CHEAP DIRT vs EXPENSIVE AQUASOIL 2 MONTH UPDATE!

So much has happened since the last update! I've added new fish, the guppy's are breeding, and the plants have grown quite well! Should we keep this experiment going for longer, or is it time for something new?

Everything I'm using for this project:

TANK
LIGHT
FILTER
CO2
DIFFUSER
AQUASOIL
POND SOIL
SHRIMP GRAVEL BLACK
ROCKS
WOOD
GLUE (gel)
GLUE (liquid)

FULL PLANT LIST:
Foreground
- Micranthemum tweediei (MONTE CARLO)
- Marsilea hirsuta
Midground
- Vesicularia ferriei
- Hygrophila lancea Araguaia
- Micranthemum umbrosum
Background
- Rotala rotundifolia Orange Juice
- Ludwigia repens
Floating plants
- Phyllanthus fluitans

All plants are from Dennerleplants

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👉🏻Today's topics: Dirt vs Aquasoil, Aquasoil vs Dirt, Best Aquarium substrate, Planted Tank Substrate.

[MJAquascaping]

So much has happened since the last update! I've added new fish, the guppy's are breeding, and the plants have grown quite well! Should we keep this experiment going for longer, or is it time for something new?




Everything I'm using for this project:

TANK
LIGHT
FILTER
CO2
DIFFUSER
AQUASOIL
POND SOIL
SHRIMP GRAVEL BLACK
ROCKS
WOOD
GLUE (gel)
GLUE (liquid)

FULL PLANT LIST:
Foreground
- Micranthemum tweediei (MONTE CARLO)
- Marsilea hirsuta
Midground
- Vesicularia ferriei
- Hygrophila lancea Araguaia
- Micranthemum umbrosum
Background
- Rotala rotundifolia Orange Juice
- Ludwigia repens
Floating plants
- Phyllanthus fluitans

All plants are from Dennerleplants

👉🏻Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel: YouTube.com/mjaquascaping

👉🏻 Use Code ''amsterdam'' for 10% off CO2art products

👉🏻Destroy ALGAE with my FREE ebook 📖

👉🏻10% DISCOUNT on buceplanet.de with code: Amsterdam10

[ojdejong]

Would love to see a comparison between high light and short photoperiod (6-8 hrs) vs low light and long photoperiod (~12 hours)

[xXIronSwanXx]

Keep this one going for a little longer so that we can see if the dirt eventually leaches out some nutrients into the water column. Also next idea: aquarium light vs normal desk lamp🤔

[localhost]

I do think that the real benefit of dirt substrates is seen after a couple of years (admittedly, too long for your format here). Aquasoil tends breakdown after a couple of years, while dirt does not. The result is a healthy tank for longer.

The "red" is likely dependent on iron.

[youtubeviewer]

Gotta love a dirted tank, cheap and explosive plant growth. I recently set up my first dirted tank 6 months ago and the plants are thriving!

[fortzinsta]

Dirted Tank Pros
- Cheap
- Almost as good as aquasoil
- Have almost 0 Ammonia and don't leech excess nutrients (depends on how use it and what kind)
Dirted Tank Cons
- Needs liquid fertilizing since substrate is not leeching any nutrients
- a bit messy when you need to add/remove plants

[fortzinsta]

Conclusion: Dirted Tank is just as good as aquasoil. but needs some liquid fertilizer

[mr.pikachu]

Keep the experiment going, for another month and let's see if the plant growth changes or remains the same, because I think that the roots in the dirted tank has not yet found its way. I would be patient.

[swimforward]

I would love to see this go longer. Love the insight this has given with side by side comparison.

[robgaskins]

MJ, thank you for your time to make such excellent content videos. I built a 30 gallon dirted tank capping the dirt with black diamond blasting sand. It’s tough the first week water changes but really started clearing after the second week. Stocked It with 10 rummy nose tetras, 2 zebra danios, cherry shrimp, 3 corys, and rapidly increasing snails! Hundreds of baby snails. I’m scraping 15 or 20 off front glass daily. I absolutely love this planted glass box . My own world. Thanks again for your fun and instructive channel.

[handychristian]

Keep the experiment going for some more time please. Yours is the only channel that scientifically back up the difference between dirted tank vs aquasoil. Great one!
Will actually try to start dirted tank myself after seeing your video.

[vikashdubey]

Awesome experiment! Adding some laterite/red soil into the dirt would have helped the red plants. Also for the carpet like you said the dirt should have been spread more towards the glass.

[kemalgunes]

Both tanks are beautiful, and it is nearly impossible to come a conclusion that expensive soil is much better...

[JuanSalazar-j]

Please keep the experiment for a couple more months. It really is very interesting, nice work!!

[djstickxb]

That makes perfect sense as far as the plants.. Moss like more phosphate and nitrates.. And stems like more Iron and nitrates

[stnmllr]

Keep the experiment going correcting the iron and phosphate to she what happens to the the plants in another 30 days. If the plants are similar in appearance, then saving money by using dirt for substrate is the way to go.

[nimaseyedmortazavi]

What about a lighting experiment ? One with cheap led light from amazon and one with ada light

[antonije]

I love this experiment! Especially the differences in trace elements in the water.
Maybe keep it going for a bit longer?
Or try to "fix" them both (by adding nutrients) to see if you can achieve same results with a bit of modification? :)

[RajDarshan]

You Should do a Budget Aquascape with all budget items light, soil, filter and C02

[gladek]

Thank you. This film was very good and teach me some new things. Greetings from Poland.