# Cleaning ADA 'dust' after rescape



## Raekz (26 Apr 2019)

I couldn't find anything with the search function, so I've made a new topic. Long story short, rescaped my tank, pulled out the plants, saved about half of the old water, cut some plants, put everything back in and its okay for now. I'm using ADA soil, now there is some sort of mud/dust cloud on just about everything in the tank. 






Is there anyway to get rid of the dust? When I used a hose to try to siphon it, it only turns the tank into chocolate milk, the dust lands right back where it was. Anyone has a tip to get the dust and small stuff out of my tank? 

TL;DR, dust on ADA soil after rescape, is it possible to remove or should I just get rid of everything and use new soil? The ADA is about 6 months old.


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## GHNelson (26 Apr 2019)

Hi
You could take it out, bag or bucket it till the summer time!
When you have a few sunny days spread it out on something to completely dry!
Then sieve it...to get rid of the dust!
Re-use...I think one of the Modes used this method!
Might have been Tim?....
hoggie


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## alto (27 Apr 2019)

Frankly, I’d toss that ADA and go Tropica

Occasionally (& possibly more commonly than reported) ADA Amazonia seems to breakdown like this - supposedly newer production runs are less prone to this level of “dusting”

While you can go through the steps mentioned above. I suspect your soil will just continue breaking down in the next scape 



Raekz said:


> The ADA is about 6 months old.


I’d contact the seller and report this as a quality control issue - this is NOT the norm


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## rebel (27 Apr 2019)

This should be a warranty claim. 

Once this starts, it will continue to break down. You will need to toss it. or just use it for emersed projects.


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## Raekz (27 Apr 2019)

Thanks for the replies, I'll just take it all out and put in new soil, might try the Tropicana then. My fish will have to stay in a smaller tank for a bit longer then, since I'll have to cycle the new soil.

Might be a good moment to try some wabi kusa's with this soil now, gotta think positive


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## Tim Harrison (27 Apr 2019)

hogan53 said:


> Hi
> You could take it out, bag or bucket it till the summer time!
> When you have a few sunny days spread it out on something to completely dry!
> Then sieve it...to get rid of the dust!
> ...


I think it's the only way, if you don't want to end up with a muddy puddle Flip Side of Scaping (Reusing Amazonia)


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## rebel (27 Apr 2019)

Hey @Tim Harrison, did that technique work? and for how long?


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## Tim Harrison (27 Apr 2019)

Yes it works really well. In fact I prefer used AS; the ammonia spike is no where near as big nor lasts as long, and therefore there is less chance of brown algae etc at start up.
I've recycled the same AS once, but I think it'd probably be good for a couple of reuses, or as long as the little clay balls keep their integrity.


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## Jayefc1 (27 Apr 2019)

Could you just cap it with some new soil like tropica fine or something?


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## Raekz (1 May 2019)

@Tim Harrison Well, If we had some sun here, that could be a way to do it I guess  Might try it in the future. Also, I'm interested in the comment you made regarding the ammonia spike, would you say it doesn't happen at all when you dry out used soil or just very minimal? 

For now, I've siphoned most of the dust out, the leftovers seem to disappear, maybe dropping down between the soil? At the moment, it is looking like this;





Some MC is popping back up through the soil, I've ordered fresh MC so I can fully plant the rest of the tank. At least I won't see the dust when de MC fills the substrate


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## Tim Harrison (1 May 2019)

The ammonia spike seems to be minimal.


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## Raekz (12 May 2019)

The MC I've ordered, hasn't come in yet. Maybe that's a good thing, because I saw some weird stuff on/in the soil, which I have never seen before. Does anyone here know what the green stuff is? I've been doing daily water changes, about 50%. Filter is running fine, feeding minimal. I'm about to rip everything out, toss the soil and start fresh again, however I think this is a good opportunity to learn something again, so I'm happy to hear what the green stuff is.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (12 May 2019)

My guess would be cyanobacteria. Manual removal is best with this. It will probably have been triggered by all the nutrients in  the water column from your recent activities.
Does it come off in little 'sheets'?

FYI I believe there is also a minimal ammonia spike with Tropica soil anyways...


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## PARAGUAY (12 May 2019)

Raekz said:


> The MC I've ordered, hasn't come in yet. Maybe that's a good thing, because I saw some weird stuff on/in the soil, which I have never seen before. Does anyone here know what the green stuff is? I've been doing daily water changes, about 50%. Filter is running fine, feeding minimal. I'm about to rip everything out, toss the soil and start fresh again, however I think this is a good opportunity to learn something again, so I'm happy to hear what the green stuff is.


Does the tank get any natural light or sunlight at substrate level if so besides what Matt is saying also try black tape along length of substrate for a while


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## Raekz (12 May 2019)

@Matt @ ScapeEasy Kind of confirming my fears, thanks though. I'll see if I can remove it, I'll scoop it out or something. Should I start over again, I'll give the Tropicana a go, instead of ADA. 

@PARAGUAY , it does get light at substrate from the windows of our house, but this has never happened before. Had something that looked like it in a emergency tank, but it was more blueish then this.


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