A mixture of ADA II & Sudo Sand as Substrate

[jssl]

Hi all,

Recently just bought a 3ft Rio180 from SamYick. Now cracking my head, toying with the idea of using a mixture of ADA II as bottom layer, followed by Sudo Sand as the top layer for apistos. I believe using the Sudo Sand as top layer will be more constrasting for the whole setup.

Can anybody advise is this arrangement acceptable for breeding apistos? I do not think I have the patience of testing the water pH every now and then cos all my present tanks are currently using ADA II as substrate which I have never test the pH after tanks have settled-in.

I am thinking of using a thin layer of ADA followed by a thicker layer of Sudo sand so that during weekly maintenance & siphoning, the 2 won't mixed up causing castastrophic consequence.

All feedbacks & advise are welcome.

Thanks.

[ranmasatome]

It will surely mix, its just a matter of time.

[Wackytpt]

I would suggest you cycle the tak first before adding any apisto in.

As for a combination of ADA soil and sudo sand, I agree with ramma that it will mix up.

If not, try to be a divider between the ada soil and sudo sand.

I did it for one of my setup for apsito and pleco.

In the end, both mix up as the divider (driftwood) was a bit too low.

[jssl]

Hiaz.... looks like no solution but to abide to just ADA soil.
Any body got other ideas and suggestions?

Thanks.

[ranmasatome]

Or you can just live with mixed substrate loh.
Alternatively, if you want to delay the mixing even longer.. put a fine mesh as a separation layer between the ADA and the Sudo.
But when look at your tank can see clearly it is 2 layers loh like that.

[blue33]

Use stones as barrier to separate them would be good and they are heavy to move. The chances of them coming out is minimal. I do that often when i need to scape 2 different type of soil. When it does come out, i will siphon them out when i change water as it is minimal mix only.

[marle]

What's the purpose of your ada soil? If it's to lower pH, can run peat throught your filtration and leave the soil out.

[ranmasatome]

I think there is a misunderstanding.. i think jssl doesn't mean to find a way to partition 2 different kinds of soil into different sections per say in the tank. Instead i think he means to have different LEVELS of soil.. meaning one level is ALL ADA and another ALL sudo... One ON TOP of the other.

But i do agree with marle as well. He brought up a good point. Whats the purpose of ADA soil? Lower ph only?

If thats the case then like Marle said can use peat. Or you can also get a fine mesh bag and dump some ADA in the bag then cover the entire thing with sudo.

This way you can't see the ADA at all and ph also lowered.

[jssl]

I think there is a misunderstanding.. i think jssl doesn't mean to find a way to partition 2 different kinds of soil into different sections per say in the tank. Instead i think he means to have different LEVELS of soil.. meaning one level is ALL ADA and another ALL sudo... One ON TOP of the other.

But i do agree with marle as well. He brought up a good point. Whats the purpose of ADA soil? Lower ph only?

If thats the case then like Marle said can use peat. Or you can also get a fine mesh bag and dump some ADA in the bag then cover the entire thing with sudo.

This way you can't see the ADA at all and ph also lowered.

Looks like that a feasible solution. I will probably put some ADA in fine mesh bag to be overlaid by Sudo or Lapis Sands.
Can anybody advise with this arrangement are we able to bring down the pH to 5.5? Or with Marble's suggestion of putting peat in the filter able to bring pH to 5.5. Does the pH fluctuate alot? How long can the peat last?
All my present tank with 2" of ADA able to achieve 5.5, probably due to the tannic acid from my dw.

[ranmasatome]

Its MArle, not marble..lol

Think if you want to hit 5.5 just use peat.

[jssl]

Its MArle, not marble..lol

Think if you want to hit 5.5 just use peat.

Any suggestion on the type of peat? Sera brand?
Will pH fluctuates alot?
Thanks.