# New tank with ADA Amazonia



## aznartist34 (Nov 19, 2010)

You're going to need more than one bag of aquasoil for a 29 gallon tank. I would say if its heavily planted and no inhabitants, the wc wouldn't be as important.


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Though I haven't used Amazonia, I've heard you'll need to do daily water changes at the beginning. Or at least every few days. But I don't know if you'll be ale to cycle a new tank without frequent water changes, especially with all the ammonia leaching. 

Also, just rubbing the parts with his biofilter probably won't be enough. You'd benefit more by borrowing bioballs, taking his used filter material, or even taking as much water as possible. 

Either way, water changes are important.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I disagree. I've cycled many tanks with Amazonia, no water changes and no starter media besides plants. You will be fine.

A few water changes will help bring some levels down, but not absolutely necessary.


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## GeraldStringham (May 9, 2013)

Not so sure about needing more then 1 bag of aquasoil for a 29 gallon. I used 1 bag and it worked out seemed like plenty. Granted you aren't going to be able to slope it much if at all but it is deep enough for plants.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

One 9L bag of Aquasoil should give you about 1 1/2 inches of substrate. That is skimpy, but could work. I think 2 inches is about the minimum that works well.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Damn I was sure a 9L bag would be enough as Amazonia is expensive. How well does the ADA stuff work in conjunction with Sphagnum Peat Moss? I have used it in the past with Fluval Stratum and it worked well.


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## GeraldStringham (May 9, 2013)

You would be looking at having very stained water in my opinion at least in my experience. However another option would be getting some of the small lava rock to build a slope them pouring the aquasoil over that. Or you could also go for a rock separation and use something like pool filter sand in the unplanted areas. Really depends on the layout and what you had intended for your tank.


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## Gecko (Jun 2, 2013)

I recomend you use ADA Powersand Special as first layer. And put a plastic mesh on it, then Amazonia. Power sand should be stay under your soil. Thats why i recommend mesh You dont need to think about bacterias or biological cycle. 

By the way i just establish my new tank with this two soils, Amazonia will make your water very very muddy in first few days, you need a good filter. Maybe you will need to change filter media after 3-4 days. (just filter wool not bio materials) Also you can see some floating tree barks on your water  its also normal according to users manual of Amazonia. 

Indeed its really good choice, it keeps pH stabil, release nutritient slowly (you can use less fertilizer and keep this condition for long time)... and many more...

Good luck with new tank..


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

New Amazonia will not make your water muddy looking. If you are using used soil, its possible, but not new amazonia.


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## Gecko (Jun 2, 2013)

Couesfanatic said:


> New Amazonia will not make your water muddy looking. If you are using used soil, its possible, but not new amazonia.


No ofcourse im not using "used" soil in my tank. Actually "new" Amazonia is not new 

They are not using that "new" word on their packages since May 04, 2013

So my Amazonia is actually NEW amazonia without "NEW" mark. 

http://www.adana-usa.com/

you can see on first page.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I'm not sure what you are meaning. This New Amazonia, was redone a while back to fix the issue of yellowing and premature breakdown. They did fix the issues.

If you are using the soil straight from the factory, there should be no yellowing of the water.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Boy this is going to confuse people if they really did drop the "New" thing. On the front page of AFA the bag does not say new. On the page of the soil, the bag does say new. 

http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_12_21&products_id=680#prettyPhoto

I know they had Aquasoil 1 and Aquasoil 2 and this NEW stuff.


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## shiftysquirrel (May 23, 2013)

It's my understanding that the new Amazonia soil has "Amazonia" in orange on the bag.


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## Gecko (Jun 2, 2013)

Old package has "NEW AMAZONIA"
and new package has "AMAZONIA"
They dont use that "new" mark anymore...


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Yes, but this is what they show when you click on the soil, maybe they just forgot to change the pic.


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## Gecko (Jun 2, 2013)

Anyway they said soil is the same. Muddy or not. It's really good


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)




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## Jonny (Jun 5, 2013)

Interestingly I have just set-up a tank using ADA Aquasoil powder Amazonia, my water didn't look anything like yours does after I filled it up. Out of interest did you pour the water straight onto the soil or did you pour it onto a plate to avoid stirring up the soil? 

The only time I had it make water like that was when I had a small amount in a pot to add to areas once the tank was full, I got it wet in the pot first and when I poured water right onto it it looked like that.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Wow, i've set up over 10 tanks with new bags of aquasoil and have never had mine look like that.


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## Higher Thinking (Mar 16, 2011)

Ok, the thread seem to get off track concerning the original question. Yes, it is going to leech a bunch of ammonia. So there are several things to do/consider. First, if your tank reaches above 4 ppm of ammonia (people have claimed) it will inhibit growth of beneficial bacteria because the ammonia is so strong it works like an antiseptic. So, if you are going to use sufficient plants, such high levels may be avoided, but possibly not. Better still, used established filter media and jump start your tank that way. I've done this a couple times and I start showing nitrates right away because I'm using an established filter. The ammonia never goes above 1 or 2 ppm. Then you just have to wait for the colony to get big enough to handle the new ammonia load. Much quicker and more efficient than a completely new cycle.

If you cannot get enough ammonia to be consumed to stay with reason (1-2 ppm) I would recommend routine water changes to keep the levels low.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

That picture is of my 7th tank I set with Amazonia and is covered in a journal. Brand new AS out of a sealed bag, no PS. Water was poured slowly over a piece of driftwood. I did use a seeded px-360 filter and a ton of plants. A virgin Fluval 404 was added 2 days later to clear out the mess. The tank was crystal clear on day 4 and fully cycled on day 9, with one 90% and one 50% wc in between. Ammonia was 0.5 on day 6, 0.25 on days 7 and 8, 0 on day 9 with NO3 at 10ppm. 

via Droid DNA Tapatalk 2


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

10g with AS 'multi' ~1 hr after fill:


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## Gecko (Jun 2, 2013)

Thats what exactly i said... Muddy water. but get clean easily... It doesent matter you pour water on a plate, without disturbing soil or not. It become muddy anyway...

But just turn your filter on and 3-4 days later change your floss in the filtrer. Just floss not the bio media..

Good luck in new tank...


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I have had some chunks and a slight surface film when filling up my tanks but never had any cloudiness. It's strange you guys are getting it and I'm not.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Well I set up the tank last night and the Amazonia made less of a mess than I anticipated. The cloudy water was pretty much gone in about 4 hours and it's now crystal clear when I woke up. This is of course with 2 canisters and Purigen in each of them in a 29g so there is quite a bit of filtration.

I did a 1in layer of lava rock and got 2in of even layer with the 9l bag of Amazonia.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Tank has been up for two weeks now and the amazonia is still leeching some fierce ammonia. It got up to 8ppm at one point but now it's at a constant 3-4ppm. Should I do a water change? Plants are growing like mad though as there are no fish and I am blasting the CO2 plus have osmocote+ and dose PPS Pro.


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## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

Wow....I set up 2 nano tanks with this stuff and they were cycled in no time. Granted, the sponge filters were running in my established tank for a couple of weeks, but I would not expect them to bang through that much ammonia in that little time (less than 2 weeks). Maybe someone else can offer advise here.


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