# ADA Aqua Soil



## justin85 (22 Jun 2013)

I have used it many times in the past, and I am in the process of setting up a new tank. In the pasted I have just added the substrate (power sand/aqua soil/powder) to the tan dry, but I have read that some people pre-soak it to remove the ammonia spike also to stop the cloudy water.

What are you thought on pre soaking ada aqua soil? is the ammonia spike bad for the plants in the early stages?


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## Michael W (22 Jun 2013)

I do not believe the initial ammonia spike is bad for the plants. To be honest you could just put it in straight away and use the ammonia spike to help cycle your tank.


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## justin85 (22 Jun 2013)

Michael W said:


> I do not believe the initial ammonia spike is bad for the plants. To be honest you could just put it in straight away and use the ammonia spike to help cycle your tank.


 

Thanks for the reply Michael.
This was my thinking and I have always done it this way, but after reading a few articles/Blogs and people were pre soaking I had to ask the question to see what other people do with there soil.


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## Iain Sutherland (22 Jun 2013)

Pre soaking it kind of defeats some of the purpose.  Best to use the ammonia spike to your advantage, it will cycle the tank but more importantly it provides loads of food for the plants.  Only if you plan to stock straight off the bat then it's is something that needs to be considered, of course to do so means you also need a mature filter.


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## Greenview (22 Jun 2013)

I would not bother soaking it either. But lots of water changes and a mature filter will help.


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## justin85 (22 Jun 2013)

The filter will have to cycle unless I can get hold of some mature media to seed it with. I have got seachem stability which I often use on my cichlid tanks when I get fry to quickly setup fry tanks which I have never had issues with some might do a week course to help get the filter ready, plus like you mentioned water changes every 2 days


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## Ady34 (22 Jun 2013)

I'd cycle the tank with the substrate (and plants in), that way it too can settle and start to begin bacterial/biological development which will only increase the benefits for when livestock is eventually added. 
I dare say most mature heavily planted reasonably live stocked aquariums could run without a powered biological filter at all, the flow, plants and substrate alone providing enough 'natural' biological filtration.....that and the large frequent water changes we tend to do  probably still need the mechanical side though.


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