# I Want To Swap My Substrate To ADA Aquasoil



## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Ok, here's the plan~This would be for my 10 gallon, which has some fish, shrimp,nerite snails, and plants:
Purchase the appropriate amount of ADA aquasoil{how much is the right amount, and which type would work to give me a lower PH, and a nice dark color?Amazonia?}
Set it up in my empty 20 L, with a powerhead.
Use change water, and old filter media to seed it with bacteria
Add food periodically to keep the bacteria alive
Monitor the ammonia level, until it is 0
When the substrate is ready, pull all tank inhabitants and plants out to a bucket
Save at least 1/2 of the water from the tank
Swap out the substrate
Replace plants, the saved water, and fill with new water{essentially performing a 50% wc}
Replace critters & fish



Will this work?


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

So...
You want to set it up in a tank to get it cycled, then pull the aquasoil _out_ and put it into a new tank? Sounds like a HUGE mess waiting to happen. 

Why don't you transfer the fish into the 20 with all existing tank water, set up the AS and plants into the 10, let it cycle, and trnsfer fish back in in 2 months or so, when it's cycled?

I don't have much (~2 weeks) experience with AS, but the little I've seen of it, it leaches NH3 in _insane_ amounts. I'm doing daily 50% (at least) water changes to keep it in check. My water out of the tap is about 7.5+ ph, and AS has dropped it to 5, and _below_.

As far as amounts needed, check this out: http://www.adgshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=104-030&Show=ExtInfo

Why not just set up the 20 long as a new tank altogether? It'd probably be the best way to go


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

roybot73 said:


> Why not just set up the 20 long as a new tank altogether? It'd probably be the best way to go


You are trying to get me in trouble... Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Hmmm....:icon_idea


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

x2- changing out substrate is a pain!


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

What about this idea? Place the ADA aquasoil in something flow through,{a couple pairs of pantyhose??} and into my friend's 2500 gal pond for a few weeks to cycle?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Any thoughts on this idea..anyone? ^^^


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Hi waterfaller, I was reading an article on this person in Singapore who let his Aqua soil sit in a tub of tank water for some time before he stuck it in the tank. He had pictures of it sitting in what looked like a mud puddle. I'm guessing it was his way of prepping for tank use without all the hub bub.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Thanks Orlando. I am thinking this is the way to go. My friend's pond is very healthy, it's been up for years and supports a nice array of fish, frogs and a softshell turtle. She uses the rejection water from her RO/DI to keep it full.


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

I put the aquasoil into a 35gal trash bin for a week or two when i wanted to switch out the substrate on my 120gal tank. The problem I ran into though is moving wet aquasoil is hard and is very easy to damage the aquasoil (breaking it up into clay which clouds your water).


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

This is another option. Set the fish, shrimp, plants, driftwood, snails, up in the 20L with a couple handfulls of inert sand. Use the water from the 10, and more to fill. Use the filter from the 10 gal. Reset the 10 gal. with the ADA, and borrow my filter from another tank. I think it could go with no filter for a few weeks, it has no fish. When the ammonia is gone replace everyone. And no, I don't want to just go ahead and set up the 20L, I like the 10 gal.


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## iridescencet (Oct 13, 2007)

waterfaller1 said:


> Ok, here's the plan~This would be for my 10 gallon, which has some fish, shrimp,nerite snails, and plants:
> Purchase the appropriate amount of ADA aquasoil{how much is the right amount, and which type would work to give me a lower PH, and a nice dark color?Amazonia?}
> Set it up in my empty 20 L, with a powerhead.
> Use change water, and old filter media to seed it with bacteria
> ...


not quite sure what your trying to do, but i'll recomend according to what i can infer.

-never really went by volume to tell how much AS you need, i think it will be better to see how deep a substrate you need (2" or more is good).
-Malaya, Africana, Amazonia. White-beige, clay brown, black. (respectively)
-IMO africana will be the safest for you, amazonia is the strongest but also takes the longest time to cycle due to the ammonia. (very obvious bacteria cloud)
-not sure about malaya, but i'm using africana and amazonia now. both will cause cloudy water. but africana's cloud will settle in hours (dust), amazonia's will take a few days/weeks (bacteria bloom, don't use UV at this stage)
-you may stick to using change water and old filter.
-Feeding the bacteria with amazonia is suicide. although the other two probably won't need the boost either.
-cycle and put inhabitants back in when parameters settle.

IMO you should take three buckets, one for plants, the other for fishes,snails, etc. And the last to save some water.

Remove the old substrate and clean the tank. Once that is done, Put the AS in and PLANT IMMEDIATELY. (why waste all the ammonia and nutrients that come with AS by rinsing?)

With your new tank fully setup with filters, lights, plants and the new AS. cycle it and when it stabalises, put the fishes and others back in.

=)


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

iridescencet said:


> -cycle and put inhabitants back in when parameters settle.
> 
> IMO you should take three buckets, one for plants, the other for fishes,snails, etc. And the last to save some water.
> 
> ...


 So you are suggesting they stay in a bucket for several weeks? Kind of an unstable place to keep them, don't you think? My fish are slightly delicate, as well of course we know CRS are. My idea behind placing the tank inhabitants into another tank for a few weeks, is to not lose any of them.


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## riverrat (Jul 14, 2005)

waterfaller1 said:


> So you are suggesting they stay in a bucket for several weeks? Kind of an unstable place to keep them, don't you think? My fish are slightly delicate, as well of course we know CRS are. My idea behind placing the tank inhabitants into another tank for a few weeks, is to not lose any of them.




A member on this board who's custom built tank cut loose and broke kept his Discus in a garbage can with the filter and heat running in it for quite some time. Fish care about the water conditions not the container they live in.
I'm sure your fish would rather live in buckets than live thru the ammonia spike that will surely occur with the Aquasoil.


Good luck
Dave


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## iridescencet (Oct 13, 2007)

waterfaller1 said:


> So you are suggesting they stay in a bucket for several weeks? Kind of an unstable place to keep them, don't you think? My fish are slightly delicate, as well of course we know CRS are. My idea behind placing the tank inhabitants into another tank for a few weeks, is to not lose any of them.


IMO if your so worried about your shrimp getting killed by the dangers of leeching ammonia, you shouldn't use AS Amazonia at all. 

An alternative is to use Amazonia type 2. People claim that it doesnt cloud the water as much and looks a little darker, maybe it doesnt leech out as much ammonia too. i have a bag of it sitting around but haven't been able to use it myself. so i can't advice you on whether or not it will work.

another method will be not to use AS at all, there are other brands which sells substrate closely similar in looks to that of AS, but are meant for shirmps. once again i have not used these myself so i can't advice you on its effectiveness.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

iridescencet said:


> there are other brands which sells substrate closely similar in looks to that of AS, but are meant for shirmps.


 Do you know the names of them? I am still on the fence about this whole idea. I haven't lost any more shrimp, thank goodness. Maybe the organic peat moss I put in the filter is helping a bit.
Thanks so much for your replies.:wink:


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## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

I can't comment on the merits of the substrates being discussed, as I don't keep shrimp, but as far as changing from one substrate to another, I have done it on three occasions as it really isn't too bad as long as you go into it prepared. Put your critters, plants, filter media, and tank water in a large rubbermaid container or trashcan, dump the old, in with the new, fill back up with what you saved and the job is done.

Dave


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Thanks for your reply Dave. The problem with ADA Aquasoil is it supposedly leaches NH3 for quite awhile, some say a month or more. With my delicate fish and shrimp, this would not be good.


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## Ryzilla (Oct 29, 2005)

get flourite black. It is less of a hassle with the ammonia issue, doesnt break down, and has all the goodies in it for plants. This is what I will be swaping my substrate out with in about a week. I am currently using regular flourite and I am getting tired of the redish color.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Thanks Ry. Is this it? Even though it says 'sand'?

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~SC5233.html


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## iridescencet (Oct 13, 2007)

Over here in singapore i once came across a brand called "oki" or smth like that. its packed like AS, and looks like AS. but instead of the big silver face front and back, it has an orange face on the packaging. 

But once again i haven't used it myself, and it was my lfs that said it was made for shirmps. 

a lot of people say flourite is much easier to handle. and i wouldn't doubt those claims. esp since the only complaint i've seen so far on this forum is the dust cloud, unlike AS which has so many others. Sadly i still have a spare bag of AS and don't have the time or resources to start a new aquarium =( so i wouldnt be able to advice on its looks in the aquarium.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My understanding is the reason many people recommend Aquasoil with CRS is that once cycled, Aquasoil has the capacity to lower pH and hardness over time, and these shrimp need softer water to breed.

I've never used Aquasoil or kept CRS personally, though, so this is only from what I've read in the shrimp forums..


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

WaterFaller1, do you plan on injecting c02 into the tank that you are considering using it. If not, you may want to seriously consider/reconsider. I am only saying this as Tom Barr has tested many substrates and Aquasoil extensively. His suggestion to me if I used Aquasoil was to keep on top of the c02. Although I have considered experimenting with Aquasoil in a low light, low tech, non-c02 tank, I decided not to as I don't know what the impact of excessive nutrients leaching into the water with the plants unable to use them due to low light and no c02 would do the plants or any fish in the tank. I would rather not risk that if there is a possiblity that the excess buildup could harm my fish and the fact that Aquasoil is rather expensive.

If you use it, you will have to do 50% water daily for a week, 50% 2x week for the second week, and then 50% once a week until the ammonia levels off.

lauraleellbp is correct. Many users of Aquasoil have successfully kept and bred shrimp and it is said that the shrimp find the lower PH conditions created by the Aquasoil ideal.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

No plans for injected CO2. I do use Excel and Seachem's other products. I am reconsidering, as it just doesn't seem like a feesable way to do this without risking loss. My fish were rather pricey, as all of them were shipped in.{ I am partial to small cool fish which are not available in any LFS here} And this tank has CRS, including a hino and two mosuras. This week I am adding 6 blue pearls. So I am just going to roll with it as is. I have purchased some almond leaves, some organic Canadian peat moss, and I am using RO and RO/DI water. Hopefully I can become successful at keeping the shrimp alive. I lost some..one mosura in shipping, and some regular high grades after they were in the tank. The olive nerites and my corydoras habrosus are breeding, so I am hoping that is a sign that the tank is pretty stable now. I am going to see what my numbers are today.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

waterfaller1 said:


> No plans for injected CO2. I do use Excel and Seachem's other products. I am reconsidering, as it just doesn't seem like a feesable way to do this without risking loss. My fish were rather pricey, as all of them were shipped in.{ I am partial to small cool fish which are not available in any LFS here} And this tank has CRS, including a hino and two mosuras. This week I am adding 6 blue pearls. So I am just going to roll with it as is. I have purchased some almond leaves, some organic Canadian peat moss, and I am using RO and RO/DI water. Hopefully I can become successful at keeping the shrimp alive. I lost some..one mosura in shipping, and some regular high grades after they were in the tank. The olive nerites and my corydoras habrosus are breeding, so I am hoping that is a sign that the tank is pretty stable now. I am going to see what my numbers are today.


Lol, FWIW, I can kind of relate. The only shrimp that I seem to have any luck keeping are Amano Shrimp. I have a 5 gallon low tech tank. For substrate, I went with a thin layer of leonardite, mulm, and dusting of peatmoss, and I capped this with Seachem Onyx Sand. It is not nearly as beautiful as your beautifully aquascaped tanks, but the plants are doing well. I use a pinch of nitrates, potassium and phosphates with every water change and add Yamatoo Green Fertilizer. The plants are doing really well. The funny thing is that the Amano Shrimp tripled in size and they have an appetite to boot. If I place a piece of zucchini in there, they feed off it the whole day. To make a long story short, one of my frogs is MIA as is my otocat. They are presumed dead although I cannot find their bodies. The funny thing is that where water quailty issues are at play, the shrimp are usually the first to go and not triple in size, so it really makes me wonder what else is going on if the MIA oto and frog are dead. Lol, perhaps, I just got a sick oto and frog to begin with.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

OOhh..I had 0 luck with amanos. They all jumped:icon_cry: Of course I had them in my cubes, and the water level is pretty high and they are open top..so..not a good place for them I guess. I think a very stable tank can handle a loss without much effect. 
I do plan on doing a couple things with this tank. I had a guy on planet catfish make me a couple caves. I am going to put one in the back corner under the plants there. I also have a bucket going right now with some of the same sand I have always used in my tanks. I have to get it wet and run my hands through it for several days to get it all to sink. Otherwise if you add it to an established tank, it floats and lands where it wants to. I have to repair the path in the first cube, darned snails goofed it all up, and I haven't been able to get it back right. The other thing I want to do is {in the 10 gal] my Kuhli Loaches have made their home under my driftwood. I want to lift it up, hollow it out a bit, then put a couple scoopfulls of sand there so they will be comfy in their 'home'.


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