Plants scattered with soil dust

**octopus** · 18th Mar 2011, 21:38

All my plants, especially fissidens and subs on wire mesh are badly covered with soil dust. Could this mean that its time to replace the soil which i have been using for a year now?. Or are there are someother hidden problem that I might have overlooked.

**Shadow** · 18th Mar 2011, 21:47

what soil are you using? have you try to clean the soil dust?

**octopus** · 18th Mar 2011, 22:49

Originally Posted by Shadow

what soil are you using? have you try to clean the soil dust?

I am using aquasoil. Yes i have tried rinsing the plants in pail of clean water and it turns green when all the dust comes off. But after they are returned to the tank the dust builts up within a day.

**Shadow** · 18th Mar 2011, 23:45

That shouldn't happen. How old is the setup? Are you happen to use Amazonia II? Is it new soil? is your water cloudy/mudy? How big is your filter, I mean flow rate?

**octopus** · 19th Mar 2011, 09:21

Originally Posted by Shadow

That shouldn't happen. How old is the setup? Are you happen to use Amazonia II? Is it new soil? is your water cloudy/mudy? How big is your filter, I mean flow rate?

The brand is Aquasoil. Set up slightly more than a year. Soil was newly purchased at the time of setup. Tank size 1.5ft x 1ft x 1ft. Using hydo prime 10 with flow rated at 300lph. Water is very clear and plants growing well except for the unsightly dust

**Aquanoob** · 19th Mar 2011, 09:25

Spot on, Shadow. I am also having the same problem. I changed my substrate to ADA 2 before the Chinese New Year and now after every water change, the water will be cloudy for a few days before become clear again. I think it is the strong filter outflow that is causing the problem and have to put a rock and wood below the outflow to stop the soil being stir up and cause the sooil dust. I notice that the dust will cause the plant to have black algae.

**octopus** · 19th Mar 2011, 15:03

I definitely will rule out strong outflow from filter because the flow is weak and it is almost at surface level.

**flowerflower** · 20th Mar 2011, 00:04

used to have the same problem. solve it by changing the filter wool in my sump to one of a finer grade. hope it will help in ur case as i don't think the soil breaks up so fast.

**octopus** · 20th Mar 2011, 16:16

Originally Posted by flowerflower

used to have the same problem. solve it by changing the filter wool in my sump to one of a finer grade. hope it will help in ur case as i don't think the soil breaks up so fast.

That is something that cant be ruled out. Will try that. Thanks for the sharing