Soilmaster Select Substrate

[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.

[jamesbrokman10]

that stuff really must be light if i remember a 75 gallon tank has a 48"x18" footprint, my 300 gallon has a 96"x24" footprint and used about 300 pounds of flourite, damb that was expensive!!!!

[stcyrwm]

Matt,

Why do you use more peat in a non CO2 tank? The other thing I've never figured out is how do you collect the mulm to move it?

Thanks, Bill

[matpat]

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

[orthikon]

I was wondering if you have taken pics already. I am starting up an aquarium with Soilmaster Red and 3m colorquartz in black and I was curious how the pics look.

Now I'm getting red since they don't have charcoal in stock and I called the Lesco stores in my area and they do charge shipping from one store to another. I do have to wait for a pallet to get in so that I would not have to pay for shipping which is $30/bag

[jhoetzl]

Originally Posted by orthikon

Now I'm getting red since they don't have charcoal in stock and I called the Lesco stores in my area and they do charge shipping from one store to another. I do have to wait for a pallet to get in so that I would not have to pay for shipping which is $30/bag

Hmmm, always makes me wonder how chain stores work. My charcoal bag was shipped from a store in MA to the store near me in NJ...no additional charge, and the bag had the UPS labels still attached.
I placed the order online, and picked store pickup.

[matpat]

Originally Posted by orthikon

I was wondering if you have taken pics already. I am starting up an aquarium with Soilmaster Red and 3m colorquartz in black and I was curious how the pics look.

I have pics somewhere...I will try an dig them up later tonight. None of the red though. Are you looking for Soilmaster Select or the plain Soilmaster?

Originally Posted by orthikon

Now I'm getting red since they don't have charcoal in stock and I called the Lesco stores in my area and they do charge shipping from one store to another. I do have to wait for a pallet to get in so that I would not have to pay for shipping which is $30/bag

As far as the shipping, a few folks on some other forums have had issues with this also. It may have had something to do with store pickup versus home delivery. The local store here in the Dayton area would not order it for us. One of the Lescos in Cincinnati was more than willing to order us and even deliverd it when it took longer to arrive than expected. I think some of the stores are a bit more willing to help than others. Also try talking to a manager if you can. They are usually a bit more willing to help

[jibbittyflibbitt]

matpat,

i am going to be moving my 75 gallon in about a month.. i am probably going to chuck the current substrate in favor of the charcol soilmaster select.. i would like to follow a similar process.

do you still think 1 50lb bag was enough for you?

where can i get some dry peat? any particular style/type or brand name i should look for?

thanks
jibbittyflibbitt

[matpat]

Originally Posted by jibbittyflibbitt

matpat,

i am going to be moving my 75 gallon in about a month.. i am probably going to chuck the current substrate in favor of the charcol soilmaster select.. i would like to follow a similar process.

do you still think 1 50lb bag was enough for you?

where can i get some dry peat? any particular style/type or brand name i should look for?

thanks
jibbittyflibbitt

I do still think 50lbs was plenty for a 75g tank. The tank is sloped from about 2 1/2" in the front to about 3 1/2" in the back so I guesstimate a 3" depth overall. You may want more if you plan on using swords or crypts since they typically have a large root system. So far the C. retrospiralis, C. wendtii, and C. lutea are doing fine in the 3" depth I have.

I got my dry peat at WalMart. Any Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss will work as long as it doesn't have additives. Definately stay away from the miracle grow brand as it comes pre-fertilized. I bought a 8 dry quart bag of Schultz Canadium Sphagnum Peat Moss over a year ago. It goes a long way!

Since then I have set up two 75g tanks, two 55g tanks, and one 50g tank (48Lx18D footprint) with a dusting of peat as in the photo. I have also set up two 10g tanks with an inch of pre-soaked peat and many emmersed pots. I have also given some away to some SWOAPE members and I still have about half of the bag left.

I like the Soilmaster Select enough that I am contemplating removing the Eco Complete from one of my 75g tanks and replacing it with Soilmaster. It is a bit "lighter" than the "newer" Eco but I have the old Eco (much larger grain size) in that tank. I really think the smaller grain size of the Soilmaster Select helps hold down the plants better.

[orthikon]

matpat,

I just ordered the soilmaster select in charcoal from the website without shipping charges. I do, however, have to pick it up from the store.

[matpat]

Originally Posted by orthikon

matpat,

I just ordered the soilmaster select in charcoal from the website without shipping charges. I do, however, have to pick it up from the store.

Good news! Did you just have to wait for them to get it in or did picking it up from the store make the difference in the shipping charges?

[syzygy]

Originally Posted by matpat

The local store here in the Dayton area would not order it for us. One of the Lescos in Cincinnati was more than willing to order us and even deliverd it when it took longer to arrive than expected.

matt

just curious, from which store in cincy did you order?

[matpat]

Here is the info on the Cinci store from where we ordered:

Lesco
9987 Joseph James Dr
Cincinnati, OH 45246-1341
Mark Witsken
513-874-2900
sls459@lesco.com

[orthikon]

mat: they actually canceled my order since it's not available on the west coast. they do however have the plain old soilmaster.

soilmaster: http://www.lesco.com/?PageID=27&ItemNumber=081083

soilmaster select: http://www.lesco.com/?PageID=27&ItemNumber=083253

One thing I have found is that they do have the same label (on the right hand side it's a link to a pdf) on the website. I am supposing that the select is a "better" grade of some sort but I am also assuming that the composition is the same. The price for the regular soilmaster is ($10.92) and the select is ( $16.03)

I think I am just going to jump without looking and buy a bag of this to inform you guys of the result.

What would I be looking for to determine if this is okay for a planted tank?

[Hoppy]

Some one is pulling your leg. Several people have gotten Soilmaster Pro Select Charcoal in Sacramento - definitely on the West Coast. You need to go to the Lesco website and order it there for pick up at your local distributer.