any soil/potting mix tanks owners out there??

[itsuki]

your experience and thoughts of it. ive already bought Miracle Gro Organic Choice potting mix for my 10g tank but probably wont get around to doing the tank til the weekend. i currently have Super Naturals sand in there right now and will top off the potting mix with sand to keep it down. this Miracle Gro seems to be highly praised by the people who use them and they all seem to have healthy, green looking tanks with good plant growth. im a beginner at planted tanks but an eager learner. i already have a some corkscrew val, java fern and barely bought a pair of sickly looking amazon swords, well one looks sickly and i didnt put him in the tank yet, that one is in a mason jar with potting soil.

other info: 1 betta, 10g tank, heater, filter, 3 oto catfish

[Kwomais]

I love it! I have soil/gravel and a TONNE of plants in my 5gal and they are all growing like weeds! (except my java ferns... but I think that's because they are getting shaded by other plants... I may move them or I might just let them "pass on" lol). In comparison to straight gravel-based tanks that I've had in the past, I'd say that my plants are growing 3-4x as fast. Some get as much as 3 inches of growth a week!

[twolovers101]

I used Miracle Gro Organic Soil for my 5.5 NPT and it's worked out just fine for me :) the tank has really taken off ^^

Here are a couple before and after pics of my tank (after 3 months of well.. growing)

[itsuki]

OH MAN U TWO ARE MAKING ME EXCITING I WANNA START THE TANK TONIGHT!! but i want to store my betta in something larger then a quarter gallon tank in the meanwhile and my silicon job on the 2.5gallon sprung a leak (there was a crack on the bottom) so ima redo that so it'll be at least two more days :(

are you guys using anything on top of the soil??

[Kwomais]

Mine's capped with gravel. Here's a crappy pic lol:

[twolovers101]

I have eco complete as a cap on my soil, but you can use anything you like from sand to gravel :)

[itsuki]

any reason for choosing gravel over sand?? which do u think is less messy??

[twolovers101]

I hear sand can be a bit messy, but then so can gravel, it's up to you really, and what you want the tank to look like

[Kwomais]

I chose it because it was free! My BF gave me one of his old (brand new & never used o.O) tanks & it had rinsed black gravel with it in a ziploc lol

[itsuki]

i like the look of sand.....afraid it will be messy but....ill give it a shot plus i already have it :P

OH WHAT KIND OF LIGHT DO U USE?? i just have a retrofitted 2.5 minbow lamp with a 50/50 daylight/bluelight. its 50% 10,000k daylight and 50% true actinic bluelight. suggestions, comments, preferences??