# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk >  Advise on which ADA Amazonia Soil to get?

## Allan Asis

Hi guys,

I'm not sure if this is the right section in the forum to ask, but in case it's not, moderators are free to move where it should belong  :Smile: 
Anyways i'm planning to use ADA amazonia soil for my next planted tank. Now I see there are 3 types -the original amazonia, amazonia 2, and amazonia new. 

Now from what I read so far here are the "differences" between each.

Original Amazonia
- more plant nutrients
- will cloud on setup and take days to clear

Amazonia 2
- less plant nutrients
- less cloud on setup and water clears quickly in a few hours

Amazonia New
- no information  :Sad: 

Ok are these true? I don't really mind water being cloudy for a few days and would prefer a more nutrient rich soil so if the above statements are true then I want to go for the original Amazonia. 
Also, That Aquarium (Y61 :Cool:  is selling the original Amazonia for 40$ per bag (9L) or 6$ per kilo. Sounds like a good deal isn't it? Or do you guys know a better deal for this item?

As for the "Amazonia New", I haven't seen this one before except on the internet. Is this available in Singapore? If yes, can someone advise me where to source this out? Typically, how much does a bag of this cost?

Thanks a lot!

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## Phillipians

The only question I can answer you is that $40 for a pack is the standard price i think. And normally it is not advisable to state price in your thread.

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## Allan Asis

> The only question I can answer you is that $40 for a pack is the standard price i think. And normally it is not advisable to state price in your thread.


May I know why it's not advisable to state price in the thread?

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## Urban Aquaria

I guess you have probably been reading the old information from various websites and forums.

The original Amazonia and Amazonia 2 have actually already been phased out years ago, the only version available now is "New Amazonia".

Note that the latest packaging does not even have the word "New" on the bag... its just the "Amazonia" word only.

Here are what the latest version Amazonia bags look like:



The bag with orange words is normal type, the bag with the yellow words is powder type.

You can read up about the latest product packaging design in this ADA news link:

http://www.adana.co.jp/en/sc/news/detail/1242

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## kurty

> I guess you have probably been reading the old information from various websites and forums.
> 
> The original Amazonia and Amazonia 2 have actually already been phased out years ago, the only version available now is "New Amazonia".
> 
> Note that the latest packaging does not even have the word "New" on the bag... its just the "Amazonia" word only.
> 
> Here are what the latest version Amazonia bags look like:
> 
> 
> ...


any difference with the normal and power type?

for planted, is it advisable to go for power type as the gravel is finer instead

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## Allan Asis

Hi UA,
Thanks for the clarification! I guess the one i'm looking at in the shops is the "new amazonia" without the "new" on it as you explained. 

Hi Kurty,
From what I read the powder type is optimal for small carpeting plants like HC and monte carlo as with their small root, they will be able to attach themselves easier on finer soil. 
But I think it's not necessary to use powder type though, it costs almost twice as much as the normal one. My first tank uses GEX light green packet soil that has the same pellet size as the normal amazonia. It took me time to plan the monte carlo but once they settled for a few days they hang on without problems.

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## Urban Aquaria

> any difference with the normal and power type?
> 
> for planted, is it advisable to go for power type as the gravel is finer instead


The main difference is granule size... here is a size comparison of both types:

Normal Type



Powder Type



Photos from ADA Website.

The advantages of using Powder Type is its easier to plant and root smaller carpet plants like HC or glosso into the smaller granules (like what Allan Asis mentioned).

In addition, the smaller soil granules greatly enhance the sense of scale in smaller tanks (ie. 2ft tanks and below), you can see a big different between both types. In small tanks with Normal Type aquasoil, the substrate looks like its filled with boulders.  :Grin: 

On the otherhand, a small tank with Powder Type aquasoil tends to look much larger than it actually is.  :Well done: 

In larger tanks (ie. 3ft and above), the size effect of the soil granules is less obvious so the Normal Type aquasoil looks okay (and the overall cost is alot less since more soil is required), though its quite common for people to still add the Power Type aquasoil in smaller quantities in the front area or top layer to help smaller plants root and further enhance the sense of scale.

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## mUAr_cHEe

> May I know why it's not advisable to state price in the thread?


Some of us feels that it is unethical but some of us do not. Its a personal choice just like how you advised not to share personal information online but some of us still shamelessly post all the personal information on social media.

At times, you might also unwittingly get the shop in trouble if they are selling below the fixed retail price. I have seen these cases before.

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## mUAr_cHEe

I second what my idol (UA) said above.

I have tried planting both in normal and powder type. Planting in the powder-type soil is so much easier. To me, it is well-worth the price.

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## Allan Asis

> Some of us feels that it is unethical but some of us do not. Its a personal choice just like how you advised not to share personal information online but some of us still shamelessly post all the personal information on social media.
> 
> At times, you might also unwittingly get the shop in trouble if they are selling below the fixed retail price. I have seen these cases before.


Ah alright, I understand.

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## BFG

If you really need the powder type, you could use a sieve ( correct spelling? ) thingy to separate the 2 sizes from a bag of Aquasoil. You need to do this before the soil is added into the tank. Save some money to buy other stuff.

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## Phillipians

I personally think powder type is overhyped. But if you like what people do is buy a 3L amazonia powder and finish by placing on the top most substrate before planting

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## Allan Asis

OK I bought an ADA amazonia soil today and below is the 9L bag which weigh almost 8kg :Smile: 
004.jpg

I tried to compare it with GEX plant soil and amazonia''s pellet size seems to vary a lot while GEX is pretty uniform.
Picture below shows amazonia on the left and GEX on the right.
009.jpg

Also on amazonia, some small pellets float around the tank in the beginning while I never had this issue with GEX before.

So points for GEX over amazonia in terms of reliability in setup.
Now for the performance in growing plants we'll see how amazonia compares.

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## jiajuen900

Having tried both GEX and Amazonia before, I find that the nutrient content of GEX soil seems to run out much faster than ADA Amazonia

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## Allan Asis

> Having tried both GEX and Amazonia before, I find that the nutrient content of GEX soil seems to run out much faster than ADA Amazonia


Cool, because I got a bag of amazonia now, I hope it does work well on my tank as well. can't wait to start the new setup  :Smile:

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## tureblue82

you won't go wrong with amazonia!.. :Grin: 

If you find that the sizes are a little big, buy a smaller pack of amazonia powder/fine form and pour it on as the top layer.

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## armageddon

hi guys,
after reading, i wanna say my views here, hope you are wouldn't mind

1. what for compare to such an extent of the soil size etc.
2. find what suits you. not what is marketted.
3. your plants happy, you happy. 

I have gone through a fair amount of articles and videos etc on plants and soil. Its only a cosmetic thing on these soil. IMO, the aquarium soil used is often undernurished from a perspective of plants (land plants especially). 

I am currently experimenting with GARDEN COMPOST which is extremely fertile for plants.
However, after experimenting, I will have to agree. IF you wanna have the ease of scaping, go for aquarium soil like ADA. But if you do not mind the trouble of garden potting mix, go for garden soil.

the differences? BIG... price. and longevity of the soil.
1 pack of 5l compost may cost you as little as $4 while 1 pack of 9L ADA will set you back $40.
downside of garden soil, you will need gravels to surpress the nutrients from flooding your tank. 

however, after doing up my 4 ft stock tank as an experiment, i realised it worked like magic.
overall cost,
compost, 5 - 6 bags.
gravel, 2 big bags (10kg each).
Total cost: <$50
i achieved a 5 - 6 inch in height for my 4ft by 2 ft (width) tank. 

I am a practical person whom do what works, rather than fanciful stuffs.

in many products, when customers ask me, i often ask of their needs and requirement before i recommend. however should they be very tight on budget. forget about all the fanciful stuffs. do a little more hardwork and get the dirt tank method. 

since the topic on 3 major factors from my views has been brought up, allow me to share some pointers when considering.

Sorry i do not know what you call them..

normal sized ADA - best option among all aquarium soil. you pay for the ease of scape. works on plants. pH seems stable and all the claims by them are thus far true to the best extend of my knowledge and simple testing (i maybe wrong pardon me). 
fine sized ADA - as mentioned, perspective and also ease of planting for foreground plants like HG, HC, etc. they tend to grab the plants better. however, the price actually turn me away.
GEX - this is a soil that is recommended by MANY of shrimps keepers i know due to it being less potent and chances of shrimps dying lesser. however, have met quite a few hobbyist whom swear by ADA soil for their extremely high priced shrimps. only thing they do, they cycle all their new soil they use for 1 month in the tank before their srhimps go in.

end of day, you weigh your needs against your pocket. Some of this i feel is redundant. 

for me, this is what i will do for bigger setups (3 ft and above)
I will setup the bottom 2-3 inch layers with compost, and top 1.5 - 2inch with ADA only. 

for smaller nano tank, just 1 pack of ADA will bring you a long way.

oh, if you wanna know what i am referring to about compost using etc, checkout youtube on DIRT TANK setup. some hobbyist in western countries even use clay soil to mix in to provide a better mixture. 

lastly, i will say, i am not related to any of the above mentioned brands (ADA and GEX) just someone whom have tried, chatted with many hobbyist and also tested an old way of planting (dirt tank). 

oh btw,
after 2 weeks in my stock tank (tank has been cycling for 1 month +), this clump's colour is turning out well and is growing.. 




many others are recovering fast from the initial shock they had due to a major revamp i did to them.

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## jiajuen900

On the point of soil compost, another option that is still way cheaper than aqua soil and would be safer substitute to potting compost is pond compost. 

image.jpg

JAB Pond Compost.

I just got 2 bags from FarEastFlora. Haven't tried it yet but some other AQ members have had good success with it

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## armageddon

I have actually thought about it. But this area i have not ventured in, hope some bros whom have can shed lights on it.
"sandy" soil vs muddy soil

As i understand some plants love muddy soils eg lily or lotus. 

i feel that pond compost belongs to the muddier category? 




> On the point of soil compost, another option that is still way cheaper than aqua soil and would be safer substitute to potting compost is pond compost. 
> 
> image.jpg
> 
> JAB Pond Compost.
> 
> I just got 2 bags from FarEastFlora. Haven't tried it yet but some other AQ members have had good success with it

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## Xiaozhuang

I think the term you're looking for is that soils that are heavy in clay. I have been using soils for a long time, and like mentioned above, they give a lot of bang for their buck, both in low tech as well as high tech settings. Soils have more variation in quality though, sometimes a soil too heavy in organics (very very black soils) can give algae issues, while soils that are very heavily clay (sticky, muddy) based can make the water very cloudy each time it's stirred up, while some commercial mixes are spiked with fertilizer that discharge all at once upon submersion. So it may take a bit of experimentation to find what combination works well. I like a mix of silt, clay, organic material/humus in roughly even proportions, and usually I add peat in as well. Dirt gives a far superior performance compared to most commercial substrates (except perhaps ADA); flourite and other fracted clay substrates don't even come close. I do prefer ADA if cost wasn't an issue because dirt is still more troublesome to manage.

All my tanks use soil as the main base; I won't spam the pics here but you can check them at this link 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/yo...wuser&id=51832

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## Allan Asis

Armageddon and JJ,
Awesome response and regarding using compost, it seems like a great soil to use when doing emersed planting. Have you guys tried it yet? Emersed planting is also something I would like to explore in the future but for now I just trying to get the hang of planting in the tank.

Xiaozhuang,
You've got really great tanks right there! I hope in future I can get into using mixed soil like you do  :Smile:

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## Allan Asis

> On the point of soil compost, another option that is still way cheaper than aqua soil and would be safer substitute to potting compost is pond compost. 
> 
> Attachment 45213
> 
> JAB Pond Compost.
> 
> I just got 2 bags from FarEastFlora. Haven't tried it yet but some other AQ members have had good success with it


JJ,

I'm really curious about this product. I also would like to try using this on my low-tech tank but I have no idea where to start with using this. May I know how you set this up?

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