#dirted tank

[glassboxdiaries]

Apex Predator Walstad Method Tank Is Planted!

The initial ammonia released from the soil has already converted to nitrite, likely thanks to the beneficial bacteria colonies on the plants and lava rock, which were in one of my betta tanks for almost a year.

I’m holding off on adding the food web insects until algae and biofilm have had time to establish and the nitrite has fully cycled out.

So far, everything is progressing as planned!

Plant List

🌿 Java Fern 🌿 Java Fern Green Gnome

🌿 Bucephalandra Red Scorpio

🌿 Bucephalandra Sintang

🌿 Bucephalandra Theia Green

🌿 Anubias Glabra

🌿 Anubias Coin Leaf

🌿 Anubias Petite

🌿 Hygrophila Corymbosa

🌿 Hygrophila Corymbosa Compact

🌿 Hygrophila Difformis

🌿 Blyxa Japonica

🌿 Helanthium Tenellum Green

🌿 Red Root Floaters

[yaestabaaqui]

New aquarium's third day!

60L dirted tank. Floating plants helped clear up the water. I'd love some anubias on the wood.

[bookwyrmbran]

Tore down the 20-gallon in the bedroom about, oh, eight months ago? I wanted dirt instead of gravel and a better environment for warm softwater species. I think it's coming along pretty well! Most of the otos are new, as are the false neon tetras; they'll finish coloring back up in a week or so. I can't keep a garden indoors (NO decent light through like ANY windows) but tending to plant-heavy aquascapes helps, and the fish are fun to watch.

[curlydragonfish]

OMGGGGGGG the bowl is making me so happy rn please GOD nothing melt or die 😭😭😭❤️

[crypticokra]

My ugly 40g walstad that's about a year old

[bufovivarium]

Re-scaping time. This is the 60 gallon Rio Orinoco biotope. When I first put it together, it was dirted, and I made the terrible mistake of sloping the dirt up towards the back. Eventually the sand all slid forward and exposed the dirt, and the corydoras were always stirring it up, clogging the filter. So, a word to the wise: don't do that.

[hella-free-space]

Recently saw someone using potting soil as a substrate for a planted aquarium, is this actually something people do and have success with?? I'm starting a planted tank soon (my first) and would love to have a cheaper option than the fluval stratum!!

I know that @chibimonkey has a “dirted tank” for her water garden and her plants are doing well! :D but i don’t remember if she used organic potting soil or not tho…i think she’s keeping it plants only just in case the soil she used isn’t okay to use with fish n stuff >.>however, i can tell you that dirted tanks are real and that they do work! :p from what i’ve seen they can be more work (in terms of initial setup, cloudiness, etc.), so that’s the tradeoff…but if you’re up for it, I’d head over to the Low-Tech Planted Tanks group on facebook! they’ve probably got some people on there that have dirted tanks and can give you more direciton / help than i could :p (the group’s page should have a search bar that lets you search for old posts as well so maybe try searching for some stuff as well as posting in the group asking for help ^-^ there are probably some how-to vids on youtube about dirted tanks as well! :)good luck and let us know how it turns out!!

[curlydragonfish]

I'M DIRTING

I'm using this dirt and black blasting sand to cap it.

The bowl is 3 gallons, and the second time I filled it was cloudier than the first because my lousy siphoning skills disturbed the cap 😅 More updates to come tomorrow, hopefully with some plants!