# Ada Aquasoil



## jhoetzl (Feb 7, 2005)

I believe 3 or 4 9 liter bags would do it for normal amazonia and maybe a bag of power sand special, but a word of caution on the power sand...

I wouldn't use it in a tank that isn't going to be somewhat untouched in terms of replanting and moving stuff around. If this is a "show" tank that will remain fairly static in terms of planting, fine, use it, and only but it in the back, and do not extend it to the sides. Stay about 3" from the left, right, and front of the tank with it.

Also, I don't know how much you know about ADA products, but power sand isn't sand. It is small pumice type material, slightly smaller than a common marble. Their decorative sand is more like beach type sand...


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## HELEX (May 8, 2006)

Thanks for the reply, I will take the power sand under advisement then as im sure I will be constantly moving things around.


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## cbennett (Oct 20, 2005)

basically, one 9-liter bag of AS is the same as two bags of flourite. DO NOT use the power sand - it is big and lighter in color and will always always work itself up to the surface, spoiling the effect. You get the same benefit sprinkling the bottom with a little peat.


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## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

a lot of people in our club using powersand put a stainless steel mesh (similar to galvanized metal screen) inbetween the aquasoil and powersand to avoid pulling up the powersand.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

The mesh sounds like a good idea on the surface, but I wonder what do you do if plant roots get under and around the mesh?

How do the members of your club address that issue?

Mike


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## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

simply tug gently and trim the roots that get caught up in the mesh. 
Easy peasy. 
However, in a tank I had setup prior to the notion of using the mesh with aquasoil and powersand, I initially had a problem with the powersand coming up during replanting, but now its just not an issue (just doesn't come up to the surface, not sure why).

mesh works good, some will say powersand is a waste of money.... although im not gonna get in the middle of that arguement again.


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## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

did I say arguement??

I _really_ meant discussion.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

"Debate" is better.

Why not place the PS is a mesh bag?
Why does it need to be mesh SS?
Anything that will prevent it pulling up is doable that does not rot.

My question is why even bother with that whole issue to begin with?
No one's shown that it does really help any more than adding KNO3 which does not require SS nor cost much.

Simpler solution.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## HELEX (May 8, 2006)

*Annual breakdown*

I read on another site that the Aquasoil breaks down and needs to be replaced every year or so, Is that true?


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## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

it most defintely does break down.... the exact time frame over which the transformation occurs? Not sure.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

> it most defintely does break down.... the exact time frame over which the transformation occurs? Not sure.


See, now I have heard the opposite. 

Can we get Jeff Senske to weigh in on this one?

Mike


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## chiahead (Dec 5, 2005)

ADA aquasoil will break down with excessive pressure on it. If you take some and squeeze it in your hand it will crumble. In the tank if there is not alot of disturbing of the substrate it should last for quite some time. How long? Who knows I guess that depends on what the substrate has to go through.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

I have to agree with Andrew and I use it in all my tanks. It does break down, but it may take more than a several years to do it. Chiahead is right as well, I think it will last longer the less you disturb it.


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## aquanut415 (Jan 21, 2006)

I will take some pics of the substrate in the process of breaking down later tonight if I remember. The individual "grains" are indeed soft, and can easily be squished between fingers into little pancakes. Two grains can be smooshed into 1 as well, to try and give you an idea as to the texture. I have been using aquasoil for about, 7 or 8 months, and the breakdown is clearly visible in the front of the tank, about 1" below the surface. 

Whether or not the beneficial properties of the aquasoil on our plants are effected by the physical properties of the actual soil, who knows, I kinda doubt it. It seems more likely to me it has to do with what the plants have removed from the substrate via feeding. But, the physical properties of the soil itself seem to already be changing.


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## jsenske (Dec 20, 2004)

While the grains are soft, there's no significant "breakdown" under normal usage. In the water Aqua Soil is very clean and firm. What looks like "breakdown" in my tanks (like that desribed above) is just normal mulm build-up. Seldom would one be exerting forces on the substrate inside the tank like that involved in smashing it into a pancake between your fingers. 
Oliver Knott has described tanks to me where he had the same Aqua Soil in it for years without significant issue. 
I can say without 100% certainty that is does not break down nor "turn to mud" after a year. I would not use it in my many client tanks nor in my own tanks for that matter-- nor would I be an agent of such a product. I have way too much on the line doing tanks for others in their homes and offices to use something that will turn to mush in such a short time. I am also not a scammer and would never promote a product and work as hard as I have to expose a product that was that sketchy in terms of usability and long-term potential.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

I agree, but you also have to tell people that the powder version will breakdown faster than the normal version. After less than half a year with the powder version there is significant breakdown. And you do not have to put much force on the normal version for it to break. Just when I am cleaning the substrate off the sand gently the aquasoild sometimes breaks between my fingers. It is softer than you are making it seem. Although I agree with you that under normal usage it should last more than a few years.


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## krazykidd86 (Jul 27, 2005)

How long does it take to break down...in years...for you long time users?

Going have to rethink the full aquasoil thing now. If it breaks down over a couple a years, say..3-5 that's no good. I've used a small amount of aquasoil in small aquariums, and can see how it can break down. It is pretty soft, and will mush up with rescaping, and rearrranging clippings. Looking at my tank now besides "mulm", it's clear that lots of the soil has turned into fine mush and I've only had it for about 6 months, and barely scape much.


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## jsenske (Dec 20, 2004)

Fair enough. But that is simply not my experience with it. I am not trying to be deceptive-- trust me, I wouldn't be able to get away with that for long. I think the issue is being addressed just a tad beyond the extent to which it is aproblem for most people. Powder will break down faster, but it is not meant to be used in a mass quantity, and I really have sold so little of it, I get the impression not a lot of people are using it. Still, you have a valid point about it being finer and therefore more likely to breakdown faster, indeed. 
I would not plan on being able to keep the same batch of Aqua Soil in a tank for 5 + years with a lot of re-working going on- no. If that is your goal, the Aqua Soil is probably not the best substrate choice for you, in my opinion. I have done very few tanks with any substrate that I honestly would have wanted to keep going for that period of time, so my experience may be a bit skewed, granted.
KrazyKidd86-- I say this with the utmost respect, so please don't take it any other way, but if Aqua Soil typically turned to fine mush after only 6 months of barely messing with the tank, honestly no one would use it. How could ADA/Amano even use such a product? It would be a full blown scam and a failure as a product and everyone would know about it. I am not saying your report is untrue, just that it is supremely atypical.


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## co2 (Sep 13, 2004)

I can't imagine keeping a tank set up for 5 years. I don't think I would ever go even 2 years without wanting to redo a tank, how would we get any better at 'scaping?


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## krazykidd86 (Jul 27, 2005)

jsenske said:


> I would not plan on being able to keep the same batch of Aqua Soil in a tank for 5 + years with a lot of re-working going on- no. If that is your goal, the Aqua Soil is probably not the best substrate choice for you, in my opinion..


Parts of my soil has turned into a fine mush, but not all. In fact the majority of it is still in tact as it was when I first purchased it. I was just making the additonal observation that it does mush up over time, and scaping. So I agree with you it will last, but it does deteriorate over a period of time. Probably less than 5 years. This makes sense to me now, I had it in my mind the ADA aquasoil would last forever, and now we know it won't. :smile: 

CO2, I don't mind redoing setups, and rearranging plants completely and learning how to scape, but when we have to pull out everything including the expensive ($) substrate, it's intensive on the body and as well as the wallet ($), even if it's every 2-5 years maybe less..

Nonetheless it's a good substrate for the time before you eventually have to replace it.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

In general I think even if it does break down in a few years, it will not break down completely. What you can do is syphon the part that is like powder which will kind of get mixed in with mulm and add more AS to the top. This I think will take care of the problem.


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## co2 (Sep 13, 2004)

ianiwane said:


> In general I think even if it does break down in a few years, it will not break down completely. What you can do is syphon the part that is like powder which will kind of get mixed in with mulm and add more AS to the top. This I think will take care of the problem.


See... it even generates a mulm/AS layer for new tanks 

Personally, I think the fact that Aqua Soil is soft is another advantage of it. It won't scratch glass, which is a huge bonus. It's also very easy to plant in. 

Eco Complete will last forever... just not in my tanks because I got rid of it and switched to AS.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Well, I suggest a nice vacuuming of any substrate after a year anyway. So any light weight fines are removed. This is a good idea anyway for many tanks. You can do ti in sections, not all at once, say 1/4 of the tank replanted and uprooted etc.

ADA AS is unlike most of the substrates in that you can simply pour more in to an established tank already set up with no prep. This did no harm at 6 w/gal in shallow tank. Opened it, dumped it in, no issues. Simple. Simple is good. 

I've found it stays to together much better than FB and it appears it will last several years at least.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## thatguy (Oct 11, 2005)

Is any one else able to just pour AS into a tank and not have it get cloudy? Any time ive put new AS into a tank via just dropping it in or spraying water willy nilly into the tank, it makes a brown mess. 

Barr, so you just pour it right intoa full existing tank and the tank stays clear?


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## jsenske (Dec 20, 2004)

I just rescaped 2 tank last week and poured it in the water with very little cloud. There's no "dust" to speak of-- the stuff is very clean in that respect. I add it before I do the water change, and when I am in a re-scape situation (about the only time I would be adding more AS), I usually end up doing either a very large water change or a light flush (I am able to run tap water straight into the tank while draining by ue of a carbon bottle hooked up to the water source/sink/faucet). This deals with any minor clouding that resulted actually far more from the uprooting of plants as opposed to the added AS. It's definitely not like a big billowing brown cloud. Plus you never had to rinse the stuff to begin with (that alone is worth whatever minor incidental dust from adding it into the aquarium water).


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## thatguy (Oct 11, 2005)

jsenske said:


> I just rescaped 2 tank last week and poured it in the water with very little cloud. There's no "dust" to speak of-- the stuff is very clean in that respect. I add it before I do the water change, and when I am in a re-scape situation (about the only time I would be adding more AS), I usually end up doing either a very large water change or a light flush (I am able to run tap water straight into the tank while draining by ue of a carbon bottle hooked up to the water source/sink/faucet). This deals with any minor clouding that resulted actually far more from the uprooting of plants as opposed to the added AS. It's definitely not like a big billowing brown cloud. Plus you never had to rinse the stuff to begin with (that alone is worth whatever minor incidental dust from adding it into the aquarium water).



perhaps its your large water change that clears out the water for you...but the soil definately clouded the water brown for me. ive heard others experienced it as well, recent forum example:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/31852-tek-ho-t5-lighting-schedule-green.html

odd that some dont have an issue.


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## Tino (Jan 9, 2005)

I will just throw an idea out that it may vary slightly by a batch.

FB never clouded for me a single bit, but some people reported otherwise.


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