To Soil or not?

[shenzhenluohan]

Hi everyone, I have been doing fishkeeping for many years, but I am a complete newbie with plants. Been researching planted tanks for a while, and I really like the Dianna Walstead style of doing things. but recently, while researching, i've noticed two varying opinions one says that the sub layer is only usefull until the plants are established. the other says that using soil as a substrate, it continues to grow and build. so which is your opinion? what is your experience?
Thanks
Stan

[juggler]

Hi Stan,

I use soil in my tanks, sometimes mixing with other base fertilisers. But my tanks would not be considered low tech as Diana Walstad recommends. I do add fertilisers and CO2 and using high lighting.

So far OK. And one of them is coming to about 5+ yrs now.
See http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/kfloh/mytank.htm#tank3a

I once kept a low tech 1 ft cube tank for about 3 years. Uses soil, no CO2, no filter, no fertilising etc. I guess it could go on but I tore it down to try another setup.

I gathered a lot of soil info from this site as well http://home.infinet.net/teban/

Cheers!

[shenzhenluohan]

Hi Stan,

I use soil in my tanks, sometimes mixing with other base fertilisers. But my tanks would not be considered low tech as Diana Walstad recommends. I do add fertilisers and CO2 and using high lighting.

So far OK. And one of them is coming to about 5+ yrs now.
See http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/kfloh/mytank.htm#tank3a

I once kept a low tech 1 ft cube tank for about 3 years. Uses soil, no CO2, no filter, no fertilising etc. I guess it could go on but I tore it down to try another setup.

I gathered a lot of soil info from this site as well http://home.infinet.net/teban/

Cheers!

Thanks so much for the info and the links! Beautiful tanks by the way!