Hi I started setting up a mineralised topsoil tank last year and was nearing completion when i got a new job and moved from northern ireland to the isle of lewis.
It's taken me a while but now I am setting up a new tank again and I had planned to do a topsoil tank again, but a few things have put me off:
1. I now live in a flat so have no access to my own topsoil unless i buy a bagged one ( there's only one garden centre on the island and the topsoil looks like it probably would be fine. the supermarkets only have multipurpose composts with ferts added so may not be safe)
2. I unsuccessfully used peat in tanks and it was so light that it messed up the bottom of the tank as it kept rising.
3. I like to poke about and mess with the planting so don't want to make a mess.
I see a lot of people use tesco cat litter and originally I had planned to do 50:50 but I noticed a lot of people just had the cat litter on it's own.
I just want something simple that will work. The planting will be mostly low light planting and easy care - probably crypts, wisteria, anubias, vallis, java fern.
So I'm wondering should I just go for cat litter on it's own (capped with gravel)? I just want something that will help the plants grow a little more than sand or gravel would. I don't want to be constantly dosing ferts.
Any advice is appreciated. I'm in no real hurry as I want to get the substrate right before planting.
It's taken me a while but now I am setting up a new tank again and I had planned to do a topsoil tank again, but a few things have put me off:
1. I now live in a flat so have no access to my own topsoil unless i buy a bagged one ( there's only one garden centre on the island and the topsoil looks like it probably would be fine. the supermarkets only have multipurpose composts with ferts added so may not be safe)
2. I unsuccessfully used peat in tanks and it was so light that it messed up the bottom of the tank as it kept rising.
3. I like to poke about and mess with the planting so don't want to make a mess.
I see a lot of people use tesco cat litter and originally I had planned to do 50:50 but I noticed a lot of people just had the cat litter on it's own.
I just want something simple that will work. The planting will be mostly low light planting and easy care - probably crypts, wisteria, anubias, vallis, java fern.
So I'm wondering should I just go for cat litter on it's own (capped with gravel)? I just want something that will help the plants grow a little more than sand or gravel would. I don't want to be constantly dosing ferts.
Any advice is appreciated. I'm in no real hurry as I want to get the substrate right before planting.