# Killies Import > Planted Tanks >  ADA Soil

## Green Baron

I recently changed the substrate my 2ft tank with CO2 injection to ADA soil after much consideration. The main reason I make the change is that I observed plants growing in ADA soil tend to has more healthy roots and grow better, everthing else being the same. Also I believe that plant roots prefer lighter and finer soil as opposed to plain garvels and that plant with healthy roots have healty leaves. This is purely based on my experience in non aquatifc plant. 

The reason I did not use ADA soil previously is because of the impression that ADA soild is very expensive. I found out recently this is not necessary true and they are quite cost competitive.

I can see the effect of the ADA soil almost immediately after I switched to ADA soils. Just after a week, I can see roots sprouting out from my plants and the new leaves are much healthier and bigger.

Anyone else has similar experience with ADA soil ?

----------


## ruyle

CW,
Some pics would be nice. Are you using the power sand underneath the
ADA soil? Tom Barr is working on a substrate soil that is supposed to
yield similar results, and be quite cost effective here in the US. ADA soils
are expensive over here. A company in Texas, ADG, is selling Amano products
and everyone that has used his substrates have found them 
superior to anything they've used.

Bill

----------


## stormhawk

Gan, originally the price of the ADA aquasoil products was quite high. I paid nearly $60+ for my first bag of Amazonia and subsequently the prices dropped after a few months. Nowadays it is slightly more cost-competitive but the price is still a little steep considering how small the amount per bag is, compared to other gravels like Lonestar.

It is a good gravel type for the tank but it loses its efficacy after some time. In the initial stages the soil itself has some effect on the water values that may be unconducive for some aquatic animals, based on some observations of other hobbyists in other forums.

I use JBL Aquabasis underneath the Amazonia layer. After roughly 2 years of usage in my tank, the productive lifespan of the soil and fert layer seems to taper off somewhat.

----------


## Green Baron

Bill,
I will take some pictures this weekend.

Jan Yang,
$60 is expensive. The price has since dropped by at least 30%. 
A 9l pack is sufficient for a 2 ft tank. If you spread the cost over 2 years, I think it is not too expensive. After that I guess you will either have to add root monster, dose fertiliser in the water column or just redo the tank.

----------


## stormhawk

I just re-did the tank a few days ago. See below:



It still looks bare and I am going for the lazy man option - more ferns and probably mosses to cover the empty slots. I still want to get more crypts though. If you or anyone else has a suggestion, let me know. I know the CO2 reactor isn't exactly the best one, or the "right" one that I've done. Working on a new version soon and rest assured I'll camouflage it somehow.  :Laughing: 

As you can see, the ADA Amazonia is in the tank and its partially mixed with a bed of river sand on the right hand side. Amazingly, the tenellus and Sagittaria I planted on the sand area is actually still doing OK. I tried to enrich the gravel bed with some JBL fert balls but it seems to be not working. I wanted to get root monsters but finding them has been a little difficult since I usually only visit Bukit Timah and Clementi. 

I might go with Seachem's Flourish tabs. Anyone used those before?? I have a bottle of Seachem Flourish still stashed away in my fridge and I know it still works. The last time I dosed the tank the hornwort and duckweed went haywire!  :Confused: 

That said, I suppose you can see the layer of Amazonia is way too shallow. I want to increase the depth of the Amazonia so I'll probably go get some soon. I have some excess Africana lying around but the colour isn't very wonderful so I won't add that to the current setup. Going plant shopping soon and I'll be getting some extra ferns plus other plants to add to the scape.  :Very Happy: 

How's your setups with the ADA soil? Post up some pics soon.  :Wink:

----------


## Green Baron

Jian Yang,
All my Echinodorus are doing great with ADA soil. _E. tennellus_ has never look so nice, _E. latifolius_ is sending out runners everwhere. I am also trying out Lilaeopsis sp.

I have also setup a low maintenance 13" tank with ADA soil in my office and will be coverting another 2 feet this weekend. This tank will have Cories in it. The front part of the tank will be bare and fill with fine gravels while the back will be fill with ADA soils and will have Crypts and Narrow leaf java fern.

As for root monster, I was told that you can actually use the fertiliser stick for terrestial plant, e.g those from Horti or those tiny brown slow relase capsules commonly used by nurseries. I am experimenting with 'lotus tablet' from Thailand and so far it has been great. 

As promised, I will take some shots this weekend

----------


## stormhawk

The thing with those fert sticks for terrestrial plants is that some have high percentages of N, P and K. I think I read something about this somewhere but I can't recall it right now.

My large Echi. "Rubin" died on me when I planted it into the Aquasoil.  :Crying:

----------


## Green Baron

I managed to borrow a camera (CP995) from my colleague to take photo of my office tanks.

This is a low maintenance 13" tank with ADA soil :




Plants in the tank :
- Taiwan Moss wall from my home tank.
- Plagiomnium moss on drift wood.
- Lilaeopsis sp
- Glosso
- Hornwort (floating)
- Erect Moss (floating)

I plan to grow some Fissidens moss on the drift woond once the tank is stabIlised.

I am temporarily using an Eden 316 filter. 
I plan to replace it either with a small internal filter or a small external filter such as the Eden 501.

----------


## timebomb

Hi, fellas,

I was inspired by Karin Leow's tank where she has the Downoi's growing beautifully. So I thought about changing my substrate to Dennerle. But I got a shock when I found out the prices. A bag of Dennerle soil, just 10 kg, costs more than Sing $40. Ouch!!! And you thought ADA soil is expensive  :Laughing: 

So I abandoned the idea and decided to stick with ADA instead. But my plants don't seem to be growing that well. I suspect it could be because I'm using a cheap base fertiliser, my own DIY version - a combination of pumice and peat. So this afternoon, I bought a bag of authentic ADA power sand. I hope it's going to give power to my plants. That's what they need really- power!! As Cliff Richard sang in his song, power to the fishes in the deep blue sea, power to all the girls I knew before and those that are yet to be, power to you and me  :Laughing: 

I'll be doing the tank this coming Sunday. I'll let you all know how the power thing works out. In the meantime, here's how my tank looks now:



Loh K L

----------


## Green Baron

Kwek Leong,
Are you using ADA Africana ? The colour looks different from ADA Amazonia. I was told that most plants do better with Amazonia so I bought Amazonia. I did not use regular base fert as well as I was afraid the base fertiliser would leak out as ADA soil is quite light. Maybe I should have use power sand but I am sticking to rosetted plants and plants which do not need a lot of fertiliser and care  :Laughing:  

You have some nice plants there ! Keep us posted on the effect of power sand.

----------


## Green Baron

Kwek Leong,
Just a thought. Instead of taking out the ADA soil to put in power sand which can be really messy, have you considered inserting fertiliser stick/tabs instead ?

----------


## PeterGwee

> The thing with those fert sticks for terrestrial plants is that some have high percentages of N, P and K. I think I read something about this somewhere but I can't recall it right now.


If those are the stuff that comes with it then its fine but most comes with NH3/NH4. If it leeches out into the water column and the plant mass/bacteria colony is low, you are going to have a major algae bloom.

Regards
Peter Gwee  :Wink:

----------


## PeterGwee

KL, add more CO2. You likely don't have enough. Get some source of PO4 also...Singapore's tap water is very lean on it and you are going to slow things down real fast if it runs low and worst bottom out.

Regards
Peter Gwee  :Wink:

----------


## stormhawk

Hi all, 

I seem to have a problem. I found several of my Boraras and one of my whiptails dead in the 3ft tank I pictured above, a few minutes ago. Immediately did a test on my water quality and got the following readings:

pH : 7.0
Nitrite : 0 ppm
Nitrate : 40 ppm
Ammonia : 0 ppm

Anything amiss here? Please let me know. I'm getting a little anxious seeing some of the Boraras go crazy. I'm wondering if its something to do with the nitrate levels. 

The newly added red ramshorn snails are doing okay so far. Rest of my fish are still doing fine as far as I can observe.

Tests were done while the lights were off and CO2 injection turned off. Test kits used were from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

----------


## stormhawk

Gan, your low maintenance tank looks good.  :Wink:  

Do I see a little shrimp in the first picture?

And regarding the external filter, if you're getting the Eden 501, I think its available in HK. You can't find one here in SG/

----------


## Green Baron

Jian Yang,
I am not sure why your Nitrate level is so high. Suggest you do a water change and put in a few platies. Move your Boraras out to another tank until the new tank has stabalised. 

As for my low maint. tank, no I don't have shrimp in there. It is a baby platy  :Smile:  I usually don't introduce shrimp until the moss (in this case the Plagomnium and Fissidens) has establised. Shrimps will slow down the growth of delicate moss as they love to eat young leaves. 

I am aware that 501 is not available here. I am trying to get my HK colleague to buy it for me. Is the Petfrd mass order for 501 happening ?

----------


## Green Baron

> KL, add more CO2. You likely don't have enough. Get some source of PO4 also...Singapore's tap water is very lean on it and you are going to slow things down real fast if it runs low and worst bottom out.
> 
> Regards
> Peter Gwee


Peter,
What is the effect and sympton of P deficiency ?

----------


## stormhawk

> Jian Yang,
> I am not sure why your Nitrate level is so high. Suggest you do a water change and put in a few platies. Move your Boraras out to another tank until the new tank has stabalised.


The funny thing is, only a few of them aren't doing so good. The rest of my fish, including my Corydoras are fine. I'll do a water change like you suggested. By the way, what's the use of adding in the platies? I'm curious.




> As for my low maint. tank, no I don't have shrimp in there. It is a baby platy  I usually don't introduce shrimp until the moss (in this case the Plagomnium and Fissidens) has establised. Shrimps will slow down the growth of delicate moss as they love to eat young leaves.


Haha, for awhile I thought it was a cherry shrimp. Yes I guess you're right the shrimps would definitely slow down the mosses' growth by munching on the new leaves.




> I am aware that 501 is not available here. I am trying to get my HK colleague to buy it for me. Is the Petfrd mass order for 501 happening ?


I'm not sure but I don't think it's happening. Given the size of the thing and the freight charges I don't think people would want to get it. Surface shipping takes too long and express shipping is quite expensive.

----------


## stormhawk

Did a 50% water change and I counted my casualties. Last night was a single male Betta coccina. Today.. 2 whiptail catfishes, 6 assorted Boraras, 1 lampeye and a big Corydoras sterbai.  :Crying:

----------


## Scott_sg

Hi Jian Yang,
Sorry to hear about your fish, I can at least throw my 2cents in and give you some ideas.
The first thing that is strange is your nitrate is high and everything else is zero. Normally they all go together in the typical chain reaction. So first thought is fertilizer. Second would be that even strirring the substrate can release alot of Nitrate into the water column and cause spikes.
It really depends on what happened prior I guess.
Most fish can handle quite high nitrate levels, what really kills them is sudden changes in the levels. But some fish really have a problem with it.
But i am sure you know all of that. For nitrate poisoning though what most people dont know is that big water changes can be just as bad, we all panic and think "Oh my god" must change the water fast , but it can sometimes make more problems.
It might even not be the high nitrates, I noticed you said you used Pumice in your substrate, again a long shot but alot of the fish you mentioned are very sensitive to salts in the water, and it might be something as simple as the metallic salts from the pumice leaching into the water.
Just some ideas for you that are probably completely wrong.
Sorry about your fish.

Scott.

----------


## Scott_sg

Sorry,
Forget about the pumice idea ... Getting everyone's tanks mixed up..  :Opps:  

Scott.

----------


## PeterGwee

> Peter, 
> What is the effect and sympton of P deficiency ?


A slow down in pearling rates (growth) if the rest of the nutrients like K, NO3, Trace mix and GH(Ca/Mg) are non-limiting. Symptoms on plants vary imo and is not a good method to detect deficiencies. The good about EI is that it bypass that and concentrate on only one variable and the biggest one for plants...carbon aka CO2.

Regards
Peter Gwee  :Wink:

----------


## Green Baron

Jian Yang,
I am sorry to hear about the casualties. I usually put Platies in newly setup tank because I have lots of them and also as an indicator of the water quality. Scott could be right, the fertiliser leakage could be the culprit as your substrate is not very thick.

----------


## stormhawk

Yes I think I must have disturbed the fert layer when I was planting in the corkscrew vals.  :Sad:  

Anyway, everything is back to normal. I added in some Poecilocharax weitzmani, a bunch of Sundadanio axelrodi (blue variant), one licorice gourami and a young Betta coccina (to replace the one that died..).

The fishes are all feeding well on worms and Sera Vipachips. If anything was to go wrong I bet my whiptails will show the first signs of distress. That said, the two fancy guppies in my tank are showing full colours!  :Very Happy:

----------


## stormhawk

Just did some measurements.

Nitrate is currently at 20ppm so I'm pretty relieved. The problem is, there seems to be a disease within the tank. I believe that must have been the initial problem and the high nitrate levels previously must have made it worst.  :Confused: 

So far I've lost quite a fair number of fish. Posted a different thread regarding the disease in Non-Killies Section, under Bacterial Ulcer.

----------

