Change new substrate : ada Amazonia

**ryanchong** · 12th Jul 2013, 21:35

Just changed to the above substrate but no change to pump medium. I see my snails and some fishes dying. Does the tank go throught the horrible 3 weeks of ammonia peaking?

I read in the instruction that the new amazoni soil can be used immediately with aquatic livestock. Please educate me.

Many thanks.

**sakuras** · 12th Jul 2013, 22:00

This soil leaches ammonia. you cannot introduce right away. let it sit for a good month with lots of floaters and plants to suck up excess nutrients

**kohanson** · 13th Jul 2013, 11:17

Yes, you cannot change the soil while there are fauna inside. i did it with 1 and a half pack of ADA New Amazonia soil 2 months ago as I wanted to grow glosso and all my sakura and CRS started dying around 5-10 this way. The water turned cloudy immediately and visibility of my tank is only 10cm max. I did 50-70% water change for 3 days until the water started to clear up. All shrimps died except my ottos pulled through the ordeal and are still swimming happily in my tank till today. I never use any test kit before and I suspect it was ammonia poisoning.

**ryanchong** · 13th Jul 2013, 18:56

Die liao, this morning, cannot see all my shrimp! Maybe they will come out from my bed of moss. What do you think is the reason for the death? Ammonia or something else.

**David Moses Heng** · 13th Jul 2013, 22:30

There are proper steps for the usage of amazonia. If followed faithfully, I believe none of the mentioned circumstances would take place.

I have use the ADA Amazonia for almost all of my tanks(more than 10) with no cloudy water and dying fauna issue.

**Urban Aquaria** · 13th Jul 2013, 23:03

ADA Aquasoil Amazonia releases ALOT of ammonia (can be up 8.0ppm or higher levels) and pulls down the pH very low (ie. down to around 5.0 or lower levels) during the initial period it is used.

The usual procedure for such cases is to remove all the livestock, replace the substrate, plant it, let it cycle for a few weeks (with many large water changes in-between to flush the excess ammonia) until ammonia/nitrites are 0 and only nitrates are measurable, then its completely cycled and you can re-introduce the livestock.

Even if you use established filters and bio-media, the beneficial bacteria still needs time to multiply and breakdown the high ammonia levels. Although it could cycle faster, it usually still needs around 1-2 weeks for things to stabilize.

I recently did a substrate swap in one of my sand-based tanks to ADA aquasoil too, i shifted all my livestock temporarily to another tank, and even with a 10 month old well established filter/media and daily large water changes, it still took around 8 days to fully complete the new tank cycle.

What's happening now is your tank is experiencing a massive new cycle, and your fishes and shrimps are experiencing the shock of a huge swing in water parameters and the full effects of the cycling process (all the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes)... if you want the remaining ones to survive, its best to transfer them out to another temporary tank until your existing tank finishes cycling.

**David Moses Heng** · 13th Jul 2013, 23:25

The instructions I mentioned is related to the set up and installation of the soil.

As for the ammonia hike, I have never in one instance experience it with all my setups. I have used ADA substrate system in all my tanks ranging from 1 feet cube to 3 feet cube with the biggest being 422. They are all public display tanks and I have never for once encountered such issue.

**ryanchong** · 14th Jul 2013, 11:58

Hi Mod,. Thanks all, appreciate it. Mod you can close the thread or leave it for the benefit of all

**David Moses Heng** · 14th Jul 2013, 23:02

Originally Posted by ryanchong

Hi Mod,. Thanks all, appreciate it. Mod u can close the thread or leave it for the benefit of all

Two things here.

1) there is no need to close this discussion as long as we keep the exchange clean and proper without any names calling or insults being hurl. That has not taken place and I believe that the discussion should still continue so that others whom may have more encounters may come in and share for the sake of learning. While I may have vast encounters with ADA substrate system does not prove that I am correct all the time. Being a mod also implies the same thing. Infact, personally I find that many of you guys here are much more passionate and advanced than me.

2) please watch the SMS lingo.

Thanks.

**anu182** · 20th Jul 2013, 15:30

Good info here..

**felix_fx2** · 20th Jul 2013, 16:05

Originally Posted by ryanchong

Hi Mod,. Thanks all, appreciate it. Mod you can close the thread or leave it for the benefit of all

Have help you edit, next time just review what you type before posting. That helps alot to prevent accidental typos since the bulk of us posting do that even from smartphones.

Best of luck & godspeed with the new cycling.

**qngwn** · 22nd Jul 2013, 17:01

Originally Posted by David Moses Heng

The instructions I mentioned is related to the set up and installation of the soil.

As for the ammonia hike, I have never in one instance experience it with all my setups. I have used ADA substrate system in all my tanks ranging from 1 feet cube to 3 feet cube with the biggest being 422. They are all public display tanks and I have never for once encountered such issue.

Sorry cant seems to find any instructions? Perhaps they are not located on this thread?

Would like to know the secret to using these soils straight from the bag without waiting time, and massive water changes.

Thanks in advance!

**limz_777** · 22nd Jul 2013, 18:06

Originally Posted by ryanchong

Just changed to the above substrate but no change to pump medium. I see my snails and some fishes dying. Does the tank go throught the horrible 3 weeks of ammonia peaking?

I read in the instruction that the new amazoni soil can be used immediately with aquatic livestock. Please educate me.

Many thanks.

newly set-up or adding new soil to existing set-up ?

**Cashflo** · 26th Jul 2013, 14:47

I've paid my share of school fees when using this substrate for my 25L office GEX Glassterior tank. Using an existing (already running for 9mths) eheim compact 60 with RO water and saltyshrimp's mineral GH+ for 3 days until water cleared i thought i'd just introduced some super tiger shrimps. They did pretty well for about a week and i even had one shrimp getting berried. Then they started dying one by one and in a week's time all were gone. Guess they weren't that super after all.

After a rescape with significantly more plants, i had the same substrate running for already a month with a couple of lampeyes without deaths. however, since we are on the topic of ADA amazonia, here is the question i want to ask; is this substrate so nutrient rich that it will only be less problematic for a larger tank with more water volume? now i have to deal with hair/thread/string algae all over even with only 6hrs of light and no CO2. i've never had a problem with other brands of soil/sand but in larger tanks (40 - 200L) at home.