It's a well written article Aaron. It's very interesting and not too technical; easy to understand for the less experienced people (like me).. IMO, outstanding.
Paul
Published Soil Substrate Article
Last edited by PaulS on Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
One question, instead of buying a big bag of dolomite, could I use the crushed coral I already have?
Thought of another one, and this is probably easily answered but I just dont know.
If the soil is being mineralized while it is moist, wouldnt you want the soil to stay moist longer?
i.e. leave the soil in the tub and just keep turning it to mix it up while it dries?
Thought of another one, and this is probably easily answered but I just dont know.
If the soil is being mineralized while it is moist, wouldnt you want the soil to stay moist longer?
i.e. leave the soil in the tub and just keep turning it to mix it up while it dries?
Last edited by JMLenke on Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The other Jeff
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
I'm not sure they are the same. Perhaps Sean will chime in here when he gets a chance. I know he's out of town caring for his father at the moment.JMLenke wrote:One question, instead of buying a big bag of dolomite, could I use the crushed coral I already have?
Well, technically that would work too. The idea behind spreading it out on the tarp is to expose more surface area to the air. I think it would still mineralize faster by spreading it because of the increased oxygen levels. You could just mist it with a hose every few days to keep it moist while it is on the tarp.Thought of another one, and this is probably easily answered but I just dont know.
If the soil is being mineralized while it is moist, wouldnt you want the soil to stay moist longer?
i.e. leave the soil in the tub and just keep turning it to mix it up while it dries?
- DelawareJim
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By "mineralizing" the soil, you're trying to speed up the decomposition of the organic material in the soil so all you have left is the mineral fraction of the original soil. As Aaron said, you are spreading it out to maximize the air/oxygen exposure so the micro fauna decompose the organic fraction as quickly as possible. Draining and drying also removes the disolved organic compounds (DOCs) from the decomposition from the water column. You could just keep it moist and turn it frequently like composting but with the small amount of water involved, decomposition and removing the DOCs would take much longer.Aaron wrote:I'm not sure they are the same. Perhaps Sean will chime in here when he gets a chance. I know he's out of town caring for his father at the moment.JMLenke wrote:One question, instead of buying a big bag of dolomite, could I use the crushed coral I already have?
Well, technically that would work too. The idea behind spreading it out on the tarp is to expose more surface area to the air. I think it would still mineralize faster by spreading it because of the increased oxygen levels. You could just mist it with a hose every few days to keep it moist while it is on the tarp.Thought of another one, and this is probably easily answered but I just dont know.
If the soil is being mineralized while it is moist, wouldnt you want the soil to stay moist longer?
i.e. leave the soil in the tub and just keep turning it to mix it up while it dries?
Cheers.
Jim
Back in the dark ages of "soil soup" as on APD, the stuff was kept moist to wet throughout. If kept really shallow (~1/2" thick max) you could get away with it.
If you think Sean's Miracle Mud is less than pleasantly aromatic, try soil soup that you have not been conscientious about stirring. Swamp gas anyone? Methane and hydrogen sulfide is getting rid of of organics the hard way. Do you really want ppt'd iron and assorted reduced sulfur compounds in the base of your substrate before you even start?.
If you think Sean's Miracle Mud is less than pleasantly aromatic, try soil soup that you have not been conscientious about stirring. Swamp gas anyone? Methane and hydrogen sulfide is getting rid of of organics the hard way. Do you really want ppt'd iron and assorted reduced sulfur compounds in the base of your substrate before you even start?.
Where's the fish? Neptune