# Emersed setup substrate?



## Skillet (Mar 10, 2015)

Hey everyone, I have a bit of a problem I'm trying to solve. My nano has just gotten overgrown with stuff, and I just got a 30L that I intend to scape one day, but would like to grow some of my stuff emersed so that when I do get there, I'll have plenty of plants on hand. I read a handful of emersed setup articles and quite a few mentioned that plain ol' potting soil is ok to use. A few of the articles used a topper of gravel (or something else) but quite a few just used soil by itself. I filled my aquarium with an inch of potting soil and intended to fill the aquarium up with water about 3 inches over that so that my plants would have time to acclimate to emersed growth as the water levels dropped. The problem I'm having, which seems so obvious in hindsight, is that about half of my potting soils is floating and has been for about 5 days. Its floating so much that I can't see the bottom of the tank, but I can feel about a half an inch of substrate on the bottom. What do you think I should do about this or what would you do in my situation? Thanks!

Skillet


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Take a net and remove everything that is floating. Then empty the tank. Put sand or gravel on top of the potting soil that is left in the tank. refill the tank slowly until the water is just at the top of the sand. Plant the tank and cover it with anything you have, Saran wrap, glass etc. It is too dry in Colorado to grow most aquatic plants without a cover to maintain humidity but you don't need extra water if you use a cover. The plants will adapt, perhaps slowly but they will.


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## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

I agree with the above. Most people use Miracle Gro potting soil. Just keep the soil wet enough so puddles don't form.


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Use plain old top soil. I have a feeling your dirt is just having a problem with the surface tension of the water. grab up what you can in a net and squeeze it to get is wet. To break the surface tension. In some areas, like mine, we can water and water and yet a quarter of an inch below the soil line it is dry. Totally dry. Water just runs off. Add a surfactant like soap and it sinks in. You make the water "wetter". Can't do that in a tank so you squeeze it.


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## drewsuf82 (May 27, 2012)

GraphicGr8s said:


> Use plain old top soil. I have a feeling your dirt is just having a problem with the surface tension of the water. grab up what you can in a net and squeeze it to get is wet. To break the surface tension. In some areas, like mine, we can water and water and yet a quarter of an inch below the soil line it is dry. Totally dry. Water just runs off. Add a surfactant like soap and it sinks in. You make the water "wetter". Can't do that in a tank so you squeeze it.


This! I use plain old top soil in my emersed setup. I've had no issues growing plants with it. Check my journal below for a better idea on how I did it.

Emersed is fun and it's a great way to grow and store plants for later use.


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## Skillet (Mar 10, 2015)

Thanks for the replies! I netted off the top and I'm going to wait another day or two for the water to drop so I can add some gravel (since I've got some just laying around). You're right, it's so dry here that the water drops very quickly.


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

drewsuf82 said:


> This! I use plain old top soil in my emersed setup. I've had no issues growing plants with it. Check my journal below for a better idea on how I did it.
> 
> Emersed is fun and it's a great way to grow and store plants for later use.


So I took a look. You spent money on a hygrometer? Think of the plants oyu could have bought instead. 

Nice Drew.

Personally I don't worry much about the humidity and right now my emersed are all open tanks. Hope to change that pretty soon though.


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## natebuchholz (Sep 28, 2013)

Ha ha their like $5. What's wrong with a point of reference; this may lead to more consistent results.


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## drewsuf82 (May 27, 2012)

GraphicGr8s said:


> So I took a look. You spent money on a hygrometer? Think of the plants oyu could have bought instead.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I did because it's my first setup and wanted to make sure the humidity would be stable in this setup. I got it for free anyway because I had the petco dollars lol

I want to get more going. And now that I know this bin is stable I plan on using it to make a few more as money allows. 


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I've noticed what GraphicGr8s on really dry potting soil. Peat can hold a lot of water, but if it's not slightly moist/damp, it's going to take a long time to absorb it.

Before I set up a dirted tank, I take the dirt I plan on using, and put it in a bucket, and throw in a glass or two of water, and let it sit for a day or two before setting up the tank (if your dirt is already moist, you can skip this). A really small amount, but it's enough that over time it slowly soaks in, and makes it so the dirt can readily absorb water.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I used MGOPS for my emersed setup.


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

I use pure worm casting now, with a little clay mixed in as a binding agent.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

GraphicGr8s said:


> So I took a look. You spent money on a hygrometer? Think of the plants oyu could have bought instead.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You can just take plastic rap and rap the top of the tank to keep the humidity up. Also if you do this though you will have to lift the plastic rap up on the corner and let some oxygen in to replenish the old air with new 


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