# bone meal, blood meal, organic top soil?



## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Can i use these in a tank? Organic potting soil mixed with bone/blood meal covered with substrate?
Thank you.


----------



## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

I would not use blood meal. You can use organic potting soil with a bit of latterite mixed in. You would then want to cap this with a smail grained gravel (1 - 3 mm). Usually a minimum cap of 1" is suggested.

Best Regards,

Stuart


----------



## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Thank you.
Reason I am asking is because I am trying to set up a 33 gallon and I have some flourite left from another tank. I am just wondering if I could use organic potting soil I got from Costco, top with black flourite or may be buy one bag of eco complete? This way I do not need to buy as much substrate and the soil should be able to hold the nutrients quite well I would think.
I am also thinking of adding some fert in the soil if possible (K, P, and such) before I top it up with a substrate but I am not sure if this is recommended.


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

if you are going with potting soil, i would recommend mixing a little peat in there aswell. It will lower the substrate PH which promotes nutrient uptake through the roots.

If you go this route though, i would recommend planting with a lowered water level and no filter on. Trim rather than uproot and replant tips for the first few months. After a few months, the soil is less likely to cause an algae bloom when doing tank maintenance because much of the soil has been broken down already. For the best planted tank medium, i would recommend looking up mineralized top soil, its process doesn't fit your time line, but it atleast explains things more thoroughly.


----------



## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

neven said:


> if you are going with potting soil, i would recommend mixing a little peat in there aswell. It will lower the substrate PH which promotes nutrient uptake through the roots.
> 
> If you go this route though, i would recommend planting with a lowered water level and no filter on. Trim rather than uproot and replant tips for the first few months. After a few months, the soil is less likely to cause an algae bloom when doing tank maintenance because much of the soil has been broken down already. For the best planted tank medium, i would recommend looking up mineralized top soil, its process doesn't fit your time line, but it atleast explains things more thoroughly.


Thank you very much for the info.
I am in no rush but I do want to do it right.
I want to try dry start the carpet foreground plants first, then fill the tank with a bit of water and plant the background and midground plants then flood. Never done this before but really want to try.
I am using florite now but I am wondering if a different substrate would make things easier. Heard ADA is ver good but a bit too pricey for me. Think i need to spend about $100 on substrate to fill a 33 gallon.
What kind fo problem should I expect if using potting soil? Is it going to be a problem of the soil leaking from under the gravel? 
Could you tell me a bit about mineralized top soil or kindly show me a link please?
By the way, really love your tanks.


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

Planted tank's link on MTS
How-To: Mineralized Soil Substrate (MTS), by Aaron Talbot

and excellent source of information, also on tom barr's site, they talk a bit about nutrient enriched substrates:
Earth worm casting for nutrient enriched sediments, how to - Aquarium Plants

i'd probably try the clay, sand, osmocote, peat version from tom barr's site on the next tank i start over  he also talks of mudsicles to remineralize when needed


----------

