# ADA Power Sand or just bacter/super clear



## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

Power sand is nice but not necessary. Personal choice. I always use it but some members do just fine without it. Additives always go at the bottom of your *soil* layer. Sand cap isn't necessary and just plain aquasoil looks better IMO.


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## kroner19 (Mar 18, 2012)

i knew the additives go on the bottom. I should have been more specific with what sand i was thinking of capping with. Anyway, i think its cheaper if I go with Power Sand Special than to buy a bottle of bacter and a bottle of super clear. I know the two bottles will yield multiple uses but for start up costs i think Power sand would be just fine. Not to mention the added water circulation the powersand will provide.


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## pwolfe (Mar 2, 2011)

power sand and ps special are also great for building up a slope.


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Power sand and a bottle of Bacter would be good to have around. You can add the Bacter on algae to kill Cyano.


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## Xalyx (Sep 26, 2010)

Well if I was doing it, I would buy some regular powersand to go on the bottom, the bottles of additives, and then the layer of Aquasoil over it. But if you want to cut corners that's fine. I don't see why you would do that when you're already going through all that trouble.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Xalyx said:


> Well if I was doing it, I would buy some regular powersand to go on the bottom, the bottles of additives, and then the layer of Aquasoil over it. But if you want to cut corners that's fine. I don't see why you would do that when you're already going through all that trouble.


How is cutting corners when there's no evidence those things offer anything anyone can see or measure or justify to begin with?I do not keep voodoo dolls on my tanks, am I cutting corners? There is a lot Science has not yet discovered after all. 

I could add pumice or small lava and make the same claims. The high levels of NH4 in the ADA will cycle and supplies all the nutrients, all power sand does is provide space. That space is highly questionable if it's helpful or not. 
Plants and the roots have bacteria already on them. ADA new tank set ups get 50-80% water changes every 2-3 days. Cycling is a non issue as are products marketed to increase cycling.

So it's not cutting corners really, it's not using a product that is highly questionable.

I've used both, and the plain old soil alone works the same as the other full set up. I also used the lava, same thing as the ADA AS alone and the full suite of products.


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## kroner19 (Mar 18, 2012)

Thanks Tom, all i was trying to get across was that i could save some money buy the power sand special which already contains the bacter and the super clear instead of buying 2 separate bottles of each. Im not cutting corners, I'm just taking a different route to the same corner. And as you stated, i may want to use the powersand to gain some height and put some slopes here and there. Right now I have a fully planted 55gal that has nothing in it but inert black gravel and my plants are doing just fine. Im setting up a small 10 gal plant only tank to try out ADA's products as well as blast CO2 and light without the worry of gassing my fish. I love me an experiment. 

Thanks everyone for the responses. Heading over to the ADA store by me now. Pretty psyched we finally have one in the north east. Ill post some feedback on the store when I get back.


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