I would like to try to use some potting soil as base layer in my tank (capped with fine gravel 1-2mm) according to the recommendation of Diana Walstad. The problem is that I have found some potting soils (the soil for house plants) are very acidic (pH 4-5!), which seems to me too much. Diana Walstad wrote that in very acidic environment there is a danger of releasing toxic heavy metals. What is the recommended pH of the soil? Does anyone know whats the pH of ADA Aqua Soil? (PS: I mean pH of the soil, not pH of the water).
Recommended pH of the soil
- Thread starter Marcel G
- Start date
So it seems no one bother with pH of the soil. Either everyone using soil is lucky with choosing the one with correct pH, or no one here is using normal potting soil (just commercial stuff). I know of some people trying to use potting soil with low pH (4-5), and they had problems growing plants (+ algae blooms). I just wanted to know if someone used low pH soil also ... with success.
Not Entirely Sure What You Are Looking For...
Hi Marcel,
My best guess is that the soil with the low pH is not mineralized, the low pH may be an indication of organic material present and the lower the pH the less nitrification, ultimately adding to the dissolved organic material in solution, hence increased algal activity trying to bring balance to the system.
Most of us do not use potting soil for this reason. The preference being cheap top soil preferably mineralized.
As I understand it, there are four reasons soil would be low pH, two of them, high organic material load and low calcium carbonate equivalent would likely apply to commercial potted soil, adding Calcium can help with the latter, boiling, baking, or weathering, the former.
Biollante
Hi Marcel,
My best guess is that the soil with the low pH is not mineralized, the low pH may be an indication of organic material present and the lower the pH the less nitrification, ultimately adding to the dissolved organic material in solution, hence increased algal activity trying to bring balance to the system.
Most of us do not use potting soil for this reason. The preference being cheap top soil preferably mineralized.
As I understand it, there are four reasons soil would be low pH, two of them, high organic material load and low calcium carbonate equivalent would likely apply to commercial potted soil, adding Calcium can help with the latter, boiling, baking, or weathering, the former.
Biollante
Biollante;90070 said:
Hi Biollante,
what is the difference between "potting soil" and "top soil"? I live in Europe, and here we have many kinds of soils (for bonsai, for rhododendron, for citrus fruit, for orchids ... for pot plants ... also for water plants, then for grass/lawns, garden compost, peat ...). I don't know what of these are considered as "potting soil" and what "top soil". The soils consist mainly of peat, bark/leaf mould (humus), clay ... and most of it contain some fertilizers (6 months supply).
Please, can you explain me in a little more detail what is the difference ... + what is the typical consistence of potting soil vs. top soil?
Thank you beforehand.
PS: Thanks for your previous reply!
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Ada Africana: PH 4
Ada Malaya: PH 4,2
Ada Amazonia I: PH 4,6
Ada Amazonia II: PH 4,8
The low ph from the substrate will help to keep also "difficult plants", will make some nutritions better availible for the plants and to make them good rooting.
The problem by all those soils is still that the substrate will lost with the time most off the good abilities and so certainly, KH/PH will increase with the time.