High-energy soil-substrate layout - updated

[Tim Harrison]

Below is the idealized layout for my next venture a high-tech/high-energy soil-substrate tank, the progress of which I hope to chart in a journal.

The idea is to use relatively small leaved plants that give a sense of scale and make the tank look bigger than it actually is. Being only 60cm wide and 25cm in height it has the abstract aspect ratio of a much bigger tank.

I hope to also achieve a sense of depth. The substrate will be soil capped by poorly sorted gravel to give the impression of a stream bed. Hard scaping will be manzi wood and cobbles. I intend to pile the gravel high toward the back left of the tank and slope it toward the front and right to a shallow depth.

Comments welcome especially on the plant choice and position.

 

[darren636]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

trying to read your diagram on my phone hurts my brain.... But as always very interesti to see what you come up with.

 

[jack-rythm]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

hahaha love the effort gone in to this troi! amazing effort! nice too see your passion shinning through!

 

[Ady34]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

Will be cool, sounds like the hardscape and layout look will be a similar to the 'riverbank' scape at TGM, which i love: http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/ar ... -aquascape
Looking forward to following your trip into the high tech tank world
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[leemonk]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

Trust me to start a journal the same day as you...........

Going to be following yours very closely..........

 

[hinch]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

hows your lowtech + co2 injected tank going ?

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

trying to read your diagram on my phone hurts my brain.... But as always very interesti to see what you come up with.

It hurts me too and I designed it...

hahaha love the effort gone in to this troi! amazing effort! nice too see your passion shinning through!

Thanks for that it's always nice when your effort...and more importantly passion...is appreciated

Will be cool, sounds like the hardscape and layout look will be a similar to the 'riverbank' scape at TGM, which i love: http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/ar ... -aquascape
Looking forward to following your trip into the high tech tank world
Cheerio,
Ady.

Thanks for that Ady, I really respect your opinion, and thanks for the link also, a truly inspirational aquascape 8)

Trust me to start a journal the same day as you...........

Going to be following yours very closely..........

As I will be following yours also, and I hope my effort is worthy

hows your lowtech + co2 injected tank going ?

The existing tank is responding extremely well to its new CO2 diet, thanks for asking. In fact I am astounded at the growth rate and can't wait to combine a proper nutritious soil substrate with CO2, I have no doubt that it will prove a winning combination

 

[tim]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

i can see a lot of soil based tanks popping up when this one works out well troi your scapes have been pretty stunning so far for low energy setups really looking forward to following this

 

[plantbrain]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

The existing tank is responding extremely well to its new CO2 diet, thanks for asking. In fact I am astounded at the growth rate and can't wait to combine a proper nutritious soil substrate with CO2, I have no doubt that it will prove a winning combination

So you are addicted to the dope(CO2) it sounds like The soil should supply all you need for about 6-18 months or so...........then you will likely need to start adding more NO3 or have an ample fish feeding/livestock biomass.
Dosing the water can be done and will help. The soil tends to run out N fast, this is because NO3 does not bind..........and NH4 is attacked by roots and bacteria faster and is transformed much more than P or the other nutrients.

Since NH4 can bind, it'll last a while in soils. But once it's gone, you'll need a source of N to maintain similar results.

 

[hinch]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

hrmp thats interesting as I've still been daily dosing on my soil+co2 tank since its been up and running. no ill effects so far (perhaps too early to tell?) if what you're saying is right tough then I should be good to just leave the tank running though now and forget about dosing.

 

[leemonk]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

The existing tank is responding extremely well to its new CO2 diet, thanks for asking. In fact I am astounded at the growth rate and can't wait to combine a proper nutritious soil substrate with CO2, I have no doubt that it will prove a winning combination

Given your success's I'd imagine you will be competing with Tropica soon

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

The existing tank is responding extremely well to its new CO2 diet, thanks for asking. In fact I am astounded at the growth rate and can't wait to combine a proper nutritious soil substrate with CO2, I have no doubt that it will prove a winning combination

So you are addicted to the dope(CO2) it sounds like The soil should supply all you need for about 6-18 months or so...........then you will likely need to start adding more NO3 or have an ample fish feeding/livestock biomass.
Dosing the water can be done and will help. The soil tends to run out N fast, this is because NO3 does not bind..........and NH4 is attacked by roots and bacteria faster and is transformed much more than P or the other nutrients.

Since NH4 can bind, it'll last a while in soils. But once it's gone, you'll need a source of N to maintain similar results.

Thanks for the advice Tom and the explanation; that's good to know. I think I've kinda decided to dose ferts from day one - going back to another discussion we had about soil vs water column dosing - and I want to see that mutant plant growth Clive promised I'd get

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

The existing tank is responding extremely well to its new CO2 diet, thanks for asking. In fact I am astounded at the growth rate and can't wait to combine a proper nutritious soil substrate with CO2, I have no doubt that it will prove a winning combination

Given your success's I'd imagine you will be competing with Tropica soon

Now there's a thought :idea: but I don't think they'll be too worried just yet

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

i can see a lot of soil based tanks popping up when this one works out well troi your scapes have been pretty stunning so far for low energy setups really looking forward to following this

Thanks Tim that's very kind of you to say so...I think I'd better try and get this right

hrmp thats interesting as I've still been daily dosing on my soil+co2 tank since its been up and running. no ill effects so far (perhaps too early to tell?) if what you're saying is right tough then I should be good to just leave the tank running though now and forget about dosing.

How's the growth rate though, I bet its pretty good?

 

[hinch]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

its strange i'm getting naff all growth from the stems that in the pure low tech(kitty litter) shot up like rockets, I've had some crypt melt but not as major as I was expecting, the HC seems to be doing well in the half of the tank that gets some daylight all day but not so good in the other corner which only gets light when the t5's are on.

The one plant that is doing very well is a larged leaf thingie which pearls like a trooper and gives off a massive stream of bubbles from where one of its leafs is split (my fault i stabbed it with scissors when trimming back)

I'm putting the stems lack of growth down to the sudden change in environment and the pretty agressive root trimming I gave them before planting while they're not dying off they're just not growing. going to give them another month hopefully they'll pick up. I posted some upto date recent pictures of now vs first planting in my "journal" thread which is more of a picture dump than a journal I guess

still there's no algae, very little diatoms on the glass all the fish seem to be doing fine and the water is crystal clear so I can't be that far off getting things right hopefully its just a time thing

 

[leemonk]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

Tim,

What's your view on nutrients being available in the water column for those types of plants that do not have roots, I'm thinking of all floating plants and Anubias?

Regards

 

[LancsRick]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

I've just set up my first soil tank, to give this a go - any tips on getting rid of the tannins quickly? I've got a load of carbon and purigen in there at the moment but I reckon it's going to take a good few days to clear given the change in colour...

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

Tim,

What's your view on nutrients being available in the water column for those types of plants that do not have roots, I'm thinking of all floating plants and Anubias?

Regards

I think it's a good idea to cover all the bases. This might be of some use http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... 3&start=20

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

I've just set up my first soil tank, to give this a go - any tips on getting rid of the tannins quickly? I've got a load of carbon and purigen in there at the moment but I reckon it's going to take a good few days to clear given the change in colour...

The only other thing I can think of is a water change or two.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Re: High-energy soil-substrate layout

It's been a while; life has a way of overtaking and I haven't had the time nor the energy for the existing scape let alone make a start on the new one. The tank is more than a little neglected; just look at those lilly pipes...yuck.

Actually, come to think of it, it's had no maintenance whatsoever for nearly 2 months, except the occasional top up; and I bunged some ferts in every now and then. Maybe acceptable for a low-energy scape but this one is fuel injected.

I'm not supposed to get away with that sort of behavior...am I :?:
...but fish, shrimp, and plants are all thriving, and absolutely no algae.

However, today I grasped the nettle and broke the tank down, and now I have a blank canvas. The new journal begins...