[grizzly_a]

I'll let you know in a month or so. I started a 10g with this stuff about a week ago. It has the same feel and consistency as MGOCPM, and about the same amount of floaters as well, both dry and wet. It's been wet and soaking for about 2 weeks.

I started with filling a 5-gal bucket about 3/5ths full. Then I filled the bucket up with water and made sure everything was mixed and wet. I waited a week and then scooped off all the floaters, poured off the top water and then stirred it up again, and filled back with fresh water.

I then added a couple lbs of sifted dirt from the bottom of an old burn pile and mixed it in, let it settle and poured off the water.

So I'll let you know how it works as things settle in.

 

[grizzly_a]

Quick update. I have a bit of ammonia leeching from the dirt. Only about 1ppm. Since the tank isn't cycled or heavily planted it's fine with me for growing some beneficial bacteria.

 

[grizzly_a]

You could switch to an extra rubbermaid tub laying around from "organizing". I left my bucket outside, thus keeping the garage space available.

 

[grizzly_a]

I'm still at .5ppm ammonia, but likely from a slow cycling new tank. The Vals i put in there haven't melted like they did in another tank, so they are transitioning well.

Here are the ingredients labels from the different bags to show the differences.

 

[grizzly_a]

I bought mine locally. I didn't use it for a while, so it dried out and I didn't have gnats.

I had small white mold in the soil, but when I submerged it for washing/sifting, the mold floats and was removed.

The process I used eliminated the concerns you have about the product. (fill bucket half full of soil, fill bucket with water, stir and knead until all the floaters rise to the top, separate the floaters, and use the stuff on the bottom.)