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Originally Posted by Buck
Great thread and photos, thanks for sharing this experiment. Please keep us posted on the tank as it matures. Im with Rex on this one, one 50lb bag does seem a bit shy for a 75G and in the photos it dont look like 3".
The price is definately better though and I like the color as well.  |
Thanks Buck. I finally got some pics of the different sizes of the substrate (Eco, 3M's Color Quartz, and the Soilmaster Select) and will add them once I get the text added to the pics. I will update the tank once I get some of the "break-in" plants out of the tank. I'm leaning towards a Southeastern Asia biotope type tank but don't know if I can handle the fast growth of the Hygro species. The Rotalas will be fine as will the Crypts!
It doesn't look like 3" since the substrate is sloped from front to back. I have about 2.5" in the front and about 3.5" in the back. Given enough time, it won't be sloped any more
Still no major concerns with holding plants down. It is light but no worse than Eco in my opinion. However, the Eco I have in may tanks is 2+ years old now. I have noticed that the Eco is a lot smaller now than it was 2 years ago also
I can still uproot pearling Water Sprite and plant it back into the substrate without it floating up. The true test of the Soilmaster will be to see if I can get a topped stem of H. balsamica to stay in the substrate once it gets pearling.
Bill,
Here is a good link on using peat as the bottom layer of a substrate:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ight=peat+moss
There are probably more on this site as well but I haven't searched here.
Collecting the mulm is easy. Just do a typical water change, but use a bucket instead of a python. Let everything settle and then decant the water from the layer of mulm that settles. I usually clean some filters while I'm at it. You can squeeze the filter sponges into the bucket as well as rinse the media in the bucket. You can pour off almost all of the water and leave only mulm in the bottom of the bucket. The water that does stay in the bucket helps move the mulm into the tank. Between a water change and filter cleanings, I get more than enough mulm
