# MG Natures Care Potting Soil



## Frank H (Jan 16, 2015)

I searched for Miracle Grow Organic choice to no avail. I found MG Natures Care Organic Potting Soil. Is this OK to use under sand in my tank? 

http://www.naturescare.com/smg/goprod/natures-care-organic-potting-mix/prod11050006


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

I'll let you know in a month or so. I started a 10g with this stuff about a week ago. It has the same feel and consistency as MGOCPM, and about the same amount of floaters as well, both dry and wet. It's been wet and soaking for about 2 weeks.

I started with filling a 5-gal bucket about 3/5ths full. Then I filled the bucket up with water and made sure everything was mixed and wet. I waited a week and then scooped off all the floaters, poured off the top water and then stirred it up again, and filled back with fresh water.

I then added a couple lbs of sifted dirt from the bottom of an old burn pile and mixed it in, let it settle and poured off the water. 

So I'll let you know how it works as things settle in.


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## Frank H (Jan 16, 2015)

Thank you. Appreciate that


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

Quick update. I have a bit of ammonia leeching from the dirt. Only about 1ppm. Since the tank isn't cycled or heavily planted it's fine with me for growing some beneficial bacteria.


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## Zoomy (Sep 13, 2014)

Ooh, I didn't think about pre-soaking mine, aside from enough to rinse-out the loosest stuff. Perhaps I should do that...but I'm setting up a 50g, so that would mean finding space for a bunch of buckets of mud in the garage.


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

You could switch to an extra rubbermaid tub laying around from "organizing". I left my bucket outside, thus keeping the garage space available.


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## Zoomy (Sep 13, 2014)

grizzly_a said:


> You could switch to an extra rubbermaid tub laying around from "organizing". I left my bucket outside, thus keeping the garage space available.


Outside right now would definitely require a lid to keep all the crap from the trees from setting up house. :tongue:


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

I'm still at .5ppm ammonia, but likely from a slow cycling new tank. The Vals i put in there haven't melted like they did in another tank, so they are transitioning well.

Here are the ingredients labels from the different bags to show the differences.


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## xxoczukxx (Aug 16, 2014)

grizzly_a said:


> I'm still at .5ppm ammonia, but likely from a slow cycling new tank. The Vals i put in there haven't melted like they did in another tank, so they are transitioning well.
> 
> Here are the ingredients labels from the different bags to show the differences.


so ive read a lot of reviews and heard that the organic choice potting mix more often than not contains like gnats and stuff and is also moldy often. do you know if this is true? and did you buy yours locally or online?


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

I bought mine locally. I didn't use it for a while, so it dried out and I didn't have gnats.

I had small white mold in the soil, but when I submerged it for washing/sifting, the mold floats and was removed. 

The process I used eliminated the concerns you have about the product. (fill bucket half full of soil, fill bucket with water, stir and knead until all the floaters rise to the top, separate the floaters, and use the stuff on the bottom.)


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