I'm starting a 10 gallon planted tank with dirt. This is my first planted and dirt tank ever. It's sure its going to be learning process, but I'm excited to try this. I'm going to the fish store on Thursday to get some of the materials I'll need and then again the week after to get the rest.



Material List:

- 10 gallon tank

- Tetra Whisper EX20

- Tetra Whisper Air Pump

- Extra Tubing

- Check Valve

- Airstones

- CaribSea Aquarium Super Natural Substrate (Tahitian Moon)

- Seachem Flourish Tabs

- Drift Wood

- Miracle Grow Organic Potting Mix (as long as its still available)


I already have the Tetra Whisper EX20 but it has cartridges so I can' t leave the carbon out of the filter. Will this be bad for the plants?

For CO2 im going to be using a DIY method, but as for diffusing the CO2 will an airstone work?

Also do I need a liquid plant supplement on top of the flourish tabs?

Any advice on what plants are good to get is also welcome!

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36 gallon - 6 Rummynose Tetras, 6 black khuli loaches
20 gallon - 4 peppered cories, 5 danios, 4 glowlight tetras
10 gallon - cherry shrimp, jungle val, Red Ludwigia, dirted

I'm assuming by the Miracle Gro OG mix you'll be doing a Walstad-style substrate arrangement? If so, be warned that once the tank is established it's near impossible to change things - disturbing the substrate will run the risk of bringing some of the Miracle Gro up at which point excess levels of fertilizer and/or nitrates, ammonia, or phosphate will really mess things up.

Not saying Walstad is a bad method, just make sure you're VERY happy with your setup so you don't have to change it later.

Also, airstones won't diffuse CO2 bubbles very well. You'll want an atomizer or ceramic plate diffuser (many are $20 or less). An alternative is to stick the tube into your filter and diffuse that way. Also, if you go with a bubbler/air pump, you will only want to run it at night or you will gas out all of your CO2.

Also, what are you doing for a light? With CO2, I would suggest a T5HO or PC fluorescent fixture, as your plants will not be able to utilize the excess CO2 without increased light for photosynthesis.

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Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

I've been watching Dustinsfishtanks on youtube and thats where I got the idea for using dirt under the sand. I'll make sure im happy with my setup before I plant anything. I'm also buying a test kit to monitor the different levels in the tank to make sure its healthy before adding fish.

Lights I'm not 100% on what I'm using yet. Im going to have a look at some different fish stores and check the prices.

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36 gallon - 6 Rummynose Tetras, 6 black khuli loaches
20 gallon - 4 peppered cories, 5 danios, 4 glowlight tetras
10 gallon - cherry shrimp, jungle val, Red Ludwigia, dirted

Guy, are you saying that because you put sand over the miracle grow soil it keeps nitrates, ammonia, or whatever trapped below the sand layer? That doesn't even sound right.

Don't feel the need to go out and buy some high powered light just because you want to inject CO2. CO2 does not drive the use of a higher light, like a light can drive the need for CO2. Having excess in your tank is not a bad thing as long as you don't exceed 30ppm - no matter what light you have. A drop checker can help you ensure you're not exceeding that level. There is a big push on some sites to keep your light well in the medium light range and stay out of high lighting - these tanks still have pressurized CO2.

The dirt under the sand idea I think does come from diana walstad's methods.

It actually is like "my" peat moss under sand.

the sand traps the bottom layer preventing the initial dust storm.


IME the peat also prevents kh and gh (hardness) rises and allows fish like neon tetras to thrive.


With added fertz it will take time and possible "black outs" to control cloudiness and algae.

but other then that I see no problems.

Of course I highly recommend that whatever you do to run the tank fully planted but fishless for a week or so. to me that is more important the potting soil or peat moss question.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

I plan on having it fishless for 2 weeks since I want to be 100% sure everything is safe for whatever fish I decide to put in it.

What kind of lighting options do I have? I'm not sure I want to fork out a ton of money for a light for this tank since its such a small tank. Like does it have to be fluorescent or could it be led or incandescent?

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36 gallon - 6 Rummynose Tetras, 6 black khuli loaches
20 gallon - 4 peppered cories, 5 danios, 4 glowlight tetras
10 gallon - cherry shrimp, jungle val, Red Ludwigia, dirted

Not exactly. Yes, a good amount of nitrates and ammonia and other stuff will enter the water when you flood the tank and that level will die down as time goes on and everything settles and becomes waterlogged. However, even with leeching some fertilizers into the water, the soil is still very potent under the sand layer so if you disturb it, you risk another flood of fertilizers into the water.

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Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

I went to the local pet store called Petsmart which I must say has the worst fish department I've ever seen. All they had was gravels and it was all rather large gravel. They had only a couple lights to choose from, most of which didn't have a price on it. Basically they didn't have much of a selection for anything however I did get most of what I needed.

I guess I'll have to go to a city a little further away to go to a fish specific store to get the rest of my stuff.

Plant wise I think im going to go with Jungle Val along the back. Java Fern in the middle probably somewhere around or on the drift wood. Dwarf Sag in the middle to front. Not sure what else at the moment or how much I can add to this tank.

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36 gallon - 6 Rummynose Tetras, 6 black khuli loaches
20 gallon - 4 peppered cories, 5 danios, 4 glowlight tetras
10 gallon - cherry shrimp, jungle val, Red Ludwigia, dirted

go to building supply stores for the peat moss and play sand.

check out landscaping firms for pc select.

Of contact:

Pro's Choice Products

to find out where a local supplier is.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

I was just at home depot today when I bought my soil, I never even thought of that for sand! I'll have to go back next week since I'm working all weekend

edit: Will this work for lighting? Aqueon® Fluorescent Deluxe Full Hood - Lighting & Hoods - Fish - PetSmart

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36 gallon - 6 Rummynose Tetras, 6 black khuli loaches
20 gallon - 4 peppered cories, 5 danios, 4 glowlight tetras
10 gallon - cherry shrimp, jungle val, Red Ludwigia, dirted