# Should I rinse aquabasis?



## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

Sorry if this has been answered before.  In the past I've rinsed all substrates before adding to the tank.  LFS said not to wash aquabasis as I'm topping it with Manado. 

What would you do?


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## JamesM (1 Apr 2010)

Don't rinse it.


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## chilled84 (1 Apr 2010)

Ajm200 said:
			
		

> Sorry if this has been answered before.  In the past I've rinsed all substrates before adding to the tank.  LFS said not to wash aquabasis as I'm topping it with Manado.
> 
> What would you do?




dont trust your LFS by the sounds of it.


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

So is that one vote for and one against? 
Wasn't too sure what to do.  Heard some odd advice from this person to others in the past. 

I have washed this stuff before but as It is supposed to be a nutrient substrate I did wonder
 if I'd be washing the good stuff down the drain but also don't want a muddy mess that will cloud the water if disturbed.

Had wanted Eco-complete to avoid rinsing but have been waiting too long for the delivery


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## Mark Evans (1 Apr 2010)

you certainly dont wash aquabasis. you'll end up with sludge if you do and it's not nice to work with.

 Always buy more than stated as it depletes quite quickly.


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## Nick16 (1 Apr 2010)

+1 for not washing it


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

Thanks.  I'll just tip it in then.  Will save lots of time and water


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## glenn (1 Apr 2010)

dont wash it, its a powdery crumb so washing it will just be wasting your money as it will just all go down you plug hole. and your capping it so it dosent matter.


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## JamesM (1 Apr 2010)

Aquabasis is fine without being capped too 

Actually looks great mixed with plain gravel and a little playsand.


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

I'm going to have my son's catfish in the tank so will still cap it as I've seen the muck that comes off it. If I wasn't having bottom dwellers in the tank I might have considered leaving it as is.

Got 20l of aquabasis in a 525l tank.  Now need to decide how much Manado to use.  Have 110l of it in the car boot.  Got to have extra depth at the back of the tank so that I can reach to plant into it as I can't reach the back or bottom.


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## JamesM (1 Apr 2010)

I've got a 12"+ plec, 6" plec, whiptail cats, loaches, cory's, etc. No problems with aquabasis clouding or mess, etc.


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

Ok.  Got the manado now though and 250 quid over budget so far so DH isn't going to be very understanding when I ask to swap the manado out for something more costly.  He likes the fish and thinks the plants are pretty but costly.   Left to him and my 3yr old this tank would have plastic plants, divers, cars, no fishing signs and purple gravel..


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

Gotta redo the 90l as the flow is really poor with the over sized driftwood in the middle of the tank and a possibly dodgy u3 filter that stops for no reason.  Have bba and GSA appearing on rhs of the tank (where the u3 is).  If I can get the budget I'll consider aqua basis instead of the inert gravel I have now when redo the tank.


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## JamesM (1 Apr 2010)

Hope you've seen this too: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8445&p=97520


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

I have and it does worry me  but my budget won't stretch to aquabasis for a 500l tank.  Had much better alternatives in mind but  I need so much substrate that I have not been able to source enough flourite or Eco-complete within budget or reasonable timescales.  I have waited over two months for 240lb of ec and was told today it could take another month with no guarantees of delivery.  Flourite was too much with delivery Inc so I had no choice but to trawl my local MA stores buying up their big bags of manado. I don't like the colour much and I'm concerned about it's very mixed review.  It was definately my 4th choice but DH loves the colour.  This whole project has cost over 2k so far. Original budget 1400 with carefully negotiated increases but still way over budget.  Probably won't like the results either as all wood had been bought by my lovely family as presents and is far to big and heavy (I wanted the thin branchy stuff)  but I am mum so will smile and make the best of it because they meant well.

Wow..  That really is enough moaning for one thread.  Really out of character . Too much wine and CSI  

Got a job lot of plants to ID yet so I'll be back over the weekend looking for more advice/help. 75 stems for 9 quid


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## Mark Evans (1 Apr 2010)

you gotta remember, its shrimp breeders ranting about manado. I set up an iwagumi using seryiou stone and the KH went off the scale. 

if it's plants your keen on, you'll be OK. just follow the usual planted tank rules.



			
				Ajm200 said:
			
		

> oo much wine



i'll join that club...sllleerr hiccup


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## Ajm200 (1 Apr 2010)

Thanks for that..   Not too sure how to play this.  Want the plants but have 4 heavily  stocked tanks to amalgamate.  Torn betwem plant heavily hope the plants do the cycle (risk divorce with 5 tanks totalling 800l in 20x10 room) or fishless cycle, loads of algae, no plants or plants with restricted photo period and get rid of extra tanks (and earache) in a few weeks.


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## sanj (9 Apr 2010)

Dont wash it!!!


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## chris1004 (10 Apr 2010)

Ajm200 said:
			
		

> Thanks for that..   Not too sure how to play this.  Want the plants but have 4 heavily  stocked tanks to amalgamate.  Torn betwem plant heavily hope the plants do the cycle (risk divorce with 5 tanks totalling 800l in 20x10 room) or fishless cycle, loads of algae, no plants or plants with restricted photo period and get rid of extra tanks (and earache) in a few weeks.



Hi,

Tell him you need two more tanks to continue the hobby you love, tell him it'll only cost another grand or so, have a mini tiff about that, then let him believe he has won the battle and he'll be happy that you settled for just the 5 tanks in the end.    

Regards, Chris.


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## Ajm200 (10 Apr 2010)

Wouldn't work..  good idea though 

had just informed him that I need another massive filter to boost flow in the tank or risk all the plants, that I spent the best part of a day planting, turning to mush.  He was just starting to sound like he was warming to the idea when the CO2 ran out.   The thought of me spending more on my 'daft' hobby put him in a foul mood until I almost knocked myself out with the tank lid while messing catching stray leaves to avoid watching another Top Gear rerun.

Painful..  and he still hasn't said yes to the filter


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## chris1004 (11 Apr 2010)

Hi Ajm 200,

Guess I'm quite lucky in that my wife loves the fish as much as I do, she just can't be bothered with all the work keeping the tanks (16 at the moment), besides which I wouldn't be happy to let someone else take over, its a labour of love really.

Regards, Chris.


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## Ajm200 (11 Apr 2010)

16 tanks..  That's a serious case of MTS..  Where do you find the time?


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## chris1004 (11 Apr 2010)

Hi,

I only have one planted tank (250L) in my living room which takes up more time than the rest put together, well maybe not quite but it certainly needs a damn sight more attention than the others and a lot more regularly. 

All the other tanks are fairly basic affairs and most of them are just small breeding/fry rearing tanks. I do have 6x4ft holding tanks though which house the vast majority of my fish. I've got more tanks in dry storage which I set up as and when I need them so the total goes up and down depending on my needs at the time.

But yes I do spend a lot of my free time with my fish one way or another. Love it though, and it keeps me out of the pub. 

I often do water changes first thing in the morning before I go to work. I seem to get so much more done in an hour in the morning than I do in the evenings.   

Regards, Chris.


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