Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 41 to 60 of 75

Thread: What so special of ADA Soil?

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    Quote Originally Posted by Simon
    you don't have to wash the aquasoil. you can mix with other stuff, if you want to.
    Thanks Simon for the very fast comments. What is ADA Powersand special? I read someone mentioned to put powersand under the Aqual soil and what is the benefit for doing that? Sorry, I'm new and now preparing for my 4th tank (a 2ft cube) and want it to be a 'perfect' as possible and therefore asking a lot novice questions laterly, if you noticed.
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    9,210
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    371
    Country
    Singapore
    that I don't really know the actual explanation, but it is supposed to improve bacteria cultivation.

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by Simon
    that I don't really know the actual explanation, but it is supposed to improve bacteria cultivation.
    Which is more expensive ADA Power Sand Special or Aqua Soil (Amazonia)? If that helps to cultivate bacteria and supposed it's quite a good mix and come with various coloration too, right?
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    4,088
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    ADA aquasoil is basically some form of peat based substrate. The initial use of peat in the bottom layers of a newly setup substrate and the reason why is well explained in this quote from Tom Barr aka plantbrain from APD. Why some plants do well or poorly has much to do with nutrients and CO2 and not much in particular of a substrate.


    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Barr
    Folks have been asking what are mulm, peat and now lignite/leonardite are for and why add them.

    Mulm- this is the stuff that settles on the bottom after you vacuum your substrate after you pour off the clear water. Another source is from your filter sponge. It's mainly plant leaf detrital matter or also from driftwood decay. Acting on this detritus are bacterial and fungi and a wide variety of smaller microscopic associated organisms in the upper aerobic regions.
    This organic material is very labile, easy to breakdown and be reminerlaized for plant nutrients.
    The main purpose for adding this if for an inoculate for seeding the new tank with live thriving organisms that are present in a healthy mature tank. It's much more than simply bacteria.
    It has a great deal of surface area for the bacteria to live on, lots of the other associated organisms beside bacteria also but it also supplies the these organisms with a good food supply till the supply of detritus builds up enough in the new tank to supply these organism with a food source. The mulm also acts to protect the live culture when transferring. Mulm can be dried out and used in large amounts also when added the bottom layer of the substrate.

    Peat- (I use ground peat moss, 2.39$ at Home Depot etc) peat is moderately non labile, it'll breakdown, but it'll only happen very slowly. It can act as the carbon food supply but this is slow. It acts to bind and chelate a number of of nutrients and when used in moderate amounts can enrich the substrate. It also adds some reduction in the new substrate which is lacking initially.
    This moderate reductive nature allows better conditions that are similar to an established tank's substrate without waiting for the the tank to mature naturally. More Organic Matter(OM) will cause a mature substrate to have a greater reduction potential, Eh, and allow cations like Mn2+, Fe2+ to be released slowly but the trick is to have this reduction to occur slow and controlled. Too much labile organic matter wil cause the substrate to become too reductive for replanting and release all the cations to fast. You can add laterite, Flourite etc to buffer this OM reduction and this will work ar moderate loading of OM, but adding too much will be detrimental and cause too much reduction. The effect of the peat wears off after about 1-2 months and then your detrital OM cycle has already started and will maintain a good reduction level in the substrate.

    The theory of heat cables goes back to this, not too much or too little reduction, but just the right amount(200-300mv). Instead of using thermal induced flow rates from above and asssuming the lower portions are reductive, peat/lignite uses OM and humics/fuvalic acids to accomplish this and the reduction, but it also adds OM that is different than the labile mulm that the cables would bring in/out.
    It also adds more reductive material there from the start than the cables and the flow rate is slowed down, allowing better long term storage/sink of labile cations/nutrients. So in effect, the OM is better than the cables as it retains the nutrients better in terms of reduction and volume.
    Cables do not add enough OM through the flow from above into the substrate and release most of it back into the water column. The same is true for RFUG's. If you add OM into the cable or RFUG set ups, you blow out most of the reductive nature that is optimal for the plant's roots. If there is no OM to start with, then there's little reduction ocurring and the conditions are not as optimal as they could be. Adding peat/lignite will help provide this.

    Lignite/leonardite- is relatively new for planted tanks and is useful much in the same matter as peat, but is a little less labile, more concentrated and will last longer than peat alone. Some may find it a more workable material than peat over the long run. It will release the humics slower and allow a longer slower more controlled release of these reductive chemicals that will amplify the substrate's contribution and also will have some effects on the water column nutrient pool source(peat does this as well but has less effective life) and will bind some of these nutrients into the substrate but still keep them moderately labile.

    You can add all three as each has a different purpose in terms of time, and mulm is always good to add to any tank to start the substrate off well. The only difference between a new and mature tank is the substrate and filter(but plants take care of that) so some amplification can be very useful for the substrate to get off to a good start.

    Soil, I tend to keep seperate group as it has more macro nutrients and needs pre soaked for tanks in some cases depending on how you go about things. Pre soaking will ensure less issues in the future with algae as it removes the NH4/Urea present and bacteria oxidize the these into N03. NH4 generally is best added through fsh waste to the water column or with tiny amounts in healthy/low fish stocked planted tanks(even here folks can screw up if they get too wild). So soil is a good additive also if it's pre treated. You don't need a lot and the macro nutrients will be used rather fast in a CO2 enriched tank. It's pretty rich but the pre soak will make it's usage much less likely to cause you problems.

    You can do the 3 week pre soak idea with any richer compost etc to reduce any algae inducement or perhaps boiling it will also oxidize it faster. Once oxidized from NH4=>NO3, the material is ready to add. You can also use KNO3/KH2PO4 and add peat if you want rich macro's in the substrate.
    A slow release for NO3/PO4/K would be ideal for a macro base, the peat/lignite will help aid the micronutrients in that manner over time and may have some macro holding capacity also.

    I think there might be something better and can hold more NPK than what's available, even a jobes stick allowed to NH4=>NO3 for a couple of weeks in some tank water in a container, then re dried out and added back to the tank's substrate would work I suppose. You could re enriched the stick with a strong solution of KNO3 and KH2PO4 and then dry it out and add to the tank.

    Cheap, somewhat labor intensive, but anyone could do it.
    Some might find it more to their liking than soil and frozen mud cubes being added to their substrate.

    Regards,
    Tom Barr
    Regards
    Peter Gwee

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    9,210
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    371
    Country
    Singapore
    Powersand is whitish, supposed to use together with Aquasoil. Powersand at the bottom with Aquasoil on top.

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by Simon
    Powersand is whitish, supposed to use together with Aquasoil. Powersand at the bottom with Aquasoil on top.
    Without any complication and come to a 'tricky situation' later, I would just use 3 packs of ADA Aquasoil (Amazonia) for the 2ft.

    Thank You.
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Ang Mo Kio
    Posts
    4,544
    Feedback Score
    6 (100%)
    Images
    81
    Country
    Singapore
    Don’t wash the Aquasoil, because if you do, you might as well scoop up mud from downstairs and add it to your tank

    Powersand Special is regular Powersand, added with Bacter 100 and something else. Like a 3-in-1 product.

    for Tom Barr, Star-Flog, I'd say just buy Powersand along with it too. The two were meant to be used to together as Simon as said. But I'd try the method Tom explained in possible replacement of the Powersand. (not sure here)

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by |squee|
    Don’t wash the Aquasoil, because if you do, you might as well scoop up mud from downstairs and add it to your tank

    Powersand Special is regular Powersand, added with Bacter 100 and something else. Like a 3-in-1 product.

    for Tom Barr, Star-Flog, I'd say just buy Powersand along with it too. The two were meant to be used to together as Simon as said. But I'd try the method Tom explained in possible replacement of the Powersand. (not sure here)
    Hahaha ...good advice that not to wash Aquasoil.
    If not mistaken, there is a different btw Powersand and Powersand Special? So, to set-up the ADA substrate 'correctly', one has to buy ADA Aquasoil + Powersand + Powersand Special. Wow, planted tank is a tough hobby!
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Ang Mo Kio
    Posts
    4,544
    Feedback Score
    6 (100%)
    Images
    81
    Country
    Singapore
    Nono, Powersand Special is a improved product of Powersand. You can have normal Powersand with Aquasoil, or Powersand Special with Aquasoil.

    It is a tough hobby, but a damn great enriching one to have

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    4,923
    Feedback Score
    4 (100%)
    Images
    375
    Country
    Japan
    Pwersand special is powersand.with bacter 100 and super clear added.. so its a 3 in one product. i use it...and its is FABULOUS!!.... i also add tourmaline BC to it.

    Pwesand special is WAYYYYYYY more expensive than aquasoil...but i seriously think is is also WAYYYYY worth it..

    if i am not wrong i think powersand special is slightly over 3 times more expensive than aquasoil kg for kg.. but good thing is that for a 3feet tank you only need about 6kg of it..

  11. #51
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by ranmasatome
    Pwersand special is powersand.with bacter 100 and super clear added.. so its a 3 in one product. i use it...and its is FABULOUS!!.... i also add tourmaline BC to it.

    Pwesand special is WAYYYYYYY more expensive than aquasoil...but i seriously think is is also WAYYYYY worth it..

    if i am not wrong i think powersand special is slightly over 3 times more expensive than aquasoil kg for kg.. but good thing is that for a 3feet tank you only need about 6kg of it..
    As quoted, the price for Powersand Special is 3 times higher than aquasoil, well its very hard to justify..at least to me. I wonder and admires ADA marketing can convince people to part their money on this "golden-soil".
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  12. #52
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by |squee|
    Nono, Powersand Special is a improved product of Powersand. You can have normal Powersand with Aquasoil, or Powersand Special with Aquasoil.

    It is a tough hobby, but a damn great enriching one to have
    Without a doubt, this is a wonderful and enriching hobby. Not only one enjoys it during the process (it may appear hard, and consume a lot of your time & money) and whole family enjoy the fruit of it because the planted tank looks so beatiful at home. Better than any home decoration.
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  13. #53
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Ang Mo Kio
    Posts
    4,544
    Feedback Score
    6 (100%)
    Images
    81
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by Star-flog
    Without a doubt, this is a wonderful and enriching hobby. Not only one enjoys it during the process (it may appear hard, and consume a lot of your time & money) and whole family enjoy the fruit of it because the planted tank looks so beatiful at home. Better than any home decoration.
    Well-said. Maybe you could invest in Aquasoil with JBL base fert at the bottom, like I have now.

  14. #54
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    9,210
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    371
    Country
    Singapore
    you seriously can consider not using powersand. Just aquasoil alone should be enough

  15. #55
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    4,923
    Feedback Score
    4 (100%)
    Images
    375
    Country
    Japan
    Quote Originally Posted by Simon
    you seriously can consider not using powersand. Just aquasoil alone should be enough
    Agree with Simon.. i'm just using the base system because i'm trying my hands on some of the rarer plants and i dont want them to konk out on me especially when i've paid a good price for them..

    But i can tell you...it is not marketing la... really great stuff!!..

    just try a one feet with it and one without...you'll see..

  16. #56
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by |squee|
    Well-said. Maybe you could invest in Aquasoil with JBL base fert at the bottom, like I have now.
    Why not? and so 3 packs of Aquasoil + 1 pack of JBL base fert = ~ 2.5" height. Good choice, I must agree!
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  17. #57
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Redhill
    Posts
    2,086
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    one of the reasons to use ada is so that you have a homogeneous substrate and you don't get discoloration when you uproot plants. I think using it with base fert kind of miss the point

  18. #58
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by loupgarou
    one of the reasons to use ada is so that you have a homogeneous substrate and you don't get discoloration when you uproot plants. I think using it with base fert kind of miss the point
    Isn't it both in black color? So you're saying one is getting 'gray' faster than the other...
    The More You Share, The More You Have

  19. #59
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Posts
    4,923
    Feedback Score
    4 (100%)
    Images
    375
    Country
    Japan
    i say that if you wanna go witha base fert then go with a full ADA system.. some problems with mixing gavel is just as chris mentioned.. the base fert is not black in colour..

  20. #60
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Punggol/SINGAPORE
    Posts
    713
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    10
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by ranmasatome
    i say that if you wanna go witha base fert then go with a full ADA system.. some problems with mixing gavel is just as chris mentioned.. the base fert is not black in colour..
    O.K. I take your advice. Thanks..
    The More You Share, The More You Have

Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •