play a part. The latter of the three encourages plant growth which will supply oxygen to the substrate via good root systems. MG isn't for everyone and/or every tank but it sure is cheap and save times time and money. The items needed for mineralized soil is hard to come by for some.


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## Ben125

I find sifting very important. My first dirt tank I did I just threw it in the tank. After a few replants I realized that not sifting those wood chips out was a mistake. Not a tank ending one, just a very annoying one. And that mistake can never be corrected once you establish your tank. You are stuck with those wood chips until you tear down the tank totally and redo everything.

Does it crash your tank? No. Will you have ugly wood chips all over the bottom of your tank? Yes. Do they ever decompose? No not in the 4 years I had that tank up. Will they clog your gravel vac every 5min? Yep. 

Technically you are right, its not necessary. But I wanted new people to know that if you don't you will be dealing with those ugly annoying wood chips until the day you take that tank down.


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## GraphicGr8s

Ben125 said:


> I find sifting very important. My first dirt tank I did I just threw it in the tank. After a few replants I realized that not sifting those wood chips out was a mistake. Not a tank ending one, just a very annoying one. And that mistake can never be corrected once you establish your tank. You are stuck with those wood chips until you tear down the tank totally and redo everything.
> 
> Does it crash your tank? No. Will you have ugly wood chips all over the bottom of your tank? Yes. Do they ever decompose? No not in the 4 years I had that tank up. Will they clog your gravel vac every 5min? Yep.
> 
> Technically you are right, its not necessary. But I wanted new people to know that if you don't you will be dealing with those ugly annoying wood chips until the day you take that tank down.


What is so ugly about the wood chips? They add character. I don't vac my substrate either. And I've never had trouble with it. I've also never had trouble with top soil right out of the bag and dumped in the tank. And I've done a few of those. Whatever floats to the top is skimmed off. Nothing more is done. And you don't _need_ a cap at all.

While I can see possibly sterilizing the soil for terrestrial applications it is most assuredly unnecessary if you're going to use it in a submersed state.


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## cynsnn

Hi, new here and to dirt tanks I'm in the process of changing 2-10gls into 1-20gl Well I need to change sooner then I can afford my plants cause of black algea? everywhere So I was wondering if I had to plant any plants right away or if I could wait for 2 or 3 weeks without any problems? I just cant afford plants right now but I have everything else dirt, gravel, etc... Any thoughts or suggestions?


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## Mariostg

cynsnn said:


> Hi, new here and to dirt tanks I'm in the process of changing 2-10gls into 1-20gl Well I need to change sooner then I can afford my plants cause of black algea? everywhere So I was wondering if I had to plant any plants right away or if I could wait for 2 or 3 weeks without any problems? I just cant afford plants right now but I have everything else dirt, gravel, etc... Any thoughts or suggestions?


I would plant right away, it's much simpler to do in an empty tank. In addition plants will start to use NH4 almost right away. At least those that prefer NH4 to NO3.


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## cynsnn

ok I've decided to wait till I get the plants i'll just keep on cleaning the tank till then thanks for responding so fast!


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