How to Mineralize Soil Substrates?

[JDowns]

I was curious. Would it be adventageous to mineralize your soil with something like SMS that has a high CEC.

[plantbrain]

Originally Posted by AaronT

I know a large part of the reason it took me a long time to try the method is because I wanted to understand it a bit first. It can get messy when you replant and uproot plants. Topping stems is the best way to go if they can handle it; most can.

For me, the little extra mess it makes when I'm rescaping and such is totally worth it and it clears up by the next day. I love that I can become busy and forget about my tanks for days and not have to worry about them having gone to heck because I wasn't dosing. I can also go on vacation and leave instructions on how to feed the fish and that's it.

Generally ADA has a topping method for trimming most things.
I think if you look at some of my past suggestions for reducing mess, eg instead of using a solid layer of soil/sediment layers 1" deep, try mixing with zeosand, or plain sand and make it 3" deep by a 2:1 ratio of sand to soil.

So if you pull up the same root mass, you only disturb 1/3 or less of the soil, and since the soil and sand stick together pretty well, the amount of mulmy dust brought up to the surface is greatly reduced.

The Delta sediments we have here are perfect. Just wash and screen it.
Let it sit for a few weeks, and it's ready to grow anything you want with minimal impact on the water column.

I think the zeosand/dolomite mix is a good idea also.
I have a Tangy tank with dolomite(no enrichment of the sediment at all in this tank) and Gloss does pretty well in it as well as other plants that I like for harder waters like Vals and pondweeds.

I think many folks that use such lower tech sediments really are using it for the non CO2 method, rather than the higher tech CO2 enriched approaches.

But just like ADA's AS, you do a large water change afterwards(ADA AS makes a big mess if you uproot often too), and it will clear right up.

I do suggest that folks using this or any nutrient rich sediment(or not) to do a large water change right after you do any large scale pruning, uprooting, do not wait or put things off.

The water change is critical at that point and will remove all the waste you pulled up and will keep things so much cleaner.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by JDowns

I was curious. Would it be adventageous to mineralize your soil with something like SMS that has a high CEC.

Do you mean to use the SMS as the top layer? It certainly wouldn't hurt. Actually, I plan on trying that sometime in the near future.

[JDowns]

Actually I meant add SMS to the mix of TopSoil from the initial stage of mineralizing the soil. So essentially you are mineralizing SMS. This might weigh it down so it is easier to plant in. I was just curious if using a high CEC media during the mineralization proces would have any extra benefit.

I'll probably try this real soon on a 29 gallon before I rescape the 150 gallon this late summer/fall.

[JDowns]

I do like the idea of adding zeosand.

Considering a ratio sand:soil:sms / 2:1:1.

Then follow the instructions as detailed in the article.

[Brian]

If I use normal top soil and peat moss mixed and do all the process and put in the bottom and then sand over it it can work? and down ph? I can use small gravel size instead sand?

[oregonaqua]

ok 2 bags of top soil might have been a little to much!

anyone in portland oregon area maybe want some mineralized soil? im going to go to the end of step 3 and dry it out then if some one wants my extra top soil send me a pm.

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by JDowns

Actually I meant add SMS to the mix of TopSoil from the initial stage of mineralizing the soil. So essentially you are mineralizing SMS. This might weigh it down so it is easier to plant in. I was just curious if using a high CEC media during the mineralization proces would have any extra benefit.

I'll probably try this real soon on a 29 gallon before I rescape the 150 gallon this late summer/fall.

The SMS is pretty much just fired clay from what I know. I can't see any benefit to "mineralizing" it. I would just use it as the top layer. Adding the Zeosand shouldn't pose a problem though.

If I use normal top soil and peat moss mixed and do all the process and put in the bottom and then sand over it it can work? and down ph? I can use small gravel size instead sand?

Hi Brian. Do not add the peat moss. The peat moss is organic material that you are trying to avoid in a mineralized topsoil substrate. If you want to lower the pH consider adding some peat to the filter instead. You can use any gravel you like as the top layer. I just happen to use the sand in the photos I took. I have one tank now with medium sized gravel and one tank with Seachem Flourite and both are growing well.

[Evergreen]

But what is your water parameters pH/KH/GH? Do you supply CO2? What is the light intensity and photoperiod? How often do you perform the water changes? Do you use any fertilizers to the water column?

Thanks.........Evergreen

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by Evergreen

But what is your water parameters pH/KH/GH?

I use my tap water. At my old apartment where the tank in the photo was set up the pH was 6.8, GH was 12 and KH was 2. Here at my new condominium the pH is 7.8, GH 9 and KH 3.

Do you supply CO2?

Yes, I use pressurized CO2 on all of my tanks.

What is the light intensity and photoperiod?

On my ADA 90-P tank I'm using 4 x 39 watt T5HO Giesemann Midday bulbs. I have 2 of them on for 10 hours / day and all four of them on for 5 hours in the middle of the day. I would call it very high lighting.

How often do you perform the water changes?

Whenever I get around to it. I keep my tanks with open tops so I usually do a water change when they need to be topped off from evaporation. I'd say it's about every 10-14 days or so. You could go much longer without water changes if you wanted to.

Do you use any fertilizers to the water column?

Yes, but only after about 2-3 months when I start noticing that the initial potash potassium source added to the substrate has run out. Even then I only dose about 1 ppm of potassium / week. That is all that I ever dose and I don't always have to dose that.

[Evergreen]

Originally Posted by AaronT

Yes, but only after about 2-3 months when I start noticing that the initial potash potassium source added to the substrate has run out. Even then I only dose about 1 ppm of potassium / week. That is all that I ever dose and I don't always have to dose that.

Just potassium? How about the Trace Elements under strong light? Have you ever added that?

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by Evergreen

Just potassium? How about the Trace Elements under strong light? Have you ever added that?

There is no need. The mineralized topsoil and clay have all of the trace elements necessary to grow healthy plants. Only the potassium seems to be limited.

[plantbrain]

You might find Zeosand to be better, easier to find and might like the light color more. Obviously it's very high in surface area and CEC.
You can load up SMS or ZS with nutrients prior to use.

As mentioned by Aaron, top soil has plenty of organic carbon available, no need to add peat to that as well, which is mostly why you'd add peat to begin with( a rather slow release carbon source).

You can also try out worm castings and do the boil, bake, or shallow tray methods for mineralizing it prior to use in stead of top soil.


Regards,
Tom Barr

[Evergreen]

Originally Posted by plantbrain

You might find Zeosand to be better, easier to find

Unfortunately it's not supplied to Russia as well as SMS.

Originally Posted by plantbrain

As mentioned by Aaron, top soil has plenty of organic carbon available, no need to add peat to that as well, which is mostly why you'd add peat to begin with( a rather slow release carbon source).

However Aron used to supply pressurized CO2. For what, if top soil has plenty of organic carbon available?

Originally Posted by plantbrain

You can also try out worm castings and do the boil, bake, or shallow tray methods for mineralizing it prior to use in stead of top soil.

If you boil or bake, I think you will kill all microbes and bacteria which can be very useful to mineralize leftover labile organic in the substrate. I think soaking and drying allow us to avoid of germfree=dead substrate.

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by Evergreen

However Aron used to supply pressurized CO2. For what, if top soil has plenty of organic carbon available?

Yes, any organic carbon in the topsoil is not nearly enough carbon in a high light aquarium. In a low-light low-tech aquarium CO2 would not be necessary, but would still be welcomed by the plants.

If you boil or bake, I think you will kill all microbes and bacteria which can be very useful to mineralize leftover labile organic in the substrate. I think soaking and drying allow us to avoid of germfree=dead substrate.

Yes, that is exactly right! Boiling and baking are not anywhere close to the same as mineralizing.

[plantbrain]

Yes, but they do oxidize the organic N and NH4 forms into NO3.
I prefer the shallow tray method for 3-4 weeks personally too.
They are just give options that yield the same results. You can take mulm from an established tank and add that if you want also.
Why mineralize and wait 3-4 weeks when you can get the microbes now?

But think about it, those bacteria and fungi etc all will die later on when you add it to the tank and cap it with the sediment. A few will make it, then slowly come back, but not nearly as much as the start. Adding mulm does the same thing and does not require the time factor.

Many do not like waiting and this is a way around it, if you can wait, go the easy route.

Basically the COD/BOD are greatly reduced with the baking, boil or biological mineralization methods, you can also use the chemical methods with Zeolite. The mineral "Zeolite" should be available in Russia.

Most topsoil has a fair amount of reduced carbon, organic matter.
Sand has none, flourite has none, ADA AS has some.
Top soil and ADA AS have a fair amount of clay generally.

The sediment will recolonize and stabilize only once it's in place and settled.
There are plenty of microbes on plant roots, you can add it via mulm, mature filter etc. The sediment does not remain "dead" for long!

Main thing is to get rid of the NH4 and anything that reduces O2 a great deal(mineral or bacteria decomposing OM).
So heating/oxidation is not nearly as bad as you might think.

There are a number of folks that produced very nice aquascapes from Brazil using the boiling worm castings method. You can see them on the AGA contest. The boiling caused the NH4 fraction to be removed in the worm compost.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by SCMurphy

Since the article is about a mineralized substrate I'd like to point out that boiling or baking soil does not mineralize the organics, all it does is gas off free ammonia. You still have the (now cooked) organics in the soil. This might make the organics easier for bacteria to digest, but they seem to do fine on their own. Boiling or baking might work best for the "El Natural" folk, but they tend not to use high light intensities. This substrate will work in either situation.

The organics in a mineralized soil are minimal. They are still present, hence the soil can be used in both high-tech and low-tech setups.

[JDowns]

I would assume EcoSand: Natural Zeolite Soil Amendment would achieve the same purpose as ZeoLite. Would its claims as a potassium source appear to be adequate for our needs?

[AzizDhanani]

Excellent, very informative article AaronT. Thanks for sharing. Would laterite suffice instead of regular clay. Believe it or not, finding clay locally where I am can be a real PITA but laterite is readily available. Thanks

[AaronT]

Originally Posted by JDowns

I would assume EcoSand: Natural Zeolite Soil Amendment would achieve the same purpose as ZeoLite. Would its claims as a potassium source appear to be adequate for our needs?

It says in their literature that it is naturally mined Zeolite. I haven't tried it. Give it a try and let us know how it works out. I'm always willing to experiment. At least in small tanks I'm willing to experiment.

Excellent, very informative article AaronT. Thanks for sharing. Would laterite suffice instead of regular clay. Believe it or not, finding clay locally where I am can be a real PITA but laterite is readily available. Thanks

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed reading the article. Yes, you can use laterite in place of the potter's clay.