Plant Substrate: Termite mounds

I think it all depends on the quality,make and what has been used to make the "potting soil" that will have an influence.

 

That's also why I asked for the plant Guru's to comment as well... I know some people who use Rose Shrub Mix... But then the people with lots of plants and fish mixed advise strictly against that!

 

The problem with potting soil is not the nitrates. It's the rotting effect and the other chemicals released in the water due to most likely chicken manure added to the soil. And who knows what else the soil contains...

If you want to go this route, then use pure potting soil not any rose mix. There are some threads which you can google where they explain exactly how to go about creating "mineralized" soil, which is what you want. In short, the process basically entails submerging the soil in a bucket for a period and doing frequent water changes and then drying it out and then repeating this process a few times before adding to your tank. Apparently it takes about 3 months...

The cheapest way to create a good soil is to get these palm peat blocks which you can buy at any nursery and soak them in water in a bucket and add some Chemicult which you can also buy at a nursery. Look for the one with NO3 and PO4. What happens is that the palm peat absorbs the chemicals and then you add this as a bottom layer and cover with silica sand.