Using Aquasoil as base fertiliser

[A.Rashid]

**GAN** I have split this discussion on Aquasoil from this thread **

So far, I find Aquasoil being a good one for foreground plants.

Freddy, aquasoil to me, are good all rounder. I am using them now for my 3ft planted comm tank. But in the end you might want y\to top it up with gravel or quartz as aquasoil tend to breakup in small particles and it's quite unpleasant to them in your tank.

my next major rescape will be using quartz and base fert mix with quatrz or gravel..

[Wackytpt]

So far, I find Aquasoil being a good one for foreground plants.

Freddy, aquasoil to me, are good all rounder. I am using them now for my 3ft planted comm tank. But in the end you might want y\to top it up with gravel or quartz as aquasoil tend to breakup in small particles and it's quite unpleasant to them in your tank.

my next major rescape will be using quartz and base fert mix with quatrz or gravel..

Hi Rashid,

Care to share how much what is the price for Aquasoil. I heard that Quartz has natural mineral in them and they are good gravel.

Gan,

I will come by your place on monday.

Regards
Nicholas Poey

[A.Rashid]

Aquasoil comes in various brands and prices. The one I am using is the ADA Africana, price varies from $38-$48(9kg pack) depends on the LFS. There are also other brands from Japan which are about the same price and also now from China and Taiwan, best of all they are much cheaper about $14-16 (5kg pack) these aqua soil will bring yr ph down to 5.5 thereabouts so maybe you should use a pack of broken coral just to buffer them higher until your desired ph has been acquired.

[PeterGwee]

I do not know why folks fancy aquasoil over seachem flourite or other inert substrates...maybe its amano and some pH lowering ability. Plants do not care for the pH lowering ability as far as I know. They need light and nutrients and that is about it...(Light, CO2, N, P, K, GH and traces). Some iron rich substrate would help things but does not cause much issues as long as the water column is rich enough. The plants has an easier task of extracting nutrients from the water column as compared to the substrate due to transport pathways and will not switch readily from the water column to the substrate unless it is limited. Get something simple and rich in iron for the substrate should do the trick. Focus more on the water column and getting the CO2 right will be the best way to go about things.
(The pH lowering ability complicates the pH/KH/CO2 measurements....you need to be critical about this CO2 thing or else uptake would be limited and you will have algae issues in a high light environment.)

Regards
Peter Gwee :wink:

[Wackytpt]

I do not know why folks fancy aquasoil over seachem flourite or other inert substrates...maybe its amano and some pH lowering ability. Plants do not care for the pH lowering ability as far as I know. They need light and nutrients and that is about it...(Light, CO2, N, P, K, GH and traces). Some iron rich substrate would help things but does not cause much issues as long as the water column is rich enough. The plants has an easier task of extracting nutrients from the water column as compared to the substrate due to transport pathways and will not switch readily from the water column to the substrate unless it is limited. Get something simple and rich in iron for the substrate should do the trick. Focus more on the water column and getting the CO2 right will be the best way to go about things.
(The pH lowering ability complicates the pH/KH/CO2 measurements....you need to be critical about this CO2 thing or else uptake would be limited and you will have algae issues in a high light environment.)

Regards
Peter Gwee :wink:

Hi Peter,

Care to share you substrates you are using?

Regards
Nicholas Poey

[PeterGwee]

Mine, nothing fancy..just JBL Aquabasis top off with lapis gravel. My main focus is on the water column where I can test and reset nutrients easily. Having an overly rich substrate can be a problem if you move plants around frequently when the nutrient leeches out into the water column.

Regards
Peter Gwee :wink:

[hwchoy]

I have the same sentiments as Peter, Aquasoil is too light for proper planting especially when you have a need to chase fishes and have strong currents.

The best substrate is a natural layer of goo (i.e. fish shit) that have collected at the base of creeping plants like hairgrass and glosso.

[RonWill]

I do not know why folks fancy aquasoil over seachem flourite or other inert substrates...maybe its amano and some pH lowering ability. Plants do not care for the pH lowering ability as far as I know

Hi Peter,
Personally, I've not used Aquasoil but I believe this is where the 'fish-people' and 'plant-people' part ways.

You're correct that plants don't particularly bother about pH, so long it's within a sustainable level. Aside from crypts, I'm not sure what other plants will do well in pH5. Hornwort would have 'melted' long before anubias start to deteriorate.

It is a common method for fish-keepers to use peat-filtered water or ketapang leaves, to lower the pH. Whether a lowered pH environment allows the fishes to do better or as a trigger for spawning, the result is that observations becoming difficult through tannin-stained water.

Aquasoil allegedly effects the lowering of pH while keeping water clear. I'm sure that if other affordable alternatives (barring the use of chemical acids) are available, there'll be fish-keepers who are game to try.

[FC]

For my encounters, I find both the substrate and water column fertilizing are equally important. Subtrate fertilizing is especially important for rooted plants.

I believe a slight acidic (PH 5.5~6) in the ground helps to encourage heathy root growth (= heathy plant).

[timebomb]

Plants do not care for the pH lowering ability as far as I know. They need light and nutrients and that is about it...(Light, CO2, N, P, K, GH and traces)

If you all want to understand more about how Ph affects or does not affect your plants, please click here to see Wright Huntley's post.

Loh K L

[theodore]

Maybe plants are just not smart enough to know that they need to care about pH?

I suspect many hobbyists, including myself, believe that a slightly acidic substrate (~ph 6) is benefical to plant health. Some possible explanations:

- Soluble inorganic phosphate is most readily available when pH is 6.5.
- Iron and most catonic nutrients are only available in acidic substrates though (I believe) our plants get most of these from the water column instead.
- Extreme acidity is detrimental to plants since some catonic nutrients (e.g. Al3+, Cu2+) can accumulate to toxic levels at pH 5.

[A.Rashid]

Me too do not fancy aquasoil, it's just that I am too impatient too wait for my aged water too drop to a ph I desire for my apisto keeping. so my best and fastest solution is to use ADA soil.

And just like I mentioned before, overtime ADA granular form will disintegrate and becomes powderish, which I am experiencing now, so my advise is if you do not want to see tiny particles swimming around while you are "gazing" at your aquarium, then use the normal gravel.

I am now learning to be patient a bit more and that's why I am switching back to use a the quartz or the clay.