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is there such a thing?

yeah i will no doubt need help along the way going on last times efforts mate . 30 kg of sand being washed and added today . this is the 1 side of the hobby where success eludes me . hopefully this time the fact that im going low light wilk help that change
 
Yeap low light and not using soil that leaches ammnonia certainly makes it easier imo. Its very hard to go wrong with low light an liquid carbon.
 
ive also deliberately chosen easy plants too . nothing that needs too much care
 
You are on the right track, but youll need some patience. This is why its important to pack it from the beginning because plant growth is exponential. When I dose enough I dont even get any die back from most plants. So you want to plant your tank in the bginning too look just how you want it. This way you dont have to wait for things to fill in getting anxious in the process.
 
1 of the reasons i chose aqua essentials . from what i remember not only is the quality spot on , but you got a good ammount in each pot so plenty of plant massmfor your money
 
Just a thought, if you got a couple of bags of topsoil you could mineralise it in the oven, i finished mine off this way and its quick ish☺
No ammonia for me and 2 weeks in. I just bought 2 cheap value baking trays from argooos and went for it. It's the heat that mineralises the soil. You'll need to soak it maybe overnight first and drain off any scum but it's an option i wouldn't write off.
Clive☺
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2 bags of sand already washed and added . i did read on here somewhere about mineralising the soil in the oven . now the missus has put up with a lot with me and my tanks over the years , but dirt in the oven? testicles and blunt knife spring to mind !!
 
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plantnoob said:
2 bags of sand already washed and added . i did read on here somewhere about mineralising the soil in the oven . now the missus has put up with a lot with me and my tanks over the years , but dirt in the oven? testicles and blunt knife spring to mind !!
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Lol, dry starting the tank will have the same effect of mineralising the soil usually around 4-6 weeks is enough and it increases plant mass which is a bonus.
 
but with the plants having acces to unlimited co2 during that period wouldnt you get a lot of die off when you flood it and suddenly starve them of it ? im actually giving serious thought to just biting the bullet , getting some aquatic compost , draining the tank down putting it in , capping it with a thinner layer of sand than ive got now and then putting the plants on hold for a little while whilst i go through a period of frequent water changes etc until all settles down. after all with my previous planted tank efforts failing so badly do i REALLY feel comfortable trusting the make or break last ditch effort to a 3 inch thick layer of argos playsand ? better to do it right from the start than put the easiest option in there and rush to get planted . i get the feeling that if i wait and do it properly that both my plants and my sanity will thank me in the long run when the end result is a lush healthy tank and not another dissapoitment that means this time i forget about planted tanks for good .
 
plantnoob said:
but with the plants having acces to unlimited co2 during that period wouldnt you get a lot of die off when you flood it and suddenly starve them of it ?
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They shouldnt melt if they are supplied with enough nutrients and because they are easy plants.

plantnoob said:
im actually giving serious thought to just biting the bullet , getting some aquatic compost , draining the tank down putting it in , capping it with a thinner layer of sand than ive got now and then putting the plants on hold for a little while whilst i go through a period of frequent water changes etc until all settles down. after all with my previous planted tank efforts failing so badly do i REALLY feel comfortable trusting the make or break last ditch effort to a 3 inch thick layer of argos playsand ? better to do it right from the start than put the easiest option in there and rush to get planted . i get the feeling that if i wait and do it properly that both my plants and my sanity will thank me in the long run when the end result is a lush healthy tank and not another dissapoitment that means this time i forget about planted tanks for good .
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A lush planted tank can be made with or without a fertile substrate. This isnt going to determine your success, although a nutrient rich soil can only help, specially if you are bad with dosing. By the way no substrate isnt necessarily the easiest way.

I agree with you in taking your time to understand things, there is no rush.
 
Probably just a wobble because of how badly the last effort ended! Just want to make sure i get it right this time
 
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