Question about which ADA soil to use?

[ronig]

Hi All,

i have a question on which type ADA soil do you guys normally use for apisto setup?

Yesterday, i bought a 3liter pack of ADA Amazonia II. Did i but the right one?

Thanks!

Ronig

[jacian]

For apisto setup, I use ADA Africana .

[ronig]

thanks for the reply jacian.

Any reason why Africana and not Amazonia?

i am thinking since apistos are from South America...

cheers

[illumnae]

ADA Africana has the unique property of being able to lower and maintain your ph to about 5.1, which is very good for apistos (especially the harder to keep ones)

i've been using ADA Africana so far for all my apisto setups with very good results. i'm currently in the midst of setting up a planted apisto tank (as opposed to a breeding apisto tank ) and will be using Gex soil, which is similar to ADA Amazonia. It should still work out fine i believe, just not ideal

[ronig]

Hi Illumnae,

thanks for the reply. So should i go and exchange for ADA Africana instead? Since i have not open.

or ADA Amazonia is just fine for breeding setup?

thanks!

[illumnae]

it's fine but not ideal. what species of apisto are you intending to keep?

if it isn't too much of a hassle and the shop is agreeable, the preferred choice is to go change your soil to Africana. But if you're constrained by time/distance/etc you can still get by with the Amazonia

[jacian]

As stated by illumnae, ADA Africana is preferred for the unique property of being able to lower ph.

[ronig]

thanks guys for all the reply,

looks like i will try to do exchange for africana instead.

1 last question, can i use africana for simple planted tank setup as well? thanks!

[illumnae]

you will probably need a base fertilizer or root inserts to grow plants well in Africana. Despite the claim by some that the nutrient properties of Africana are the same as Amazonia, my personal experience says otherwise

[pepe2403]

Hi all,
Just to check with you folks. If i am using ada africana soil and it maintains the pH at 5.1. Will there be a problem when i do water changes. I have known the the pH of tapwater at my place can go high up to 8.9.
How can i counter this problem? I do not have the luxury of a water storage tank for aged water. Can anyone advise?

[wks]

Don't worry pepe2403, our tapwater is rather soft. If you stay above 6 storeys, most likely your water comes from the rooftop storage tank. Hence you get instant aged water.

[pepe2403]

Opps. But now got another problem. I am staying lower than the 6th storey. And i think that my water is direct instead from the water tank above.

[exotic_idiot]

Hi All,

i have a question on which type ADA soil do you guys normally use for apisto setup?

Yesterday, i bought a 3liter pack of ADA Amazonia II. Did i but the right one?

Thanks!

Ronig

So far so good, i'll using ADA Amazonia II too for my apistos... Don't really have PH pen so can't tell you the Ph value. But they seems alright to me. The colour is darker a bit not used to it because that time i'm using FL light but now change to PL light.