Lurking for some time, newbie with a question.

[ButtonMcThickums]

Hello anyone/everyone, this site has been a massive help as I’ve been researching and planning my first planted (nano 2g) tank. Additional information - I bought a small HOB, small heater, a decent light and an air pump with a bubbler that produces micro bubbles. Initially I was just going to use this for propagating my expensive Hoyas but decided to plan a planted tank with shrimp in addition.

I have seen so many differences in opinions on using pure aqua soil, capping, mixing etc.

I just watched another video by MD Fish Tanks on YouTube and he recommends mixing 33/33/33 of gravel, stratum and sand for low tech tanks.

Has anyone tried this style of mixing? I was thinking I could buy lava rock to mix with my fluval stratum and then also pick up black sand. The background is black too so I’d like to keep it cohesive.

Thanks in advance!

 

Also I have the list of plants I’m planning on putting in if that would be helpful.

[doktor zhivago]

Two gallons really isn't gonna be enough room to go crazy on substrate. What's the dimensions on it? 

[ButtonMcThickums]

He’s a little guy, just 11” vertical, 9.5” horizontal and 8” deep.

 

I would like to silicone in a little piece of a plastic bottle to conceal the bubbler and have a slight slope at the back. Enough to bury the mini heater I purchased anyway.

 

[Whitecloud09]

I think it’s a decent size for this kind of mix, I have never done this before but I think you have just enough room for some of it @quick-nanotime

On 5/23/2024 at 7:20 PM, quick-nanotime said:

He’s a little guy, just 11” vertical, 9.5” horizontal and 8” deep.

 

I would like to silicone in a little piece of a plastic bottle to conceal the bubbler and have a slight slope at the back. Enough to bury the mini heater I purchased anyway.

 

 

If not the mix, black and white colors would pop, with that sort of background, the darker the more pop shown from your fish. But I think you could try this mix, maybe I should too, as I am setting up a 5g myself soon. Not  my first tank, the first I went with gravel, now I am thinking of sand….

[ButtonMcThickums]

On 5/23/2024 at 7:22 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

I think it’s a decent size for this kind of mix, I have never done this before but I think you have just enough room for some of it @quick-nanotime

 

If not the mix, black and white colors would pop, with that sort of background, the darker the more pop shown from your fish. But I think you could try this mix, maybe I should too, as I am setting up a 5g myself soon. Not  my first tank, the first I went with gravel, now I am thinking of sand….

So I ended up forging ahead before I checked back here - lol. 
I went with lava rock along the bottom and in hose to build some height in the back then covered with aqua soil. 

Thanks for the reply!

[Tanked]

On 6/24/2024 at 11:23 PM, ButtonMcThickums said:

So I ended up forging ahead before I checked back here - lol. 
I went with lava rock along the bottom and in hose to build some height in the back then covered with aqua soil. 

I 've used lava rock (grill rocks) literally fresh from the garden path.  It worked well after the included soil had settled.  After the plants were added, I liked the overall look, but in the 10 gallon tank The grill rocks were to large and breaking them was a nuisance.  I would try it again if I could find cheap agricultural lava rock.

[ButtonMcThickums]

On 6/25/2024 at 12:04 PM, Tanked said:

I 've used lava rock (grill rocks) literally fresh from the garden path.  It worked well after the included soil had settled.  After the plants were added, I liked the overall look, but in the 10 gallon tank The grill rocks were to large and breaking them was a nuisance.  I would try it again if I could find cheap agricultural lava rock.

Popping them one by one would be extremely tedious. 

I think that’s an oxymoron.. cheap agricultural lava rock? 😆

For my other 2 tanks I have coal slag that I’m topping with aqua soil. I’ve looked into pond soil but have heard very mixed reviews and opinions.

[Rube_Goldfish]

On 6/27/2024 at 3:04 PM, ButtonMcThickums said:

For my other 2 tanks I have coal slag that I’m topping with aqua soil. I’ve looked into pond soil but have heard very mixed reviews and opinions.

Are you capping aquasoil with coal slag, or capping coal slag with aquasoil?

If you're familiar with YouTube aquascaper MD Fishtanks, he uses a "substrate system" now that includes "aquatic compost". When I was setting up one of my more recent tanks, I looked in vain for it in the United States. I think I learned that what the Brits (or MD, anyway) calls aquatic compost, Americans call pond soil, though I was never able to be definitive about it.

Anyway, if that's what pond soil is, he's using it to great effect.

[Tanked]

On 6/27/2024 at 3:04 PM, ButtonMcThickums said:

I think that’s an oxymoron.. cheap agricultural lava rock? 😆

Market research panelists said that sounded more scientific than volcano pellets.  

Busting rocks was tedious and I briefly considered driving the car over them.  The plants grew, but the appearance was too chunky overall.

[ButtonMcThickums]

On 6/27/2024 at 7:39 PM, Rube_Goldfish said:

Are you capping aquasoil with coal slag, or capping coal slag with aquasoil?

 

I meant to say capping aqua soil with coal slag, lol.

I’m a big fan of his content but I haven’t seen his videos talking about the pond soil! 
I need to do more research in general on the topic, but does it behave as potting soil does if disturbed and does it need to be capped?

[Rube_Goldfish]

On 6/29/2024 at 2:55 PM, ButtonMcThickums said:

I meant to say capping aqua soil with coal slag, lol.

I’m a big fan of his content but I haven’t seen his videos talking about the pond soil! 
I need to do more research in general on the topic, but does it behave as potting soil does if disturbed and does it need to be capped?

That's what I thought, haha, just confirming!

MD has specifically said that one of the things he likes about pond soil (or aquatic compost) is that kicking a little up into the water column while moving plants doesn't behave like soil would. I don't have a video link off the cuff, but I'll see what I can turn up.

[Rube_Goldfish]

On 6/29/2024 at 6:24 PM, Rube_Goldfish said:

MD has specifically said that one of the things he likes about pond soil (or aquatic compost) is that kicking a little up into the water column while moving plants doesn't behave like soil would. I don't have a video link off the cuff, but I'll see what I can turn up.

Found a recent (two months ago) example:

At about the 14:43 mark he talks about what happens if it gets pulled up when uprooting plants.

The initial bit about pond soil (aquatic compost) generally starts at 12:35.