# Organic gardener's mineralized topsoil recipe



## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Ok so I'm new to the planted tank game. But an expericed keeper of small fish, and a very successful gardener. I or my gardening success to the highly ammmended soil and compost mixes I make myself. I use my custom mixes for for my potted veggies. Never realized I could actually put dirt in a tank till I came across that dustin guy screaming about it on YouTube.

So I did my homework and figured I'd dirt a 20gallon, decided to use two differnt soils of my own. 1/2" of one, topped with a lil more than 1"of the other, capped with sand or gravel.
Here's the mix,

Started with Fox farms ocean forest and miracle grow organic choice
-lots of glacial rock dust( almost identicle to azomite)
-Texas and jersey greensand
-soft rock phosphate
-food grade diatomaceous earth
-kelp meal
-alfalfa meal
-humus( woody matter decomposed by fungus)
-lots worms castings
-lots of sea soil(wild caught fish processing waste, and logging industry wastes thermally composted for two year before bagging for sale from company in BC)
-lots of homemade compost
-bio char
stuff for the bottom layer is almost the same, just less organic matter, way more of the mineral based amendments. (Also mixed in 20oz of laterite with my bottom layer for more iron.

I have used this soil and recycle it every year. After I harvest my veggies, I basically throw a lil more of everything back in and inoculate it with benificial bacteria and funguses and leave it somewhere warm with air movement for the winter. The fungus is most important as it will break down the rock dust and greensand and make it bioavailable to the plants. And this soil has been sitting since October.

I took some of each soil and soaked them separately for a night to remove any peat/ coco husk and perlite and vermiculite. Siphoned off the water and repeated. Used a parabolic heater and a fan and a tarp to mineralize the soil in my basement. Humidity was only 30% down there so it didn't take long.
Wet and dry 3 times, sifts it,then one more wet dry cycle. It all felt like fluffy sand after it dried the last time.
Put down 1/2" of the mineral rich stuff mixed with 20oz laterite, just over an inch of the other. It is capped with two differnt sizes of gravel and pool filter sand(not On top of each other lol) 
Plants are all loving it, and still have had very minimal algae and no ammonia spikes, but I did throw a lot of plants in right off the bat. picture is just after second wave of planting, some plants had already had a week in the tank. just letting the plants do their thing now.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Not that you are going to have problems but problems with hot soil substrates don't usually show up after a week, a month is more typical a lot depends on the cap.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Sounds good. Your plants should love it once they're established after several weeks. Try adding some crypts to the tank as well.


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Monster Fish said:


> Sounds good. Your plants should love it once they're established after several weeks. Try adding some crypts to the tank as well.


Are the crypts to help bring oxygen into soil through roots?? That's why I chose rossette sword in the corner with the the most sand capping the dirt. Swords have good root systems... Right?

So far everything has shown signs of new growth, and the bacopa has hit the surface and kicked into Overdive


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## THE V (Nov 17, 2011)

Swords can have massive root systems. I've seen a 10" sword have 20" roots before. 

Roots actually remove oxygen from the soil when they are living. When they die they decompose and leave pores in the soil. These pores allow for O2 and nutrient movement with the water column. 

Sounds like you have a pretty good mixture of soil. 

BTW The process of the breakdown of the green sand and glacial dust is called Chemical Weathering. This is a combination biological and atmospheric breakdown of the soil. Really interesting stuff to read up on.

What is the pH of your tank? If it is slightly acidic it will continue to breakdown the rocks and release nutrients at a steady rate.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Wilderman204 said:


> Are the crypts to help bring oxygen into soil through roots?? That's why I chose rossette sword in the corner with the the most sand capping the dirt. Swords have good root systems... Right?
> 
> So far everything has shown signs of new growth, and the bacopa has hit the surface and kicked into Overdive


Yeah. The crypts have massive root systems which will help bring oxygen into the soil layer. Eventually they start sending up runners around the tank. Swords also have good root systems but some grow too large for the average aquarium.


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Well the bacopa is going gangbusters and is branching at every single node, even the stuff that hasn't reached the surface


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Aquatic plants can add oxygen to the soil. Unlike land plants they can actually pump the oxygen down into the substrate.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

THE V said:


> Swords can have massive root systems. I've seen a 10" sword have 20" roots before.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Plant's deliver oxygen to their root stuctures, so long as they are growing.


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## dzega (Apr 22, 2013)

Wilderman204 said:


> Well the bacopa is going gangbusters and is branching at every single node, even the stuff that hasn't reached the surface


bacopa is feeding from water column, not soil. the real judge would be whatever that grassy plants(sagittaria?) are


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Saggitaria has gone insane, ludwigia doing ok, added some crypts and Vals to get some roots down, pulled Diandra ( didn't like my hard well water, GH around 16*), pulled bacopa(too melty). Probably should have done more to mineralize it, been getting pretty steady bubbling( still poke everyday with planting tongs). No smell, just a lot of bubbles. Only smell I get from the tank is that wonderful "cycled tank smell"
Lil off topic, but I think I will try adding live California black worms to help stir the substrate and have an "In tank, self repopulating food supply"


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