# Schultz Aquatic Soil!



## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

That is your reason for hating it? All you have to do is mix a little gravel with it. It is very light weight, and until plants become well rooted, they may have a hard time from getting uprooted easily. Adding some gravel to it solves the problem. Also as it ages and becomes laiden with mulm, it becomes heavier.

I have been using it for years in 90% of my tanks. It is a great, cheap substrate.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

I had some shultz before, and hated it. Well not really for it being light. You just need to use a good 3" so the plants don't uproot. Anything less and I had the same problem.

But I really hated it because of what it did to the water parameters. Have you been dosing phosphate, or checked your levels yet? Prepare yourself for battle. It constantly increased mine and whatever I did never brought it down. There was also an unexplained KH increase from my original 18, to 30+! I just stopped testing after 30 drops.


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## aquatic-store.com (May 24, 2003)

That is the main complaint with this product. It does work well though!!


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

aquatic-store.com said:


> That is the main complaint with this product. It does work well though!!


 The phophate leaking or the lightness? While I can't say my plants didn't grow, I still got rid of it cause the water parameters were out of my control.


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

Well the reason your plants pop up Rolo is because it is light weight! Why else do you think it has a problem holding plants down? Just add some gravel. 
Raising your phosphate level? Thats impossible. It is made of Fullers earth, which is a type of clay. It doesn't contain any phosphate.

Shultz clay conditioner is the same as Schultz Aquatic Plant soil, but a lot cheaper. $15 for a 40 pound bag.

Here is the contents of Schultz



> 100% natural clay gravel, providing iron, calcium, and manganese, (no additives, all from natural minerals) Over 70% pore space for the storing and exchange of nutrients.


I grow the majority of my plants in it and have been since 1999. Never had any measurable phosphate, in fact I add phosphate for the plants


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

BTW robert, I'm not the one having the problem with profile. I'm using flourite now. This is Methods thread. It just seems you thought I started this thread. lol.

Never say impossible. I know without a doubt profile was the problem in increasing my phosphates, and KH too! Yeah it doesn't contain phosphate in itself, but if you do some research, fuller earth is a type of ceramic, VERY similar to phosphate removing filter media. 

I have a thread all about the problem called "where did all this PO4 come from?" if you care to follow up on it. But basically it practically removed all the PO4 that was added by the tap. Even after very little dosing all of it was removed to 0. After just a week suddenly the phosphates where 2.4ppm and then never lowered. It apparently became saturated with phosphate and then became a time releasing fertilizer - very similar to old activated carbon. Then after that my KH unexplainably went past 30 degrees. All I had was some plants and profile...what else is too blame?


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Robert,

There are been posts on the APD about Profile/Schultz causing problems with both phosphates and water chemistry. One person had severe problems with both.


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## m3th0d (Jun 27, 2004)

I made a thread at APC when I first started out asking why my phosphates were so high when there was nothing in the tank except Schultz Aquatic Soil and a piece of driftwood and now everything makes sense. My phosphate levels were unusually high in the first initial stages of planting. I don't know my levels now because I'm too lazy to check.


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

I have it mixed with playsand.

Not sure about PO4... you might want to check your tap water PO4 first before blaming the substrate. Also did you do inert test with: 1. tap water + profile, 2. tap water + wood?

I've no problem...except that I bought aquatic soil (7$ per 20lbs) - wish I had bought eco-complete because I don't really favor the color.

Red/light brown + white (playsand) = weak presentation IMHO


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