# Does ADA soil go bad over time?



## debbykyle (Feb 22, 2008)

I have a planted 110g tank that placed around #125 a few years ago in the ADA contest. Its time to give the tank a complete facelift. I have vacuumed many times over the years and one good cleaning which took 8 hours.

I am going to take it all out and put in a trash can and really wash and clean. 

My question is will it be brought back to live or does it go bad after a while. Its now about $400 worth of substrate. Kyle


----------



## mjbn (Dec 14, 2011)

I recently talked to a local that told me his aqua soil is about 5+ years old. He's never changed it out, cleaned it, or had any problems. I would assume this is a safe generalization for AS.


----------



## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

from what i have heard using tap water will cause it to break down and can turn to mud pretty fast. i just set up a tank with it. ive had several tell me if using ro it can go for years. i think the main things that happen with it are it looses its buffering ability and it will turn to mud over time where the little balls just crumble.


----------



## debbykyle (Feb 22, 2008)

Mine is about 5 years old, I am on a waterwell so water changes are non chlorinated, It is holding together but I am going to do a complete redo and really wanted to no for sure if it is salvageable before I reuse it and come to find out that all my hard work was for nothing. Has any one specifically used ada for over 5 years?


----------



## urbach (Apr 16, 2009)

ADA soil of 5yrs contain little nutrients to none. Washing it will be bad idea as it will breakdown. Either u just use as it is or top up new soil in top of the old ones.


----------



## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

First of all, ADA Amazonia is made of clay. Clay does not "go bad" or deplete in minerals over time. It never will because it's clay and clay is made of minerals that have been compacted together. Amazonia is simply clay that has been formed into spheres and heated to high temperatures so that it retains its shape, like clay bricks. As long as there's still clay visible, there's still minerals, because that's what clay is. 

Secondly, you shouldn't rinse out the old substrate since this will destroy the microbiome in the sediment which takes months to develop and find its niche. The substrate is an entire ecosystem on its own. It is not a Dupont carpet and shouldn't be treated like one.


----------



## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

You can always just do a complete rescape and just replace the soil altogether.


----------



## NanoDave (Feb 25, 2013)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> ADA Amazonia is made of clay. Clay does not "go bad" or deplete in minerals over time... As long as there's still clay visible, there's still minerals


I'm curious how you know it still has nutrients? Just cause you can "see" clay doesn't mean it has nutrients. I first think of over farming and where you can see soil but that doesn't mean it still has nutrients or at least enough to provide for plants solely.


----------



## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

NanoDave said:


> I'm curious how you know it still has nutrients? Just cause you can "see" clay doesn't mean it has nutrients. I first think of over farming and where you can see soil but that doesn't mean it still has nutrients or at least enough to provide for plants solely.


Clay is made up of minerals. That's essentially the only thing that it's comprised of. Thus, when you look at clay, you are looking at nutrients. Nutrients can be minerals that plants use. Minerals are nutrients that plants use.


----------

