I have noticed a few years back that the Earthgro brand of topsoil switched from ground dirt to what seems to be the standard mix of peat and sand similar to what other brands like Scotts uses. I don't think there are any brands available in Home Depot, Lowes, or Merrifield left that use actual dirt anymore (I have not checked Ace Hardware or Harbor Freight). I have been using some dirt from my yard which I unfortunately do not know the pesticide and herbicide load of given that both have been applied elsewhere in our hard, though I have not noticed any ill effects when testing it on plants or shrimp.
Is builder's sand mixed with clay and a little peat/compost the way to go if you don't want to take any risks?
Top soil brands for mineralizing
Re: Top soil brands for mineralizing
Don't use compost unless you break down the organics in it before putting into a fish tank. The reason for mineralizing the soil is to make sure all the organics are broken down. In the past, I used the cheapest topsoil that was available, but I did make sure there were no chemical additives in it.
Viktor
