# Cost Sharing Sharing ADA products - Credit Crunch



## REDSTEVEO (30 Dec 2008)

I just read an article on a Malaysian ADA planting Demo. http://www.slipperylittlesuckers.com/ Very similar to the ADA Planting Demo at The Green machine they used a lot of "pre stuff" as part of the preparation on the glass base before they added the main substrates. The list below is the stuff they used on the Malaysian Demo. 

The powders: Bacter 100, Tourmaline BC, Clear Super, Penac P and Penac W

The trouble is they only used a thin covering of each sprinkled over the base plate before adding the main substrates. This stuff does not come cheap and considering not much of it was used you would have to do about 20 tanks before it was used up. So unless you have got 20 tanks (I haven't) the stuff would not get used again until the next time you rescaped your tank. Then the there's the Brighty Green Step 1, 2 and 3 and all that again not cheap.

Sooooooooooo :idea: .......what I am thinking is that maybe if a few people were going to go for a new setup trying out all the ADA stuff, what would be the possibility that a few people were willing to split the cost, divide it up and share it out amongst those sharing the cost. We could save a bomb and still get the results we want. Daraaaaaaaaa!!

Or am I dreaming?

Cheers.

Steve.


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## Voo (31 Dec 2008)

You could try using Power Sand Special. It already includes Bacter 100 and Clear Super.


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## Mark Evans (31 Dec 2008)

you have to remember also that ADA as last for 2 years at least. so longevity is quite big. 

good thoughts. i've got some spare, but it's claimed allready


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## REDSTEVEO (31 Dec 2008)

Voo said:
			
		

> You could try using Power Sand Special. It already includes Bacter 100 and Clear Super.



Thanks for the tip, I have never been that keen on using multi type all in one products, so I would probably still go for the individual items just so that I could physically see what I am putting in form each product. It's the ex Army control freaky thing again I'm afraid.  

Thanks.
Steve


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## REDSTEVEO (31 Dec 2008)

saintly said:
			
		

> you have to remember also that ADA as last for 2 years at least. so longevity is quite big.
> 
> good thoughts. i've got some spare, but it's claimed allready



Saintly looks like you already thought of this before me. How much did you have spare after you used what you needed?

Cheers,

Steve.


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## Garuf (31 Dec 2008)

I was under the impression that none of that stuff is needed? I'm as good as certain I read a analsys by Tom Barr and he branded them void of purpose? I just don't buy the marketing hype, it's easy to see something there when you're expecting it when in reality there's nothing different. Especially the one that claims to "repair damaged leaf and roots" If such a product exsists why not add this wonder cure to an algal tank as this would mean you wouldn't have to trim out the damaged leaves?
I can understand adding extra nutriants, Iron etc but surely there's a cheaper way?


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## Nick16 (31 Dec 2008)

are there any non ADA iron products, like any substrates that are just highly concentrated in iron? or do you guys add iron root tabs? if so where can i get some, becuase i think i could do with some.    if you crush root tabs up and put them underneath the top layer of substrate will they still do the same thing?


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## Mark Evans (31 Dec 2008)

REDSTEVEO said:
			
		

> Saintly looks like you already thought of this before me. How much did you have spare after you used what you needed?
> 
> Cheers,



it was buy mistake really, i bought about 8/9 bags of the stuff for my old 300L way to much. but i used it anyway. then when i stripped it down i just bagged it all up. ive got a 60L, 240L and some gone to myMA scape and still got a load left. 

i hear where your coming from gauf, but ultimately this stuff (powders etc ) does work. i even add the bacter 100 knowing its in the powersand. maybe it's not that all this stuff makes your plants grow massive overnight, more a case of keeping a healthy system all around? when ever i look at my substrate it allways looks clean roots look white...so on and etc. 

i've not been doing this long enough, or tried other substrates to know the difference so i could be talking utter crap. anything was better than the inert stones i used only a year ago


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## Mark Evans (31 Dec 2008)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> are there any non ADA iron products, like any substrates that are just highly concentrated in iron?



ADA do iron bottom! i use it all the time. again pricey, but works IMO it also contains NPK. now on asking the official ADA rep he said it's just to be used to re generate old AS but ive used it with new stuff....kinda like a super boost!


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## Nick16 (31 Dec 2008)

but me being a 16 yr old, i dont want  to spend masses cos i dont have masses!!! thats why something thats non ADA would be good.


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## Mark Evans (31 Dec 2008)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> but me being a 16 yr old, i dont want to spend masses cos i dont have masses!!! thats why something thats non ADA would be good.



of course sorry nick, TBH im not sure. maybe using iron liquid to enhance the the amount in the water column?


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## Nick16 (31 Dec 2008)

isnt most iron liquids no good to plants at all? i dont knw which ones are good. there must be some iron root tabs out there.

something like his:  http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/fish/aquatic_plants_care/fertilizer/easy_life/81123

would that work?  id prefer something to go in the substrate though.


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## Garuf (31 Dec 2008)

Not sure, I've always known my roots to be white, something to do with no light meaning no clorofilm forming maybe?
I use and have always used ADA aqua soil but always without addition and I can say that I've never been disapointed like I was when I tried just sand. 
My AS is now coming up to 18months old and I have to say it's no where near as good as it was so I'm reckoing it's depleated, Growth is nowehere near as fast as it was and I don't seem to have as much wiggle room with dosing as I used to.

I'm wondering if adding regular ferts like james did with his akadama would make any difference?

I'd love to hear Ceg and Mr. Barr's input on this, just was are penac and the rest of the additional poweders? What do they actually do from a scientific stand point?


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## beeky (16 Jan 2009)

Just to say that laterite is iron rich, or is supposed to be. It's a bit old fashioned these days but it's still being sold. It goes under the gravel/sand.


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