Planting Soil alternative....HELP soil/GEX Soil/OF Soil

[wongce]

hi, LFS recomended me to buy HELP/GEX soil for aquascaping as ADA is out of my budget... any reviews?

i heard GEX RED is good.. what about HELP?

A friend told me to try out OF red substrate sold in qian hu.. anyone used it before?

[Aquanoob]

Wong, like what I told you. I am using ADA amazonia 2 for my 2 feet tank and GEX green pack for my 1 feet tank, and the plants are doing well in both tanks. The OF brown red substrate, I never use before, only saw it at qian hu days ago. It is quite cheap and I don't know about the quality but OF can't be that bad right?

[Neondagger]

I can sell u my Gex green package. 4kg for $12 I bought for $20. Contact me 92993465

[Neondagger]

New soil. Cause thinking of using smaller grain soil

[wongce]

Wong, like what I told you. I am using ADA amazonia 2 for my 2 feet tank and GEX green pack for my 1 feet tank, and the plants are doing well in both tanks. The OF brown red substrate, I never use before, only saw it at qian hu days ago. It is quite cheap and I don't know about the quality but OF can't be that bad right?

Dude,I asked around yishun Lfs,they told me the OF sub they sell is suitable for planting n shrimp,the problem is the label says its bio sand/bio substrate...did not mention anything about plants or shrimps...maybe need to go QH to check it out as the soil you mentioned might be new product.

[felix_fx2]

Is it cheap Stanley?

[Neondagger]

O not sure about oh soil but Gex soil is a good comparisuon with ADA in tern of performance and pricr

[felix_fx2]

If it is $18 9l I will buy lol

[Shadow]

Nutrient in Gex soil, the green color packaging, depleted much faster than ADA amazonia soil. Tried before.
HELP soil, if i remember corectly from the website, is not for planted tank but i never try it.

Not a clue about QH soil.

[wongce]

Felix, OF soil is 5kg for 8 bucks in y618...but it's red colour ah..

I am starting a new tank after cny bonus...hehe..so still surveying the market...

The packaging on HELP says it's for plants...not very sure too..Lfs keep on pushing me full range of ADA .... Total up cost of ADA is very exp..any alternative?? Or can I just use The basic ADA soil without all those powder n stuff??

[Aquanoob]

Wong, you can just use the normal ADA soil without those powder. I have only amazonia 2 soil in my 2 feet tank, that;s all. But I do put in ferts regularly into the tank. I think a 9L pack is about $38, you can survey the price in lfs. Look like you visit Y618 quite regularly, next time we arrange to go together with Bernard.

[wongce]

Oh aquanoob, thanks for the info...I thought you used full range...I am poor man here..lol if not I already started a high tech...lol...

Regular fert are ok for me as I don't need to fork out big amount of money in one shot... I am using seachem flourish and excel...the effects are not bad...

The price is exactly as you mentioned 38 bucks... Wait till get bonus then I will go to buy... I normally go y618 or aquastar after work...Of course can go together....best if can organize a trip to seaview too..haha..but I got nothing to buy at the moment,just survey price and prepare budget...

[felix_fx2]

Felix, OF soil is 5kg for 8 bucks in y618...but it's red colour ah..

I am starting a new tank after cny bonus...hehe..so still surveying the market...

The packaging on HELP says it's for plants...not very sure too..Lfs keep on pushing me full range of ADA .... Total up cost of ADA is very exp..any alternative?? Or can I just use The basic ADA soil without all those powder n stuff??

Cheap but, red? Maybe can consider for outdoor.

If not much scaping consider Ada. Quite good so far for me, I only added some root monster. No money buy power sand.

[Neondagger]

I think ADA soil it's self without the full range is enough. I thinking I buy all the extra stuff for faster growth and better quality thats all.
ADA soil definitely have more nutrients than other soil. lets say you got 3 friends to share a $70 9litre ADA amazonia. per 3litre is only $24. $4 more exp than GEX Green 4KG.

[Shadow]

The packaging on HELP says it's for plants...not very sure too..Lfs keep on pushing me full range of ADA .... Total up cost of ADA is very exp..any alternative?? Or can I just use The basic ADA soil without all those powder n stuff??

O... they seem to have new product soil plants, The English web site not updated http://www.jpc-co.jp/help/english/soil/. The Japanese web site have 3 different type of soil http://www.jpc-co.jp/help/

[Shadow]

ADA soil definitely have more nutrients than other soil. lets say you got 3 friends to share a $70 9litre ADA amazonia. per 3litre is only $24. $4 more exp than GEX Green 4KG.

Not so expensive lah, 9L ADA soil is around $38-$43 depending on the shop unless you are talking about the powder type. Normally you only need small amount of powder type on top.

[Neondagger]

Ya I was talking about the powder type.

[ZackZhou]

Y618 sells the powder type in loose form. $10/kg. you will probably get 1L plus. Option for you if you are starting small planted tank.

[wongce]

hi all, I read that ada soil will disintegrate into fine powder after 2 years+... anyone can verify this..

to prevent this, can we just add a layer of lapis sand on top of it? i have itchy hand syndrome, might shift things and plants ...

[felix_fx2]

All compacted soil types will in due time.