# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  Kanuma Soil (鹿沼土)

## illumbomb

The below is a short introduction of Kanuma soil (鹿沼土) I copied from this website:
"Imported Kanuma soil for Azalea and acid loving Bonsai. Kanuma is the "local" soil in the main azalea growing area of Japan. It is mined the same as Akadama and is used mostly for acid loving plants. Kanuma facilitates fine hair root growth. It retains moisture and can absorb more water than it's weight and yet allows for air space. It's PH varies from 4.5 to 5. Both Akadama and Kanuma simplify the repotting chores since roots are fibrous rather than hard."

I got to know this type of soil from surfing blogs created by other cryptocoryne collectors. It is mainly used for Bonsai too I think. These are some photographs of the kanuma soil I bought from Japan:


The packaging and the soil.


A close-up of the soil in the packet.


The soil after it is wetted.


Found out that the soil is actually less dense than water and floats so it has to be mixed with other potting media.

Thats all for now.

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## illumbomb

Ok, a quick update. I soaked the pot of soil in water for one afternoon and this is how it looked like when I just came home:


It looks like the soil particles are porous with air pockets inside which resulted in the whole soil floated up just now. After soaking, the water has replaced the air inside the soil particles and most of the soil particles now sink down instead.

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## mobile2007

I read it on taiwan's fishkeeping forum that they also used akadama/kanuma soil as the substrate for apsito keeping. It is very much cheaper in china/taiwan with pH lower property. I had been searching for it in the local flora/nursery but none was available.

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## illumbomb

It has been a week since I placed the pot of kanuma soil in the bucket of water. I tested the pH of the water in the bucket today:



Disappointing!

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## daniel19831123

I am not sure about the kanuma soil but I've personally tried akadama soil. It gives me a ph about 6.5. The only problem I had about it is that it's grain are a little too big to hold delicate plants such as HC or glosso.

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## Sathia

Hi everyone,

I often see lots of short forms in this forum. For someone new to this hobby, I find it difficult to understand what these mean. Going thru the website I have now understand WC as water change OHF is over head filter. But what is HC and Glosso.

Can we have a list prepared so that newbies understand while more experienced seniors can go on typing shortforms.... Anyone agree ?

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## eviltrain

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I often see lots of short forms in this forum. For someone new to this hobby, I find it difficult to understand what these mean. Going thru the website I have now understand WC as water change OHF is over head filter. But what is HC and Glosso.
> 
> Can we have a list prepared so that newbies understand while more experienced seniors can go on typing shortforms.... Anyone agree ?


Hehe, that means you have not read enough. Just do a search will give you your answer.

Send from my GT-P1000 (Overcome 7 Series v4.0.0)

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## daniel19831123

HC means hemianthus callictrichoides and glosso is glossotigma elatinoides.

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## Don90

> I am not sure about the kanuma soil but I've personally tried akadama soil. It gives me a ph about 6.5. The only problem I had about it is that it's grain are a little too big to hold delicate plants such as HC or glosso.


hi, can share where you got the akadama soil? I've been looking for it for a very long time.

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## stormhawk

Old thread, but looking at the pictures, they look suspiciously like perlite, which is pH neutral.

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## Don90

> Old thread, but looking at the pictures, they look suspiciously like perlite, which is pH neutral.


They are not like perlite. Their texture is quite similar to aquatic plant soil like ADA soil.

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## stormhawk

Indeed they are not perlite. I was commenting on the look.

ADA soil is basically bits of gravel coated with some type of mud-like material, probably clay.

http://www.maibanbonsai.com/akadamaandkanumasoils.aspx

On this site they are labeled as a type of pumice, and hence will float. I don't know why you would use it in an aquarium setting, because eventually these lightweight material will float upwards.

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## Don90

> Indeed they are not perlite. I was commenting on the look.
> 
> I don't know why you would use it in an aquarium setting, because eventually these lightweight material will float upwards.


To be honest, they don't look and feel like perlite. Perlite is white, this thing, together with akadama, is light sandy brown.

I have used perlite, akadama and kanuma before. Akadama and kanuma break down after a while. Perlite doesn't.

And kanuma and akadama can sink in the water. Maybe kanuma needs to be soaked, but in my experience, they sink instantly.

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## stormhawk

They sink when they absorb the water, given how porous they are. illumbomb's photos don't show them sinking very well, though I must say, I never used such material for fish tanks before, even in a Cryptocoryne tank. My eyes may be playing tricks on me, though when they are dry in the bag, they look more white then when immersed in water. This is why I said they looked like perlite.

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## illumbomb

I don't think they can be bought in Singapore, not sure whether there are any on line store where they can be ordered and delivered to Singapore. I bought mine when I went to Japan for holiday and carried them back in my luggage.

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## daniel19831123

I didn't get them in Singapore. I got them when I was living in the UK. Still can't find them locally.

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## stormhawk

If you can't find them locally then perhaps ordering them online via Rakuten would be a safe bet:
http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/chigusa/item/370312/

There are other options available, though I believe the 18 liter bag will cost too much on shipping alone.

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## Trail_Mix

Intesresting, so what benefits does this provide over ADA? I have been interested in trying new substrates for emersed growth lately.

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