# OK - How do I do this Miracle Gro thing?



## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

So after an interesting adventure at Home Depot today, I finally got my hands on some Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix. It was tough. I couldn't find the small bag so I got the big one. That also meant I had to pack it all the way home in the dark. They also had the section blocked off "for my safety" but I wanted that dirt... so I had to climb around pallets and haul out a bag. :icon_cool

Anyway I'm gonna do a test run of this stuff first since I have a good 20 pounds... Does anyone have any guides, instructions, or just tips about how to get the most out of this stuff? Should I sift it? Wash it? How deep should I make it? What should I cap it with? etc. This will be going in my 60-P next month and I don't wanna mess it up.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Wkndracer has a very informative thread about using MGOC in planted tanks.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/86457-55-gallon-low-tech-soil-sub.html

Hope that helps.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

If you plan to use MGOC potting mix (glad to see that you got the potting mix) then wkndracer's threads and experience are probably the best source that you can have on here. He uses it in multiple tanks that he has great success breeding angel fish in.

The threads can be long and it can be hard to find the specific info though.

What are you setting the tank up for? Focused on plants with some fish or shrimp added in or focused on fish or shrimp with plants added in?

If you are going for a heavily planted tank with root feeders then you can augment the MGOC with some of the minerals/salts that they lay down under MTS set-ups in order to get a similar boost in the most commonly used nutrients. wkndracer did this in one of his tanks.

I have two bowls with MGOCP and one 30 gallon XH (similar footprint to a 60P I think) using the MGOCP. I capped them all with black tahitian moon sand because I liked the look of it but you can use gravel or flourite/eco-complete to cap it as well. Just so it is heavy enough to hold the MGOCP down and doesn't let it float up into the water.


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

You might find this site helpful:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks to those that found my thread helpful and expressed kudos on that. 

All my threads contain the tank setup information up front (usually the opening page) with only a couple exceptions. The linked thread above is the oldest and contains the tested parameters and substrate aging as it effected plant growth. It follows the Walstad method very closely. 

Another is a layered base using the clay and potash I had for MTS use but the project was cancelled. I can't argue myself into making MTS when the results provide little difference from those using natural soils containing organics. Substrate gassing and tannins being primary. Tannins for a few months don't bother me and the gas release is nothing to be scared of in my experiences. Anyhoot, the layered sub is in the lower tank here.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...bum/131940-stainless-2-story-56k-warning.html

Somebody told me I have too many tank threads (sorry).
Included in the tittles is something to indicate whats in the tank.

When I started tanking dirt in '09 I did a mirror thread over on APC and Diana Walstad posted in with advice and comments when I asked questions (very helpful). Sadly she's no longer moderating / contributing in that section. Without her advice it has drifted away from direct topic on many of the replies I read when visiting. Very helpful folks but a higher percentage of knee jerk symptom treatment advice rather than dealing with root causes. Understandable I guess but no longer the same section it was without her influence and advice. 

Started the fraternity of dirt here to provide link assistance finding those using enriched substrates on TPT. (hope it helps) Many have joined and are most helpful with advice on what worked for them and what didn't. All members have journals (required) and that timelines how they're tanks preform and what they do maintaining them. 

If an answer isn't forth coming on a topic plz feel free to send a PM. 
The answers are here as much as anywhere else these days. Primarily an EI based site membership before the diversity of size changed TPT it now has it all in my opinion LOL.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Using Miracle Gro Potting Mix*

Good morning Jag...

I used the potting mix as a base and covered it with pea gravel, but if you disturb it, you'll have a mess in the tank. So, you'll need to do all your planting first, then carefully fill the tank.

I've also used the mix in pots topped with pea gravel and then put the pots into the tank. Either way, you have to be extremely careful or you have a lot of debris floating in the tank water. The mix will nourish the plant for several months and I think the mix helps the plant get used to the tank conditions, so it doesn't die back as much.

B


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Round pea gravel can be problematic as a capping material with too much flow through the capping layer so more careful handling of tank maintenance is required. With MTS or NPT rooted plants have to be moved with care to avoid clouds.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

I've read some of wkndracer's threads, but I see he calls it "potting soil"? Do we have the same dirt here, or did I grab the wrong stuff?

This is the bag I have:










I'll be capping it with some kind of sand, probably black flourite sand. Glad I don't have to prep this stuff like MTS, that would be a pain in November lol.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

Look at the ingredients. Is it Chicken Poop or Cow Dung


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

There are no ingredients on the bag... Just says this



> A blend of phagnum peat moss, composted bark fines and natural fertilizer helps your container vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs and plants thrive.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

On the back at the bottom should be the ingredients.

edit: woops.

The bag that I have looks like the picture that djscotty posted.

The "potting soil' is the one that usually has cow manure in it which is NOT what you want.

You want the stuff that has chicken waste in it and the only way to be 100% sure is to check the ingredient list on the back.
I keep intending to take and host a picture of the proper type of MGOC so I can post it in threads like this but I keep forgetting to get around to it.


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## djscotty (Sep 14, 2010)

This is the one here












Jaguar said:


> I've read some of wkndracer's threads, but I see he calls it "potting soil"? Do we have the same dirt here, or did I grab the wrong stuff?
> 
> This is the bag I have:
> 
> ...


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting Mix (exact label) is the label I've used and it contains poultry material but not animal manures. Tried the potting soil with manure in the failed MTS attempt. Ants not manure ruined that project.
Cableguy69846 has used it though and the chemical spike from the cow crap cleared pretty quickly (about a month) in his accidental test tank. 'Accidental' because he got the wrong bag LOL it had cow manure listed.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

OK - it's the same stuff, just the bigger bag. Nothing about manure listed anywhere on the bag, and online some sources say something about chickens but I can't cite it to anything.



> Ingredients: Formulated from 50-55% composted bark, sphagnum peat moss, pasteurized poultry litter, and an organic wetting agent. (Nitrogen 0.10%, Phosphate 0.05%, Soluble Potash 0.05% -- Note: This product contains 0.097% slowly available nitrogen.


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Tons of bugs in my dirt. Nasty. Kept what was pulled out, enough for a small tank/bowl, taking the rest back for a refund. 

Getting either Aquasoil or Fluval stratum, they're the same price.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Jaguar said:


> Tons of bugs in my dirt. Nasty. Kept what was pulled out, enough for a small tank/bowl, taking the rest back for a refund.
> 
> Getting either Aquasoil or Fluval stratum, they're the same price.


haha that's a storage issue not the product as usually received.

the traditional tanking subs will do you a fine job I'm sure, wouldn't be happy with bugs either LOL


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## frrok (May 22, 2011)

Jaguar said:


> Tons of bugs in my dirt. Nasty. Kept what was pulled out, enough for a small tank/bowl, taking the rest back for a refund.
> 
> Getting either Aquasoil or Fluval stratum, they're the same price.


Those bugs are normal. I had them in my dirt when I was sifting through it. They won't survive submerged. I'm confused, are you not going with soil now because of the bugs?


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## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

frrok said:


> Those bugs are normal. I had them in my dirt when I was sifting through it. They won't survive submerged. I'm confused, are you not going with soil now because of the bugs?


I searched it up, they were fungus gnats, common with the organic MG. They hatch when you bring them inside and the dirt gets warm... I just don't want to have to store half a bag of a bug factory. The dirt was expensive as it was, and plus the price of capping material, I could just get Aqua Soil and be done with it. I put it in the 10 gallon tonight and capped with random sand and gravel I had left over, because I had already sifted a bunch before the gnats started popping up. Home Depot said they would take it back so I'm not too worried about it.



















The driftwood is still kinda floaty so I'll be moving it once it wants to sink.


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