ADA's Power Sand

[timebomb]

Hi, folks,

A couple of years ago, I read on the APD (Aquatic Plant Digest) that ADA's power sand is actually a mixture of pumice and peat. Power Sand, supposedly, is some sort of base fertiliser to be used with ADA's Aqua Soil.
Power Sand is very expensive so I decided to DIY my own. I managed to find a big bag of pumice stones at Far East nursery at the foot of Caldecott Hill. For peat, I use those that are easily available at fish shops, filter peat. That was several years ago and I've been using my DIY version of Power Sand with moderate success.

Recently, having seen how lovely my Rotala Macandra grows in ADA Aqua Soil, I decided to change my substrate in my main tank to it as welll. I haven't buy the soil yet but it's going to take at least 7 bags for my 4 feet tank. At around $40 each, it would mean I have to spend about $280 just for soil. Ouch!! The bag of Power Sand, if I want it as well, would cost another $140. Double Ouch!!!

So I've decided to DIY my own Power Sand again but the last time I went there, pumice stones were no longer on sale at Far East nursery. If any of you know where I can get it, I will appreciate the information very much. Here's a pic of some of the pumice stones which I've been using for years in my cube tank. They look a lot smaller now than when I first started with it. Seems like they have shrunk.



Loh K L

[FC]

KL,

Recalling the first time I visited you, the tank that caught my attention was the 50" tank, it was majestic and bubbling away with the green. However, the tank that I appreciate more was the 2 footer cube tank, it is proportionally very interesting (I had never seen a cube before then) and the plants were growing lushly and very naturally and fishes were homely.

Clearly, the pumice stone and peat in that cube tank has been doing a great job. Should you find them again, please let me know the source too. If you need help to do the large tank, I will be there (advance notice, please).

[PeterGwee]

Aquasoil and powersand both have some ammonia bind into them from what I have read. If you did not dose any source NO3, you might find them extremely special but really, its nothing much.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[timebomb]

You're probably right, Peter but I like to give the ADA aquasoil a try. I'm not much into water chemistry and I prefer to do it the easy way. Tom Barr's method is a bit too complex for me. I know you think it's probably a waste of money but the ADA aquasoil is a proven product. I've talked to many people and they all gave it the "thumbs up".

The thing about Tom Barr's method which he probably don't realise - Many hobbyists, myself included, get turned off when people go too much into the technicalities. I read an article by him which is supposed to be idiot-proof but it turned out to be too complicated for me. But then, it could be I'm more idiot that usual

Loh K L

[PeterGwee]

The thing about Tom Barr's method which he probably don't realise - Many hobbyists, myself included, get turned off when people go too much into the technicalities. I read an article by him which is supposed to be idiot-proof but it turned out to be too complicated for me. But then, it could be I'm more idiot that usual

Eh.....its just 3-4 types of salts to add isn't that tough isn't it? Baking is much more difficult.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[stormhawk]

KL,

Don't quote me on this but I'd advise you against using ADA Aquasoil unless you intend to have mud on your hands when you decide to tear down the tank. It breaks up easily, just like mud, when slight pressure is applied. I find it to be something like pelletized clay.

There's a period of water instability in the tank in the early days after setting up so I would give it 2 weeks or so before I add in any fish. The plants should be fine.

While its good for its efficacy in bringing down the pH and for keeping blackwater fishes like wild bettas, I would not want to use it again.

It does however help in the growth of Tonina. I can attest to this after seeing how the Tonina in the LFS I frequent, doubles up in growth in less than a week. The cutting was roughly 4cm in height and it amazingly grew to 15cm within a week without CO2 injection and just normal sponge filtration with "el-cheapo" standard FL lights.

[stormhawk]

Eh.....its just 3-4 types of salts to add isn't that tough isn't it? Baking is much more difficult.

Sometimes I think baking is alot more easier. No offence to Tom though.

[timebomb]

Thanks for the warning, Jianyang but mud is okay with me. I've ADA Aquasoil in one of my smaller tanks and although it was more like mud after a while, I managed to transfer the whole substrate to another tank. I'm impressed by how the soil promotes plant growth. I have Rotala macrandra (Green) in some of my tanks but in the tank with ADA aquasoil, they grow particularly well. The leaves along the stems are very close to each other and the colour is bright green. It doesn't grow as well in my other tanks where I'm using normal gravel. Here's a picture:



Mud isn't a problem so long as you don't fiddle too much with the soil. The major problem, I can foresee, is that you can't wash ADA aquasoil.

Loh K L

[stormhawk]

Yup you got that right. The major problem would definitely be the fact that its not able to be washed. If in a case some kind of sickness sets in with the fishes, its difficult to remove and cleanse it if one intends to do a round of total disinfection for the tank.

I have found that those big red ribbon worms that sometimes tag along with tubifex, kinda love the small spaces in between the Aquasoil beads and the thrive and reproduce in there.

Other than these drawbacks, it is a good product but certainly overhyped. Just my views.

[Green Baron]

I'm impressed by how the soil promotes plant growth. I have Rotala macrandra (Green) in some of my tanks but in the tank with ADA aquasoil, they grow particularly well. The leaves along the stems are very close to each other and the colour is bright green. It doesn't grow as well in my other tanks where I'm using normal gravel. Here's a picture:

Kwek Leong,
That is a nice and healthy bush of Rotala macrandra. Do you inject CO2 into this tank ?

[|squee|]

I did a search on pumice and according to this article, pumice sounds a lot to me like a natural form of Biohome.
I was wondering if there were any other additional benefits of pumice that actually makes Powersand worth the money.

I might start adding biohome to the bottom of my tanks

[RonWill]

No offence, Terence, but I think you need research further before adding biohome to the substrate or "bottom of your tanks".

Biohome, like Sera's Siporax, are made from sintered glass/ceramic to a very porous structure, which allows maximum surface area for nitrifying bacteria colonies. Both are not pumice.

Pumice is organic and extremely abrasive, even when it's grounded to a coarse-grit powder.

[whuntley]

snip...
Pumice is organic and extremely abrasive, even when it's grounded to a coarse-grit powder.

I hope you meant "inorganic." It is usually a foamed glassy volcanic stuff, high in silicon dioxide. Abrasive is almost an understatement. I'd keep it well away from any Cory barbels. The organic part of Power Sand must come from the peat.

I have lots of pumice around here, and was thinking of making my own Power Sand. Can anyone verify the conjecture that it is just pumice and peat? The Schultz APS is too expensive for me ($25 for a smallish bag, maybe 25 lb.?).

Wright

[RonWill]

'Organic' as in non-synthetic or naturally occurring material, not man-made, but it was a bad choice of words. [sometimes it just hangs at the tip of one's tongue...]

While I have access to pumice powder, it's not considered for substrate supplement, not when I still have a liking for corys.

Just a FYI, the abrasive power of pumice is well utilized in dental laboratories to smoothen out burr lines in acrylic dentures prior to a final buff shine/polish.

[keehoe]

Organic by defination must have "Carbon" in the structure.

[|squee|]

No offence, Terence, but I think you need research further before adding biohome to the substrate or "bottom of your tanks".

No offence taken

I guess I wasn't clear enough in my meaning. From the looks of pumice, it sounds like Amano included them just to increase the overall surface area for bacteria in the substrate to live in. So if that is true, one could probably include biohome at the bottom of the substrate. It's just a wild thought

[imported_bpt]

I've looked at pumice rock pictures. Seems it is the same as the floating lava rocks, called "batu apung" locally here. In the old days before detergent and sponge scraper, it was commonly used to scrap clean the bottom of pots & pants, very abrasive indeed .

[timebomb]

Budi,

Considering that you're living in a country with many volcanoes, you shouldn't have any problems finding pumice lying around all over the place. Why don't you send a few lorry-loads over?

That is a nice and healthy bush of Rotala macrandra. Do you inject CO2 into this tank ?

Gan, all my tanks are injected with CO2 ever since I rigged up a 5 way splitter. It's actually two 3-way splitters joined together.



Loh K L

[FC]

KL's CO2 splitter sure looks massive for home user, like mother (CO2) tank milking the (Planted) tanks :P .

[timebomb]

Freddy,

The mother gas tank is from Ronnie. I traded an ordinary 5 kg tank for this big one with him many years ago. It serves me well as it has to feed CO2 to 5 fish tanks.

I heard from Chan of Nature Aquarium that to upgrade a 5 kg tank to a big one costs only $10. It's a good deal, if you ask me.

Loh K L