Dirted substrate questions.

[bonz_dragon]

I am running a 36gl. Bow tank with an old style UGF (the big one piece white one that fills the bottom of the tank and is wavy, not flat) with a substrate of mixed 50/50 potting soil and clay kitty litter. It is then capped with small sized pea gravel. Everything was going just fine until I believe I depleted the minerals/nutrients and the liquid ferts just are not getting it. Also I don't believe I used enough depth to add fert tabs.

Another question pertains to water staining/tannins. When I first started this I also added a large piece of drift wood and quickly had stained water. Recently I removed the wood, about 3 weeks ago, and have done a number of large water changes yet the staining is not relieving. So can the potting soil also cause this staining? Would adding a deeper cap help?

[nabokovfan87]

This video might be helpful.  Pecktec has a few of them on the topic and specifically what you're using.  In this one he discusses a bit about results.
 

 

On 8/7/2022 at 2:13 PM, bonz_dragon said:

Another question pertains to water staining/tannins. When I first started this I also added a large piece of drift wood and quickly had stained water. Recently I removed the wood, about 3 weeks ago, and have done a number of large water changes yet the staining is not relieving. So can the potting soil also cause this staining? Would adding a deeper cap help?

Run carbon for about 3-5 days and it'll disappear. Then after that you can go ahead and maintain it through water changes. While the wood is new you're going to have a lot more tannins in the water.

[bonz_dragon]

Thanks for the link, have watched a couple of his other videos too before this. Though I hadn't seen this one.

[Tanked]

On 8/7/2022 at 5:13 PM, bonz_dragon said:

with a substrate of mixed 50/50 potting soil and clay kitty litter. It is then capped with small sized pea gravel.

I'm not sure that using potting soil with a UGF was a good idea.  It may cause  clogging.  Let us know how this works out.  Potting soils often contain  peat moss, which will contribute to your staining.

[bonz_dragon]

So I did a little digging around and found this; https://aquariumscience.org/index.php/8-5-under-gravel-filters/

Which is not exactly the one I have. The I am using is an old model which is white but basically the same thing. Agreed that I have considered that the substrate may migrate under the plate. A couple solutions offered have been nylon window screening or the black nylon landscaping fabric. Or to just leave it as is. As for the potting soil I have been using Miracle Grow and putting it in a bucket and flooding it to try and strain out the large pieces of wood and debris. The peat moss, the label says it's in there but in the small tank I am using as a nursery for my tank plants the water is crystal clear.

Anyways this 36gl planted tank is a project and as I am retired I have plenty of time to try things and not be ashamed of making mistakes and admitting them, then starting over. One of the things I am learning is drift wood and tannin's. I could live with a stained color but this is also looking hazy, cloudy. Not milky cloudy.

Because of the staining that I can't get rid of and the poor performance my plants are now experiencing I am contemplating breaking this all down and starting over.

Picture 1,2,5 are the 36gl Planted Bow. it has 5 Gourami and a doz. Amano shrimp and god only knows how many red and blue shrimp. The 3rd picture is the 29gl high which is the wifes and contains Tetra Glo, a Glo Shark, a Golden AE and 2 dwarf Gourami and also shrimp. The 4th picture is the Fusion Micro 30L That was acquired used about 6 weeks ago and presently has 2 CAE and a Red Tail shark. These two CAE came out of my 36gl because they kept destroying the plants.