http://mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/plant/lotech.html

Most of us prefer the un-natural aquarium, though. Running a natural aquarium
can be a joy -- easy, low-cost, low-maintenance. But there are tradeoffs. The
soils substrates are messy. The lack of mechanical filtration means you have
to be careful about stocking levels. You can't choose the plants you want;
rather, you plant a variety of plants, and let the ones that do well take over.
It can take weeks or months for the tank to find its balance, and while it
does, it can be rather unattractive.

But if you have the discipline and patience for this method, go for it!



Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

You can substitute Flourite, about 4 inches or so, for the soil and
add about 1/2 inch of peat to the bottom layer along with lots of mulm
from a mature tank. This works better than soil after a year or so. It
also only gets better as it ages and also is far less messy.

Regards,
Tom Barr