# Adding Dirt To An Established Tank.



## Squrl888 (Oct 3, 2014)

I don't have experience but I plan on doing the same to my 29 gallon. My plan is to do it in 1/3 sections. Taking out the old substrate a d replacing it with dirt and a cap. Hopefully this will minimize any ammonia spikes.


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## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

How will add dirt substrate to the water column without mixing the dirt around thus creating an ammonia spike? I mean as soon as the dirt hits the water it will mix with the water even though some will fall to the bottom but I get chunk will probably get mixed with the water column.


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## Squrl888 (Oct 3, 2014)

Large water changes will probably help


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

To add substrate on top of existing:
Use a material that will not add ammonia. Rinse it well. 
Use a piece of pipe such as 2" diameter PVC or pretty much any other sort of pipe that is a bit longer than the depth of the water. 
Position the pipe where you want to add the dirt, touching the existing substrate. Put some dirt in the pipe. It will fall through the water, and not spread out (it is confined by the pipe.)
Slowly lift the pipe. The dirt will not make a big mess, though there may be some clouding. 
Repeat until the clouding is as much as you think the fish will handle. Remember that they are breathing that water! 
A few days later, add more. 

Note: Nitrifying bacteria colonizes the top layer of substrate. They thrive in good water movement, which brings them ammonia and oxygen. 
When you bury that top layer with new substrate it can smother them, and it takes time for the other bacteria to colonize the new material. 
Monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so you are on top of any problems. 

Substituting new substrate for old is similar. As suggested by Squrl take the tank in sections, perhaps 25% each week until the job is done. 

Alternate: Do it all in one day, and add a bacterial supplement that contains Nitrospira species of bacteria to replace the bacteria lost with the removal of the old substrate.


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## MAQ (Sep 30, 2014)

I'm planning on achieving this with a full day spent on the tank. I'm planning on draining the tank and retaining the water possibly a make shift tank, adding the heater filter an air stone. Removing all plants and decor and pre existing substrate. Adding new soil and capping adding plants and decor and re filling with retained water. The question is has any one had success with adding soil with little change in water column parameters if so which soil have you had success with...?


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

If the new soil has nothing to give up to the water then the water parameters should not change. 
Any of the inert materials would work: Sand, gravel... 
Should not, but might: Any aquarium plant specific substrate like Eco Complete (I have heard reports of it raising the pH), Flourite range of products.

Materials that would change the water parameters include:
Anything related to limestone (raise GH, KH, pH) including aquarium substrates for Rift Lake fish or marine tanks. 
ADA product line (Produces ammonia for a while- cannot put fish back in for about a month. Slowly removes KH, allowing pH to drop)
Montmorillonite Clays (Turface, Safe-T-Sorb, other) (Slowly removes KH, allowing pH to drop- but this is manageable)
Garden types of potting soils- reaction depends on what is in them.


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## Tshavo (Sep 1, 2014)

I would not change it all in one day, as the ammonia from dirt is from decaying organics in the dirt. It also takes a while for all of the organics to decay completely, so maybe adding a little dirt (a cup or two?) and seeing if there are any spikes would be a good idea. Another idea, going off what diana said, would be mixing a bacteria supplement in with the dirt just before you add it (or as you are adding it) so that the bacteria is inside the substrate already and not just colonizing the top. Having said all this, I have no experience with dirted tanks.


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## MAQ (Sep 30, 2014)

Wish I had spare stank I could transfer in to :/


Deuces!


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

You can keep your fish with a heater and filter in the makeshift tank for a long time. Whether it is a nice clean glass tank or a sterilized clean old trash can doesn't matter to the fish. Big surface area provides the all important gas exchange and you are using the filter that goes on the tank, it will be fine. Test your tank water for ammonia and all that and only put the fish back in when it is safe.


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## jlfkona (Jan 1, 2013)

I recently redid one of my tanks. I put the fish in 5 gallon buckets with air stones for the few days it took. I had a fish go carpet surfing even though the water was 8 inches down. I put a towel on top and solved that problem. I had a small spike with ammonia for two days in the redone tank - then it settle back in. The fish were out 3 days. I didn't feed to reduce water issues. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

You have seen what the John Innes soil does. Adds ammonia, and keeps on releasing ammonia for several weeks. Natural garden dirt and many potting soils, and some aquarium soils do this. The treatment is the same:

If the material holds up well, pre-soak it, perhaps in buckets, and do LOTS of water changes to encourage it to release the ammonia as fast as possible. Transferring it to the aquarium all in one day ought to work. You might have a small ammonia spike after disturbing it from bucket to tank.
While you are actually making the switch the fish would be in some sort of storage container, so just keep them there for a few days if the transferred soil continues to release ammonia. It should stop soon, remember I am talking about using a material that you have had in buckets of water for long enough to release a LOT of the ammonia.

Alternate: Set up a new tank. Put the new soil in there, plant it, then wait it out. Use the ammonia spike to grow more bacteria. When the 2 cycles are complete (soil releasing ammonia and nitrifying bacteria growth) move the fish over. Then sell the old tank.


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