Dylan's 5g Planted Dirt Tank

[enzof9]

Thanks for the info, but did you add anything to the potting mix? Dustin usuallt adds iron, clay and a few other things IF my memory serves me correctly. Is adding those supplements necessary? Again, thanks for all of your help

[DylanisHawttt]

Those are just added ferts. You can have a beautiful tank with just dirt. I'm looking to add some clay to my 10g with flourite. The only thing about iron is, if you add too much iron, you'll fry the plant and it'll melt and never recover from it. It's better to use just clay and dirt imo than to mess with iron. I'll let people like Dustin mess with the iron. No problem! Glad I could help a fellow dirt enthusiast out

[cassiopea]

This is very similar to the Walstad method, is it not? Diana Walstad has planted tanks that have a topsoil capped with gravel, direct sunlight, and no filter. She wrote a book about it, even. She frequents this forum: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/

[DylanisHawttt]

It is similar to the Walstad method except I'm still using a filter for mechanical/biological filtration as well as the plants. I like her book she wrote, its very precise and to the point about how dieter tanks work and function. I thought dirting a tank was stupid when I first saw it but now that I've done it, I'm a believer.

[cassiopea]

Cool, I like that idea. No filter has always struck me as playing with fire, but the die-hards all say that the filter would compete with the plants and throw off the balance.

Now that I've seen someone use it successfully - perhaps I will drag out my potting soil.... :D

Nice tank, too!

[DylanisHawttt]

No filter has always struck me as playing with fire...

I feel the same way. The tank is still tinged a little brown, but I think it's because she rarely cleans the inside of the glass. I'll most likely do a water change for her so she can see exactly what she needs to do. Her Swords are starting to get there, leaves are a little wider than they were 2 weeks ago. I'll update this journal with a picture later when my dad brings his camera home

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Well, the filter on this tank had no media, it was simply used for injecting CO2 and moving water... funny, I never got burned, and still haven't after 4 natural planted tanks. It's all a matter of understanding the processes involved. No fire involved.

[DylanisHawttt]

Hmm... that's sweet. I like that tank a lot. And you said you used your filter for movement & co2? Hmmm... nice. Then again your plants are your filter, that's why it's planted heavily and stocked lightly. Nonetheless, great tank

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Lightly stocked? lol A single betta is a 2.5gal tank is fully stocked. LOL

[DylanisHawttt]

I mean as opposed to 5 Neons or some microfish. The plants can "filter" the bioload of the Betta alone. Especially the more you plant it.