# soil master select pic please



## myfishatemydog (Nov 16, 2005)

hey guys just as the title states. im torn between getting soilmaster charcoal and soilmaster red for my 55g. the pinned thread said red looks ugly but yeah, well, id like to see a proof of that. and id much appreciate it if it was submerged pics too. thx.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

here it is when its dry










here it is when its wet, you can see a couple red granule in there also


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Charcoal in my 40g irritans tank:








Regular in my 65g brandtii tank:


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## platinum1683 (Nov 17, 2006)

that irritan tank looks great bioteach!


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## myfishatemydog (Nov 16, 2005)

red looks like someone's cherry pie puke... charcoal it is! thanks guys.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

myfishatemydog said:


> red looks like someone's cherry pie puke... charcoal it is! thanks guys.


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

also try adding some peat/mulm below the soilmaster, i think it makes plants grow like crazy


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

myfishatemydog said:


> red looks like someone's cherry pie puke... charcoal it is! thanks guys.


I've got the charcoal in 3 of my 4 Soilmaster tanks. It does a great job bringing out the colors of my geryi, rhombeus, and irritans. The regular Soilmaster was an accident. I set up the 65g and 40g and ordered 2 bags...one bag turned out to be the regular and I didn't even catch it until I was putting it the tank (bags look exactly the same except for an extra label added to one end at the top).

Rather than wait another week or so, I went ahead and tried it...I'm glad I did because it really compliments the brandtii well. When I had the brandtii in with EcoComplete, he was always real dark unless he came up to the surface directly under the lights...now he glimmers even when he is trying to hide! I don't think it looks red at all by the way (or like cherry pie puke?)...now Red Fluorite is red!


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

bio did you add peat/mulm on the bottom of your soilmaster?

also did you cap it with anything?


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I don't think he did that, SB. It does help the plants, but it is not necissary. And if you use too much organic peat, (like I have learned) it can make the pH, KH, and GH really low


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

SNAKEBITE said:


> bio did you add peat/mulm on the bottom of your soilmaster?
> 
> also did you cap it with anything?


No peat/mulm, and no capping. The irritans tank has gone nuts...I have to keep removing swords as they outgrow the tank. The brandtii tank on the other hand is all jacked up right now. I had to remove the rotala and that lead to a diatom outbreak...my swords look like crap now. I think the big difference was that I put "fresher" plants in the 40g, and used older swords in the 65g. I may have to rescape with the monsters outgrowing my 40g!


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## SNAKEBITE (Oct 7, 2006)

keep us posted when you get a chance myfishatemydog


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