# Cheapest "aqua soil"



## Cali (Dec 18, 2014)

What has everyone found to be the cheapest "aqua soil". Id like to get ADA's Aqua soil, but that is way too much out of my price range. My local LFS also sells "AZOO PLANT GROWER BED SUBSTRATE 12lbs for 34$", which is also too expensive for me.

What is the cheapest online aqua soil buy i can get , ebay,amazon or whatever, tax included that is comparable in quality thats also cheap.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

Probably Eco Complete, it's about $25 for 20lbs.


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

EcoComplete is more like gravel than "soil".

Bamaplants has minerlized top soil that isn't terribly expensive. A friend has used it sucessfully.


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## bobfig (Aug 30, 2014)

imo probably the best bet if you cant afford the fancy stuff would be to use miracle grow organic and top it with something else. just sift the miracle grow to get the bigger stuff out.


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## UDGags (Sep 13, 2009)

I haven't checked prices recently but remember you get what you pay for. The reason ADA is expensive is because it's the best in terms of nutrients for plants. Soil such as UP aqua soil is nice looking but lacks the NH4 and Peat. Basically, I don't think you're going to find something comparable in quality and is cheap.


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## Squrl888 (Oct 3, 2014)

I hear Controsoil is good. Still pretty expensive though.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

The montmorillonite clays are pretty good. 
They do not come loaded with fertilizer, but neither did you kitchen dishes. Gotta add the food. 

Products such as Turface, Safe-T-Sorb and even certain types of kitty litter have high cationic exchange capacity. This makes them very good for aquarium substrates. When you add fertilizers these materials will hold the fertilizer in a way that it is available to the plants.


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## Squrl888 (Oct 3, 2014)

I don't think any of the 'aqua soils' available that are like Amazonia (such as Controsoil, Fluval Stratum, UP Aquasoil, etc. etc.) are going to be in your price range. They are all fairly expensive.
I think the best thing for you to do would be to use a montmorillonite clay product like Diana mentioned (Oil-Dri is another one. Safe-T-Sorb seems to be the best option though, along with Turface). These are pretty cheap and will be like using Fluorite and Eco-Complete. Be careful though because they will strip the KH from your water...you will have to do some research and be very careful with that. Otherwise, after a while it stops doing such things and it seems like people have great results with it.
You will have to use root tabs, especially if you have heavy root feeders like crypts, swordplants, etc.
Alternatively, you could use pool filter sand, or black diamond blasting sand. But then you will be missing out on the high CEC (cationic exchange capacity) of these clay products (such as the Safe-T-Sorb). You will definitely still need root tabs in this case.
As others said, you could also use soil capped with sand. Soil seems to have the best effects for people, but you have to be careful because it can be messy and you will want to prepare it right and understand that there will probably be an initial ammonia spike as microbes start breaking down the soil.
Luckily, root tabs and potting soil or topsoil are all very cheap. Safe-T-Sorb and pool filter sand is also cheap. You will still save a lot of money buying root tabs (such as the Osmocote+ capsules sold on this forum) and sand or safe-t-sorb than buying any aqua soil available (that I currently know of).

If your heart is set on the aqua soils though, I believe that Fluval Stratum (also Fluval Shrimp Stratum) is currently the cheapest available. Still pretty expensive though.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Remember that ADA Aqua Soil is sold by volume, not by weight. Looking online, it seems a bag of ADA Aqua Soil is around 17lbs. A 9L bag is not the same size as most other substrates, it is quite a bit bigger so you should take that into account. I believe it would have cost me more to use Fluval substrate, for example, since the bags are much smaller.

I don't think that mineralized top soil or potting soil is at all similar to ADA Aqua Soil. Can you get the same or similar results, certainly. However, it is quite different work with. That type of soil can't be nearly as deep, is harder to work with, and clouds up the water when you move things around. I would argue that it can grow plants better than Aqua Soil but isn't very good for certain types of scaping. 

I have also had great results with Flourite and the like so I wouldn't overlook them, it has a different appearance but still works great. Plus it lasts forever. 

Anyway, the actual volume of Aqua Soil is greater than most other substrates so in almost every tank I have had, the price would be negligible to use something else.


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

Eco complete is horrible. I hate mine. Anyone want it?


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## NotCousteau (Sep 25, 2014)

Option said:


> Eco complete is horrible. I hate mine. Anyone want it?


I agree that Eco complete is a waste of time and money. My Eco complete tank doesn't grow plants any better than my plain sand tank. (Both tanks have root tabs.) I've never done it, but plain old chemical-free dirt from your yard sounds like the best option. Secondly, organic Miracle Gro.


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