# Active or Inert substrate?



## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

I am currently using Eco-complete and my shrimp are dying...not at a fast rate but I do find them occasionally. A few mins ago I ordered some Akadama from a forum member as I've done a ton of research. Hopefully it works out.


----------



## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

I'm using eco-complete in my neocardina tanks and they are doing great, pH around 7.4. My crystal tank and cull tank use Netlea Soil, which is like ADA, and lowers my pH to around 6.

As for the pH issues with inert soil, the pH will remain at whatever your tap or RO water is. RO water from your town, is usually around the same pH as your tap water. HolyAngel has a tap water pH of 8.4, and the RO he buys comes out at 8pH so he still have to use a soil to get the pH lower. It just buffers 10x easier and will last way longer with RO than tap because there is less stuff for it to buffer out. pH of water is actually very complicated and dependant on lots of the things that RO filters don't touch. My tap comes out at 7.4 and my RO is around 7 and then gets buffered to 6 with the soil.

Some people have success in a higher pH with crystals but I think a lot of that is still having a low GH/KH in their water. I think that's a bigger factor in crystal breeding than the pH of the water. It's just usually easier to get a low gh/kh with a lower ph. As well, ammonia becomes more toxic the higher the ph. At 8ph, even a small ammonia spike can kill off half a tank. At a lower ph, most of the ammonia is converted to ammonium and it's not as harmful, so that's one of the benefits of a lower pH.


----------



## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I think active soil has more benefits than just lowering pH and softening water. It's also friendlier to bacteria with a great surface area, allowing more biofilm to colonize which in turn is a food source for shrimplets. It's also DIRT, so it is full of micronutrients and other goodies which you wont get in an inert gravel. It's also got fulvic, humic and tannic acids in it, which are great for organisms (even humans).

One of the largest measurable benefits is the ability of it to set a specific range of parameters, and KEEP it there. It helps hold steady, keeping any changes gradual instead of instant.

Just some things to keep in mind when choosing a substrate for your shrimp. I think babaulti and neocaridina will always do better with an inert gravel, only because they're not fond of an acidic environment.


As far as pH goes, my tanks are stable at 5 pH with amazonia, and 5.5 with akadama. Crystals, taiwan bees, tigers, etc. all do great in my tanks despite the 5.5 pH. Cherries and babaultis don't do as well, but still survive just fine.


----------



## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

GeToChKn said:


> I'm using eco-complete in my neocardina tanks and they are doing great, pH around 7.4. My crystal tank and cull tank use Netlea Soil, which is like ADA, and lowers my pH to around 6.
> 
> As for the pH issues with inert soil, the pH will remain at whatever your tap or RO water is. RO water from your town, is usually around the same pH as your tap water. HolyAngel has a tap water pH of 8.4, and the RO he buys comes out at 8pH so he still have to use a soil to get the pH lower. It just buffers 10x easier and will last way longer with RO than tap because there is less stuff for it to buffer out. pH of water is actually very complicated and dependant on lots of the things that RO filters don't touch. My tap comes out at 7.4 and my RO is around 7 and then gets buffered to 6 with the soil.
> 
> Some people have success in a higher pH with crystals but I think a lot of that is still having a low GH/KH in their water. I think that's a bigger factor in crystal breeding than the pH of the water. It's just usually easier to get a low gh/kh with a lower ph. As well, ammonia becomes more toxic the higher the ph. At 8ph, even a small ammonia spike can kill off half a tank. At a lower ph, most of the ammonia is converted to ammonium and it's not as harmful, so that's one of the benefits of a lower pH.





mordalphus said:


> I think active soil has more benefits than just lowering pH and softening water. It's also friendlier to bacteria with a great surface area, allowing more biofilm to colonize which in turn is a food source for shrimplets. It's also DIRT, so it is full of micronutrients and other goodies which you wont get in an inert gravel. It's also got fulvic, humic and tannic acids in it, which are great for organisms (even humans).
> 
> One of the largest measurable benefits is the ability of it to set a specific range of parameters, and KEEP it there. It helps hold steady, keeping any changes gradual instead of instant.
> 
> ...


Very good points, both of you. More then likely I will add a 1-1.5 inch layer of aquasoil to my new tank to help. The gravel should keep the UGF flowing I hope. If I remember right if you try to move already used aquasoil is just breaks apart right?


----------



## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Only if the Aquasoil is super old and unkept. I've had Amazonia in one of my tanks for almost 4 years now. It still has granules and doesn't turn into mush if immediately if I move it. It's a lot softer than new Aquasoil for sure though. 

In another tank, I had aquasoil used for about a year and a half. I tore the tank down and let it air dry. When I went back to the tank a few weeks ago to get aquasoil for my gf, it immediately turned into mud when I added water. 

I think it really depends on how you care for it. In my tank with still "good" aquasoil, I never allowed it to dry up.


----------



## GDP (Mar 12, 2011)

Ok just asking in case I want to take some out of my 20L for my 20g.


----------



## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

mordalphus said:


> I think active soil has more benefits than just lowering pH and softening water. It's also friendlier to bacteria with a great surface area, allowing more biofilm to colonize which in turn is a food source for shrimplets. It's also DIRT, so it is full of micronutrients and other goodies which you wont get in an inert gravel. It's also got fulvic, humic and tannic acids in it, which are great for organisms (even humans).
> 
> One of the largest measurable benefits is the ability of it to set a specific range of parameters, and KEEP it there. It helps hold steady, keeping any changes gradual instead of instant.
> 
> ...


Good points Liam. I know that in the Netlea soil tanks, the plants grow way betters as it is loaded with nutrients, and you're right, it buffers the water to the same param's all the time.


----------

