# Ammonia Spike with ADA Aquasoil



## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

ammonia spike is the norm it seems for new tanks with AS, it goes away on its own with water changes and a good bacteria level, but adding stem or floating fast growers helps lower it even more. najas, foxtail or other nutrient "sponges" will help reduce the time it takes to lower the ammonia level but it just takes time. as for the cloudy water thats never happened with AS for me, sounds like a minor bacteria bloom. your right, ferts would be a waste of money for the moment with all the water changes so i would stop for a week or so. up your co2 since you have no fauna, itll help reduce any algae blooms that always happen to new tanks. good luck. AS is the best substrate if have used so far.


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## discus2010 (Aug 18, 2006)

*Adding it to an existing tank?*

I am planning to add it to an existing tank, so i couldn't manage having an ammonia for risk of killing fauna?! what can i do??
I don't anywhere to move the fish accept for a big styrofoam box! What can I do to not have an ammonia spike?or minimize it? Could seachems prime work? with w/c's to fix this?


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

I changed out a 50 gallon tank to AS with no problems. Recomendation is lots of water changes. Eric (ibn) changed out his 90 gallon altumn tank with out any deaths.


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

How many water changes you recommend and how much?


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## John P. (Apr 10, 2004)

You could always put activated carbon and ammonia absorbing media in yoiur filter for a couple weeks. Amano loads his with carbon to remove any discoloration from the AS.


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## LGHT (Aug 21, 2006)

I'm about to setup an 18 gallon this week and I was told to do frequant changes for the first week and to add a sponge filter to help with the bacteria. So far I have been letting my filter for the tank get established by running it in another tank and I also have a sponge filter being cycled as well. I think with them both I should be fine after a week. You may want to add some bio-spira if the tank is already setup. That should add enough bacteria to bring down the amonia level and get the tank ready for fish also.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

The recomendation is 50 percent every couple of days for the first 2 weeks.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

ianiwane said:


> The recomendation is 50 percent every couple of days for the first 2 weeks.



On a previously established 90 gallon that I just added four 9 liter bags of Aqua Soil to, so far all fish are OK - a little over week into it. 

But do you know if any folks have been dosing any traces during the first few weeks?

I'm assuming no macros for a while. My fish load traditionally took care of that and when I checked my nitrates a few days back they were well over 20-30ppm so I'm leaving well enough alone there. My Blyxa aubertii usually flowers when over 2ppm of phosphates and I've seen it flower recently so all the macros are a plenty, I believe... I have been adding K as usual and GH stuff too.

There had been much upheaval removing a ground cover of Marselia a few weeks earlier, then over 50% of my old substrate prior to introducing the AS over a couple of different days. On top of that, I have moved every plant except a C balansae stand. So I imagine the nitrates are related to all this upheaval too.

But I'm still wondering if its pre-mature to add any traces or Seachem iron. Thanks for any help on this. bob


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## sNApple (Nov 6, 2005)

after adding aqua soil...huge ammonia spike, melting plants :frown:


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## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

I have a 90g with ~ 4 1/2 bags of AS and 1 bag of powersand-S and the ammonia was a bit high on Friday when I checked it (1.0 ppm). 
I've been running lighting and Co2 to the full duration, but was told that ferts aren't really needed with AS, although I'm still dosing 30-35mL of CSM+B solution every other day. So far, the plants are slowly recovering. No fish in the tank yet, but algae is coming. I noticed gsa on the glass and the water is a little hazy. I think its a combination between the tanins from the driftwood and maybe a little gw, although I have a 9w UV running...

Yes, Snapple --- My plants melted as well. This was during the first few days (or week) when the tank was still a bit cloudy from the AS. I wish I had a diatom filter! I just did wc's every day or two until it cleared. It's still not crystal clear though and its been over a week now. hopefully things will settle.


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

I just recenly set up a 30g with powersand,aquasoil and troumalineBC and after a few days I had 8ppm's of ammonia even with a established filter. I didnt dose any ferts for the first week other than potassium like ADA recommends along with ~60-70ppm of co2.

I did 50-60% water changes everyday and after a week the ammonia went away and I am dosing EI with it now. All my plants melted too but I dont know if it was because of the substrate change or because I overdosed excel accidently. 

On my 30g I just have a eheim 2213 which was on the previous tank and after a week worths of water changes the water is crystal clear! 

I read on another forum that since aquasoil lowers your ph it actuallly makes ammonia less toxic and safer for fauna and such. Mid week through I added amano shrimp to the tank with no ill effects so I guess it holds some truth.


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## sNApple (Nov 6, 2005)

isnt it the ph drop that melts plants?


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

sNApple said:


> isnt it the ph drop that melts plants?


By itself, no.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## sNApple (Nov 6, 2005)

plantbrain said:


> By itself, no.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom Barr


Well what caused melting? ph drop + ammonia spike?


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Perhaps lots of NH4=> depolarizes cell membranes, a little is good, a nutrient source. We use NH4 to kill weeds. Burns terrestrial plants(or melts an aquatic).

Could be low CO2.
Many think their pH is super low due to high CO2.
That can cause many plants to melt back(low CO2, high light etc).

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## danepatrick (Jul 17, 2006)

plantbrain said:


> Many think their pH is super low due to high CO2.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom Barr


Tom,

so if my pH is ~6.4 because of my CO2 and yet the CO2 isn't high enough, then how do i SAFELY bring my pH up and still be able to crank up the CO2? i mean.. if i bump it up a little, i notice the fish breathing at the surface, yet from time to time, i get little tufts of bba.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

The ADA AS "artifically" lowers the pH, sometimes by a entire pH unit.
So you think the pH/KH = 30ppm, when it's really 3ppm.

Add high light/ferts/warm temps/NH4+, the plants often will melt.

CO2 drives uptake of the downstream nutrients like NH4/K+ etc 

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

So would a good way to combat melting plants be to keep the light level somewhat high while turning up the Co2, to increase the uptake of the NH4+? I suppose frequent wc's for the first couple weeks is a good idea too and is what ADA recommends.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Moderate to low light, good water changes, good CO2, good fertilization.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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