bacterial bloom.
Just keep doing water changes and it'll eventually go away.
and yes its normal.
Just keep doing water changes and it'll eventually go away.
and yes its normal.
New Dirted tank Question,
Ok im sure i did something wrong, or missed a key step, but here is whats going on,
I have a new 20 long that i am trying to set up as a dirted tank.
well its been running for about a week or and the water keeps getting "cloudy" or as my wife says it looks like river water, i
is this normal for a newly set up dirted tank?
if you have any questions so u can answer better, plz ask
thanks craig
I have a new 20 long that i am trying to set up as a dirted tank.
well its been running for about a week or and the water keeps getting "cloudy" or as my wife says it looks like river water, i
is this normal for a newly set up dirted tank?
if you have any questions so u can answer better, plz ask
thanks craig
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
That's not normal
can you post a pic and tell us what you used and how you set it up?
can you post a pic and tell us what you used and how you set it up?
setting up a dozen dirt tanks it only happened once to me and never worse than a light foggy appearance.bacterial bloom.
Just keep doing water changes and it'll eventually go away.
and yes its normal.
Algae or bacteria problems have been few lucky I guess.
Lets see it has about an inch and half of miracle grow organic potting soil and then a 1/2 inch to an inch of aquarium gravle i got from the lfs. Im thinking it maybe one of 2. Ithings. Ether i didnt clean the tank well enough from when i had used it last and has sompie algae still in it, or i didnt but enough gravle on top the dirt and it slowly coming up. Ill post a pic when the wife is done with the lap top.
Soil layer sounds good but round gravel doesn't cap very well is what I think the issue is. Might need 2" or add some finer material to fill the gaps. Color matched or close in color. I used Floramax added to river gravel just adding it on top and it slowly worked into a mix.
So 2 questions since I'm sitting here biting my nails waiting to see if my dirt tank clears as well. I just finished it tonight so trying to have patience until morning but...
Does it matter if the soil peeks through the cap in places? I capped with black silica sand but am still a bit worried that it might not have been a thick enough cap in places.
And from the photos I see of other tanks out there, is it ok if the substrate is very thick in places? I want to build it up more towards the back. Would do that with just the gravel cap or more soil as well?
Does it matter if the soil peeks through the cap in places? I capped with black silica sand but am still a bit worried that it might not have been a thick enough cap in places.
And from the photos I see of other tanks out there, is it ok if the substrate is very thick in places? I want to build it up more towards the back. Would do that with just the gravel cap or more soil as well?
Floramax on top of MGOPM? Hmmmmm need to go grab more F.maxSoil layer sounds good but round gravel doesn't cap very well is what I think the issue is. Might need 2" or add some finer material to fill the gaps. Color matched or close in color. I used Floramax added to river gravel just adding it on top and it slowly worked into a mix.
ah, my bad, I'll just keep shut next time.setting up a dozen dirt tanks it only happened once to me and never worse than a light foggy appearance.
Algae or bacteria problems have been few lucky I guess.
I had a 29 gallon dirted tank, with swords and no livestock, filtered with an eheim and even after 6 months you could not even see to the back no matter how many WC's I did. It turned out there was some sort of burrowing worms in my substrate and they would regularly "clean" their burrows by spitting up the dirt (with clay dust) into the water column. I couldn't reuse ANY of the plants from that tank, and had to scratch it. My other two dirted tanks cleared up within 2-3 days...
I keep the dirt completely covered. In all my threads (I think) it's mentioned I save extra cap material for adding as a touch up as needed later. I don't leave exposed dirt without adding more capping material over it. The capping layer can be (imo) up to 2" or more thick depending on need.So 2 questions since I'm sitting here biting my nails waiting to see if my dirt tank clears as well. I just finished it tonight so trying to have patience until morning but...
Does it matter if the soil peeks through the cap in places? I capped with black silica sand but am still a bit worried that it might not have been a thick enough cap in places.
And from the photos I see of other tanks out there, is it ok if the substrate is very thick in places? I want to build it up more towards the back. Would do that with just the gravel cap or more soil as well?
Used it in a tank that's (off the cuff guessing) 30yrs wet without breakdown but see no reason why it wouldn't work over soils as a small filler for a cap gone wrong is why I posted after using it myself.Floramax on top of MGOPM? Hmmmmm need to go grab more F.max
Bwahahaha! what a mess! sounds like having a new puppy in the house that never grows up.I had a 29 gallon dirted tank, with swords and no livestock, filtered with an eheim and even after 6 months you could not even see to the back no matter how many WC's I did. It turned out there was some sort of burrowing worms in my substrate and they would regularly "clean" their burrows by spitting up the dirt (with clay dust) into the water column. I couldn't reuse ANY of the plants from that tank, and had to scratch it. My other two dirted tanks cleared up within 2-3 days...
haha why? tanking is learning and no two tanks are ever the sameah, my bad, I'll just keep shut next time.
Wkndracer so you think i can just put the flormamax on the gravel and it would help?
it should help a bunch.
You want to allow circulation through the cap but it needs to be a very slight turn over.
Sand is hard to find except black and bright white in my experience looking for it. Guessing you're gravel is tans and earth tones so the only 2 options that come to mind is Flourite original (rinsed well I really like this stuff) or the small round sphere of Floramax. Anything you like the look of to fill the gaps in the gravel would be a huge help.
In an existing tank what I did was fill plastic drinking cups with material then submerge the cup into the tank. Slowly shake it out in a layer over the substrate staying at about a 1/2" or less and stop. After adding it you can lightly tug on rooted plants pulling the node up to the new substrate surface level. Several weeks down the road it naturally mixes and seeing pebbles again I repeated until the thickness was what I wanted.
You want to allow circulation through the cap but it needs to be a very slight turn over.
Sand is hard to find except black and bright white in my experience looking for it. Guessing you're gravel is tans and earth tones so the only 2 options that come to mind is Flourite original (rinsed well I really like this stuff) or the small round sphere of Floramax. Anything you like the look of to fill the gaps in the gravel would be a huge help.
In an existing tank what I did was fill plastic drinking cups with material then submerge the cup into the tank. Slowly shake it out in a layer over the substrate staying at about a 1/2" or less and stop. After adding it you can lightly tug on rooted plants pulling the node up to the new substrate surface level. Several weeks down the road it naturally mixes and seeing pebbles again I repeated until the thickness was what I wanted.
i think a trip to the lfs is in order tomorrow, thanks got the tip.
Hope this works out for you and enjoyment follows.
I'm just a knucklehead southern goober with a bunch glass boxes full of water and water weeds (cheap hobby and legal LOL) I've got a bunch of MGOCPM tanks going and threads on all of them. Check my threads and the ones with 'dirt or soil' in the tittle is a hint to whats in the water box LOL. Used flourite, sand, blasting media and eco complete in the various tanks. Gravel here in my oldest tank but never started another with it once I got the planted tank bug. The builds all include info on what was used, how much and test results tracking parameters until the systems became completely stable. The posts thin out in the threads after things get boring.
The fraternity of dirt now has 91 members out of the closet at last count.
Hope you consider doing a tank journal on this new setup as both bad and good experiences being shared helps others.
Good luck and sure you will figure things out.
I'm just a knucklehead southern goober with a bunch glass boxes full of water and water weeds (cheap hobby and legal LOL) I've got a bunch of MGOCPM tanks going and threads on all of them. Check my threads and the ones with 'dirt or soil' in the tittle is a hint to whats in the water box LOL. Used flourite, sand, blasting media and eco complete in the various tanks. Gravel here in my oldest tank but never started another with it once I got the planted tank bug. The builds all include info on what was used, how much and test results tracking parameters until the systems became completely stable. The posts thin out in the threads after things get boring.
The fraternity of dirt now has 91 members out of the closet at last count.
Hope you consider doing a tank journal on this new setup as both bad and good experiences being shared helps others.
Good luck and sure you will figure things out.
Yea i was planing to do a journal. I have baby duty tonight so i plan to start it toniht. Ill have to check out ur tanks too
Wk, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!! I really love how much I am learning on this forum! <3
Oh, and I'll be joining The Fraternity of Dirt as soon as I can get some pics up of the tank. Fingers crossed, that will be later today!! Yay!
Oh, and I'll be joining The Fraternity of Dirt as soon as I can get some pics up of the tank. Fingers crossed, that will be later today!! Yay!
i found some sand that im hoping matchest well, its a light brown, so its not white or black, im about to go and put it in and try it out
Ok so i got 3 bags of sand from the lfs. then i drained the water (not sure if that was the smart plan or not) i mixed in one bag of sand with the gravel. well it mixed great. then i was like let me put in another bag of sand. well that didnt mix as well.
so i go to re fill the tank. and its just kicking sand up everywhere. so im like oh snaps.
so i drain the tank again and luckly i had a half a bag of smaller gravel. which was exactly the perfect amount to cap the sand. did a slow siphon fill. and as of now the water is pretty clear, i would say it has a slight sandy cloud, but im perrty sure that will settle down.
so i go to re fill the tank. and its just kicking sand up everywhere. so im like oh snaps.
so i drain the tank again and luckly i had a half a bag of smaller gravel. which was exactly the perfect amount to cap the sand. did a slow siphon fill. and as of now the water is pretty clear, i would say it has a slight sandy cloud, but im perrty sure that will settle down.
1 - 20 of 27 Posts
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