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Gourami Gloaming #4

I'd be looking to maintain a ph of 5. That is my problem with the nutrasoil. It buffers it up but then Darrel did warn me it may happen.
 
Just plain riversand, some RO water and some aldercones and leaves and prepare water with peatgranulate. That should do the trick.
I will take a pic of my white cube tonight. Big crypts in sand over a pondsoil layer. Very rarely a bit of EI. Plants do great.
 
Look at my white cube journal to see the growth progress.
I started with a layer of pondsoil app 3/4 inch thick, one inch clear of the sides, covered it with app 2,5 inch riversand.
15247366744_7a9f730d4f_b.jpgwhite cube 24-11-14 by Edvet, on Flickr
 
I have bought Swelluk's silver sand for this. It looks just like pool filter sand but was cheaper with free postage as I was buying other stuff too. Will now look at the options for going undeneath that won't raise ph and hardness. Will have a look at your thread Edvet.
 
That blue bag Aqua Soil is what Alastair used a while back (I forget which tank!). It had negligible effect on his water stats by all accounts. Should be fine but I'd always do a little test in a bucket or something before kitting out the tank to make sure. I've also used that soil but in conjunction with something else which did raise pH and hardness.

The alternative would be just to use a good all in one fert and dose the water column (Lush Max off ebay works out pretty much the cheapest).
 
Thanks for the input Tom, I was hoping to avoiding dosing much as this will raise the hardness. It would certainly be a less messy alternative though and might be the best option as we are holping to move next year and if I didn't use soil etc I could remove the sand to move the tank and then just put it back in. The tank is so heavy it will have to be completely stripped to move. Hmmm, food for thought...I do have a barely touched EI kit.
 
Could you use peat moss and find something that does not affect the water to cap it? I've used peat along side Osmocote slow release ferts which can grow plants. I'm thinking the peat will help with ph etc too. The slow release fert will unlikely affect the water too much simply because it is slow release, with water changes any excess will be removed. If you up root plants just remove or push down any ferts that float up and it should be fine.
 
Michael W said:
something that does not affect the water to cap it?
Click to expand...

The silver sand is not supposed to alter the water chemistry, I think it is pretty much like pool filter sand but I ordered this as I got free postage as I'd bought other stuff.

I'm leaning towards Toms suggestion as Alistair has proved that choccos will happily breed in a tds much higher than my tap water and there is the issue of moving next year. If I cap peat or soil I'll basically have to scrap the substrate and replace when I move as it'll get all mixed together :meh:
 
Hi all,
I just add a bit of acid clay and some Oak/Beech leaf mould to the silica sand. Sphagnum peat has CEC and all the exchange sites have a H+ ion, so it will tend to soften water and lower the pH.

I didn't buy the clay or leaf mould, I just went over to a local wood on the Greensand and took a small amount of leaf litter and some soil from mole hills.

I think any substance with nutrients (even slow release ones) will add TDS, that was why I went for some clay and humus with CEC, and a very slow release of nutrients from the break down of the leaf litter.

After a while (~18 months) I find that the growth of Cryptocoryne spp. tends to pick up naturally, possibly as a result of more mature "natural" processes developing in the substrate. Whether those are microbial or dependent upon REDOX reactions I don't know. I would expect like all things in ecology it is "shades of grey".

cheers Darrel
 
I hope not Edvet. It doesn't look white and i have seen it used in other tanks on here.
 
I could break up some lava rock to go under the deeper areas? Is the lava rock for bbq's safe to use?
 
I may raid my daughters sand box and mix the play sand. It wasn't argos play sand. Does it matter?
 
Tank has been stripped although is not sediment free but filled to keep filter running and wood waterlogged. Have taken the 3 bits of wood, that made up the last tank centre piece, and have been trying to find a position for them that i like. I want the tank to be packed with crypts and other plants but with a sandy, open area.
4438da3c398fd16f143097660e556dbd.jpg

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Can't decide on whether to have an open area in the middle of the tank, with plants either side or have 2 thirds of the left hand side planted with the last third open. I mainly sit infront if the tank.
 
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