# mixing AS amazonia with other subs & sand areas



## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Do yourself a favor and do not mix AS with anything. That's the short answer. And u have Tao water almost identical to yours.

AS will take some work and time to cycle and you do NOT want any fish/shrimp in the tank untill it does.

I would use any other of your innert substrates in the tank that you have to put the fish in and leave AS for the other one.

GZ on the tanks, I am sure you will love them both.

On using 2 different substrate colors can look great but takes preparation, work, and on going maintenance.

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## GeraldStringham (May 9, 2013)

As far as having separate areas with different substrates. It really is hard to keep them separated especially if you have decent flow and plecos, cories, or any other bottom dwelling fish. I find I have to pretty consistently suck out all of the aquasoil that has made it's way to my sand then add more sand. This is with a pretty soild barrier of seriyu stone in between the two substrates. It really becomes a maintenance nightmare however for me it is worth it in the end as it does look great when done right.


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## lessandler (Jul 23, 2011)

Thanks guys for the response!

Bummer about the light sand area never working. I really don't want a difficult tank. 

And what about water changes and AS with my high ph? Anybody with similar stats that can predict how low my ph will go based upon gh kh and ph? I am concerned that everytime I change the water with my tap the tank will go on a ph roller coaster. 

Or does AS work like that? Do I then have to do many small water changes? I really do not want to go the RO softwater route.

If I mix it with the UP aqua sand and Mr.Aqua water soil (whic look very very similar but black) with the AS to reduce the buffering capacity and ammonia leaching, would that cause unforseen problems?

Or if I used dark gravel as a cap to the amazonia would that also prevent some of the cloudiness people speak of? I guess I should also state I am not planning to go heavy on planting stem plants (just in the back) and not really finding a lot of foreground cover that is non CO2. That means some of the substrate would be exposed. Do people even use Amazonia when they are not planting heavily?

As far as the ph not dropping too far for my livebearers and rainbows, would seriyu stones (I have a bunch I bought before I realized they would up the ph and tds) do the trick to keep it a bit closer to neutral? I thought I would rely upon the substrate mixing to keep it from dropping too far, but now that it is recommended I don't mix substrates I am not sure what to do.

Thanks again!


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

This should answer your buffering and # of bags questions:

http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=76_12


My tap is 8.4 pH 3-4 kH and 6 gH. I have 5 tanks with AS, from first to last generations. One of the tanks is 120-P that houses Cardinals, Diamond Tetras, GBR and such.

I do water changes from the tap, the fish is just fine. I also agonized over my pH for a very long time and finally just made do with what I got. I don't remember the last time I measured tanks' pH. I believe it settles around 7.2. As tanks mature, pH drops due to decay.

I personally do not know (or any longer care) how AS buffers the pH or for how long. My tanks with age-old Flourite and AS all settle within a close pH range. I do know that PowerSand comes loaded with organics, including peat.

My Diamond Tetras and GBRs breed in two of my AS tanks. That is good enough for me. Plants? I sell and give away a lot of them here on TPT.

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