# JamesC's 200 litre Akadama journal



## JamesC (4 Feb 2008)

After the success of my 25 litre PFK tank using Akadama as a substrate I decided it was time to change the 3.5 year old silica sand in my 200 litre Rena tank over to Akadama. The planned day arrived and the rest of the family went to Bluewater to give me some space  

*Tank Details:*
200 litre Rena tank
Eheim 2028 filter
Aquamas external CO2 reactor
Hydor ETH300 heater
Arcadia T5 Luminaire
Approx 4WPG for 8 hours straight
PMDD+PO4 dosing

I decided that because I had loads of shrimp and some fish I'd pre treat the Akadama to prevent the KH from dropping which is common with baked clay substrates. If you plan on setting up a new tank with no livestock for a while, then the pre-treating could be skipped.

I calculated that three bags of Akadama should be enough. This was all emptied into a dustbin and the following was added to a bucket of water to try and dissolve:
120g Calcium carbonate
105g Magnesium sulphate
30g Potassium sulphate

This solution was then added along with more water to completely cover the Akadama and left for one week. Makes a lovely red brown coloured water. Settles to look like this.




_The stuff floating on top are small roots that must be dug up with the Akadama. As it's all baked they are perfectly safe. Smells a bit earthy as well._

After a week the Akadama was rinsed really well. Easiest way I found was to use a kitchen sieve under tap water. I put the rinsed Akadama back in the bags for storage.




This is what the water is like when rinsing.




Everything is now ready. Bin to put fish in. Three bags rinsed Akadama. Small bag of sphagnum moss peat. Gravel scoop. Buckets. Trays to put plants in.




Plants removed first




Fish and shrimp removed. Removing old substrate. This scoop I brought from Aqua Essentials is really good as it has holes in it to let the water out and makes life easy. Surprisingly the old substrate wasn't that dirty and had no signs of black anaerobic patches. Notice the BGA that had grown along the glass in the substrate.




After the tank was emptied and cleaned it was time for the substrate to go in. But first I covered the base on the tank in a thin layer of sphagnum moss peat. It should be just thick enough so you can see the glass still.




On top of this I added about a half inch of Akadama. This is to prevent the peat from being disturbed when the mulm is added. Cleaned the filter out to collect as much mulm as possible. This was then spread evenly over the thin layer of Akadama.




The rest of the Akadama was now added. Approx 2.5 inches deep at the front and 3.5 inches deep at the back. About  a quarter of a bag was left so my guesswork was fairly close. Frisbee is great for adding water and not disturbing substrate.




Partially filled. Added wood and planted up. Planting was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was expecting lots of floating plants, but it turned not a single plant came loose.




Filled to the top. Fish and shrimp returned. Had a cup of tea and then took this photo. Clarity not too bad.




Took me most of the day to do this but can now say it was well worth it. The new Akadama substrate is much better than the silica sand IMO. Next day the water in the tank was crystal clear, even looking along the whole four foot length.

I did some GH and KH tests on the water to see how the parameters would change. The water that was added has a KH of 3.3 and GH of 5.6.
After a few hours KH=3.3 and GH=11.2. GH was a lot higher than expected. Most likely because the Akadama wasn't rinsed properly after it's pre-treatment.
After 24 hours KH=3.3 and GH=13.4. GH has risen a bit. Nothing too much to worry about as it's KH that I'm more concerned with. The KH has remained steady which was my aim and which so far has worked. Going to see what it is like at the end of the week now. Water changes will bring the GH back down to normal levels in time.

I'm now thinking that perhaps my pre-treatment amounts were too high. They were a guess anyway.  Perhaps cutting the amounts in half would work fine.

I'm going to update this journal regularly to document the progress of the tank, good and bad. See my thread on Akadama in the Substrates section for more detailed Akadama information - http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=741

Thanks for looking
James


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## George Farmer (4 Feb 2008)

Quality journal, James.  Thanks for sharing.

Interesting on adding dry ferts to the Akadama.


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## Garuf (4 Feb 2008)

Agreed, what's the reason for adding the ferts? Is it to ensure the Akadama is "charged" before adding it to the tank or is it part of the ageing process?


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## Ray (4 Feb 2008)

Thanks for this thread James, I was looking at doing this in my forthcoming tank.

Basically you are making ADA Aquasoil as far as I can tell!  If we just use Akadama neat will it absorb nutrients from the water column or won't that work so well?  I guess we don't really know, but soaking garantees a good start?

Also why so little peat - I would have imagined 1cm thickness or more would be better - or are you worried about the PH?

I was also considering sphagnum moss, like you can also get from the Bonsi shop, instead of peat.


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## JamesC (4 Feb 2008)

It's all to do with CEC. Adding the ferts, or more specifically Mg, Ca and K to the Akadama beforehand theoretically prevents the release of H+ into the water which reacts with carbonates lowering KH and pH. Fish don't take too kindly to KH swings. When I tested it a while ago the Akadama was dropping the KH from 5.6 to 0 overnight which is quite a drop. Took many water changes to reduce this effect.

More details in the Akadama thread in substrates - http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=741

James


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## JamesC (4 Feb 2008)

Ray said:
			
		

> Basically you are making ADA Aquasoil as far as I can tell!  If we just use Akadama neat will it absorb nutrients from the water column or won't that work so well?  I guess we don't really know, but soaking garantees a good start?


Yes, if you want ADA AS copy then add an ammonium compound like ammonium nitrate or ammonium chloride. As NH4+ is a cation it will be taken in by the Akadama and make available N for the plant roots. Pre-treating just speeds up the process that would normally take a few weeks with aquarium water, that's all.



			
				Ray said:
			
		

> Also why so little peat - I would have imagined 1cm thickness or more would be better - or are you worried about the PH?


This amount is what is recommended by Tom Barr and others so is what I went along with. Actually both the mulm and peat idea I got from Tom Barr.



			
				Ray said:
			
		

> I was also considering sphagnum moss, like you can also get from the Bonsi shop, instead of peat.


If you get sphagnum moss make sure it's sphagnum moss peat. Think most peat would be OK. I got mine off ebay pretty cheap.

Thanks
James


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## Ray (4 Feb 2008)

> add an ammonium compound like ammonium nitrate or ammonium chloride. As NH4+ is a cation it will be taken in by the Akadama and make available N for the plant roots.



Is this the only way to attach macro's to the substrate?  I'd like to attach nitrates without using Ammonia.  If I did would pure neat ammonia work - like I've used to cycle my tank in the past - would it compound with nitrate/chloride and attach to the Akadama?



> Pre-treating just speeds up the process that would normally take a few weeks with aquarium water, that's all.



Doesn't what we load our Akadama with initially effect what the plants can get from it?  I mean, one loaded from a nutrient rich solution without Calcium would have more value than one that loaded itself with KH from your tank?



> If you get sphagnum moss make sure it's sphagnum moss peat. Think most peat would be OK. I got mine off ebay pretty cheap.



What extra is in the peat that is not in the sphagnum?  Wish I'd listened more carefully in my O Level Chemistry!


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## JamesC (4 Feb 2008)

> Is this the only way to attach macro's to the substrate?


As long as it is a cation it should be held onto by the Akadama. So Mg++, Ca++, K+, NH4+ etc. There are varying degrees that each will be held though. Anions like NO3-, H2PO4-, Cl-, etc won't be touched by the Akadama.



> Doesn't what we load our Akadama with initially effect what the plants can get from it?  I mean, one loaded from a nutrient rich solution without Calcium would have more value than one that loaded itself with KH from your tank?


Tap water mainly contains the cations we want, ie, Mg++, Ca++, K+ in varying degrees. Pre-treating will give it an initial boost but over time an equilibrium will most likely be reached. KH is carbonates which are anions and they are not absorbed by the Akadama. The KH is only affeceted because the Akadama releases H+ which reacts with the carbonates.



> What extra is in the peat that is not in the sphagnum?


Sphagnum moss is just moss and is often used in hanging baskets and added to bonsai soils sometimes. Peat is very different. Looks like potting compost a bit.

James


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## sks (4 Feb 2008)

correct if I'm wrong James, but you had a whole lot more plants before than after?  Did you just got rid of the excess.


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## JamesC (4 Feb 2008)

Just looks that way. They were all chopped back with just the tops replanted and the bottoms were chucked. Some excess HC and blyxa went in another tank.

James


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## Arana (4 Feb 2008)

Another great journal James  

Love the Nano on the shelf as well


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## Bingy_bong (4 Feb 2008)

Spot on James. Nice and easy step by step instructions complete with pictures to help me out. Tremendous. Im a bit of a thicko regarding the chemisrty things. I Will try to understand but at the mo its going in one ear and straight out of the other   
I hope you dont mind me sticking to copying all that you do, that way i might get to look at something other than a total mess

Right need to get to B+Q for a dustbin and fleabay for some  Akadama Bonsai Soil.


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## Themuleous (5 Feb 2008)

Excellent James, much appreciate the effort to explain the process to us all.  I will probably do a similar thing when I get my 4 foot tank, as its a dam sight cheaper than 'aquarium' substrates.

Sam


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## Joecoral (8 Feb 2008)

that gravel scoopy thing looks handy, whats it called cuz i cant find it on aqua essentials


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## JamesC (8 Feb 2008)

Joecoral said:
			
		

> that gravel scoopy thing looks handy, whats it called cuz i cant find it on aqua essentials


It was called Aqua Scoop, but I can't seem to find it on the AE website either. It was a year and a half ago I brought it.

James


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## TDI-line (8 Feb 2008)

Excellent journal James, love the scape.


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## StevenA (8 Feb 2008)

James where did you buy the Akadama from, i've tried Homebase, and two of my local garden centres, but to no avail? 

Great journal by the way, very inspiring.


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## JamesC (8 Feb 2008)

The only places I've seen it for sale are Bonsai dealers. Yellow pages or Google to find a place close to you. I got mine from http://www.lvbonsai.co.uk/ as he's only five minutes drive from me. Mail order can be pricey because of the weight and size. Make sure you get the double line hard quality type as some are quite crumbly and soft.

James


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## JamesC (10 Feb 2008)

A quick update after a week.
After 4 days the GH had risen a bit more to 14.6 from 13.4 three days earlier. KH was the same at 2.8. Did a water change which brought GH down to 9.0. After seven days GH was up to 11.2 and KH was still 2.8. Not so worried about GH now as it's only drifting up a bit and KH is remaining constant at 2.8 so will just resume my weekly water changes from now on. If I do the pre-treatment of substrate again I think I'll just do 25% of the amounts I used this time.

Plants, fish and shrimp are all doing well. Only one clump of HC has floated to the top, most likely due to the corys digging around so much.

I've only got a cheapo point and shoot camera so can't get the great detail photo's that other members seem to achive but this photo shows how the plants are doing.





James


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## StevenA (10 Feb 2008)

Looks great James, very healthy. I've been in touch with the guy you recommended to me about the Akadama, and he will ship a 10kg bag to me for Â£14 all in. Not a bad price for mail order, cheapest i've found so far. Thanks for the link.


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## Bingy_bong (15 Feb 2008)

any updates James??

Nothing major to report i hope?


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## JamesC (15 Feb 2008)

Everything is growing nicely at the mo. But something is eating my Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia' that I have just brought  Just wondering if the shrimps are a bit hungry and have decided it is rather tasty.

What has surprised me is how clear the water is. Never had it this clear when I just used silica sand

Thanks for the interest.
James


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## Themuleous (15 Mar 2008)

James, hows it going now?  Just wondering, Ive got hard oxfordshire water, could I just soak the akadam in that for a few weeks to sort out any potential changes in the KH before adding it to the tank.  Ive got soft water fish and don't really want the GH to rise.  Or could I for that matter just soak it is ex-tank water so that it stabilises itself to the water chem of the tank say over a few weeks?

Cheers

Sam


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## daniel19831123 (15 Mar 2008)

*Re:*



			
				Tourney said:
			
		

> Looks great James, very healthy. I've been in touch with the guy you recommended to me about the Akadama, and he will ship a 10kg bag to me for Â£14 all in. Not a bad price for mail order, cheapest i've found so far. Thanks for the link.



There is another online bonzai shop where you can get Â£9 for a 15l bag and the nice thing is that it's even better if you buy 2 bags of it because the postage remain the same at 7 quid. If you buy more than 2 bags then the postage starts increasing exponentially. 

http://www.herons.co.uk/prod6.asp?prod_ ... g=&offset=


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## JamesC (15 Mar 2008)

Sam,

I'm sure just soaking it in hard water will be fine, just not quite as effective as adding GH salts. Water changes in the first couple of weeks will help loads as well at keeping KH stable.

Tank is going great and I'm really happy with everything so far. When I get some time I'll post up more.

Thanks
James


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## Themuleous (15 Mar 2008)

Thanks James will see I guess.  

Good find Dan, postage is a bit high but I'm often down that way so could pop in  8) 

Sam


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## Amoeba (26 Mar 2008)

Great journal!!! Thanks for sharing!

I was thinking whether it would make sense to soak the substrate in PMDD. If I understand the theory correctly this way it would pick up some Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Co.

Also, is there any substrate capable of binding P ?


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## TDI-line (27 Mar 2008)

Something always eats my Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia' , so have given up growing this specimen.

Not sure if it's the otto's, flying fox's or trumpet snails. :?


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## mini (2 Apr 2008)

could you tell me the dimensions of your tank james? im trying to work out how much i would need for my own, thanks


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## Themuleous (3 Apr 2008)

Hope you dont mind me chipping in here James,

To find out how much Akadama you need (all in cm)

(tank lenght x tank depth x depth of substrate) / 1000 / 14 = number of bags required.

Sam


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## aaronnorth (3 Apr 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Hope you dont mind me chipping in here James,
> 
> To find out how much Akadama you need (all in cm)
> 
> ...



What size bags would that be for? The 10Kg?


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## JamesC (3 Apr 2008)

Yes, the 10kg or 14 litre. Because we know the volume of the bag it's a fairly straight forward calculation to work out the volume of substrate required and therefore the number of bags.

Thanks
James


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## LondonDragon (3 Apr 2008)

I like the akadama, plants looking very healthy, looking forward to the next update with some photos 
Something to consider when I need to change my gravel, will this place a lot of amonnia on the tank like the ADA soil does?
Safe to change it while fish in the tank?


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## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

Any updates? How has the tank coped with dosing urea?


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## JamesC (20 Apr 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> Any updates? How has the tank coped with dosing urea?


I'll get some photo's done soon, though I'm a plant grower rather than an aquascaper so my tanks reflect that. Didn't really notice any difference when dosing urea so have now stopped and gone to an EI modified dosing method.

Out of interest I've been growing some UG (Utricularia Graminifolia) in my small Akadama test tank which is now growing like mad, but can't seem to reproduce the same results in my main 200 litre tank. I have seen some reports that it doesn't like strong light and also prefers leanly dosed tanks which may explain something. Now that I have got loads to play with I may try it again in the 200 litre in some of the more shaded parts.

Thanks for the interest.
James


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## Steve Smith (25 Apr 2008)

I've been thinking about using UG but I'm not sure where   Any pics yet James?


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## belgarionp (11 Sep 2008)

Hi,
Very good work!
Any news on u tank ? and fert ?
Please post pic!
Thank u


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## beeky (23 Sep 2008)

From what I've read about terrestrial carnivarous plants, they hate fertilizers and adding them can kill the plants. So it doesn't surprise me really that UG prefers a lean tank.


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## belgarionp (10 Oct 2008)

JamesC's come back please.
Have u algae ?
Akadama is out ? u prefer now ADA aquasoil ?
News please!


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## JamesC (10 Oct 2008)

belgarionp said:
			
		

> JamesC's come back please.
> Have u algae ?
> Akadama is out ? u prefer now ADA aquasoil ?
> News please!


Hi, I'm still here. Nothing much to report except nothing much has changed. The Akadama is holding up well with quite frequent replanting of stems. Algae is almost none existent except for a a small bit that grows on the glass and needs scraping off every week or two. The only thing I now do is to add some Osmocote to the Akadama to help provide some nutrients. This is the one I use as it comes in a form that I can push down into the substrate similar to root tabs - http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/miraclegro-controlled-release-plant-food-tablets-33-x-5g-tablet-p-1620

I do prefer ADA AS as a substrate but I don't like the cost of it which is why I opt for the Akadama which gives me excellent results.

James


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## Spider Pig (14 Oct 2008)

What's in the miraclegro root tabs- is it just micronutrients or macros as well? Do you have to alter your fertlisation strategy accordingly?

Only ask because I'm wishing that I had invested in nutrient substrate and this looks like a good way to get the same effect.


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## JamesC (14 Oct 2008)

Both micros and macros. Just carry on with my normal dosing.

James


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## Spider Pig (16 Oct 2008)

Saw from another thread that the nitrogen is from ammonia- have you noticed this to be a problem with algae?


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## JamesC (16 Oct 2008)

Spider Pig said:
			
		

> Saw from another thread that the nitrogen is from ammonia- have you noticed this to be a problem with algae?


None whatsoever. The capsules are slow release so what small amounts are released, if not taken up by the plants straight away, will be converted to NO3 by bacteria in the substrate.

James


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## Spider Pig (16 Oct 2008)

HOw beneficial do you think these have been? Do you think they are worth it for non-nutrient substrate? (doubling up a bit here as asked the same question of Tom on the other thread- but always good to see expert opinions- don't worry, won't hold you to it though  )


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## JamesC (16 Oct 2008)

Can't give a definite answer to if there is any benefit to adding the osmocote, but I can say that the crypt wendtii I've got has grown massive. Most of my plants are stems so it's a bit harder to tell with them. But as it's so cheap I add it anyway as I'm sure it is going to be of some benefit.

James


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## Themuleous (27 Mar 2009)

Hows this tank doing James?


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## JamesC (27 Mar 2009)

It's doing really well thanks. My main problem being a crypt wendtii that is growing so well it's about to take over the tank. It just keeps on expanding. I'll try and get some photo's up soon.

James


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## Themuleous (27 Mar 2009)

Please do  looking for things you might be doing that might explain my tank.  How you diffusing the co2? What light did you end up with?

Cheers

Sam


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## JamesC (27 Mar 2009)

I've been fiddling around with this tank a fair bit and trying out new plants, dosing, etc. Lighting is 8 hours using two 54W T5's with a 2 hour burst in the middle with an extra two 54W T5's. Tubes are two Philips 965's and two Osram 840's. CO2 is diffused in an external reactor on one side and on the other side by a Rhinox diffuser and blown about with a Koralia 2. Bubble rate is far too fast to count per second. 6.35kg pub bottle lasts about three months.

I've only just brought the Koralia after having used an Eheim Compact 600. The design of the Eheim is terrible and has a very poorly designed intake that has far too much suction. I've lost Cory's, Oto's and numerous cherry shrimp that get too close and then sucked up agiainst the intake, not able to get away. Stupid design!!! Koralia is many times better but somewhat more imposing.

Dosing is with my All In One solution via peristaltic pump which adds 2.0ppm NO3, 0.75ppm PO4, 2.0ppm K and Aqua Essentials trace mix daily.

Gone back to using RO water after trying tap water for a while. This is how I remineralise my water - http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/RO.htm. In case you haven't gathered I love messing with chemicals. Spent most of my working life in a lab.

I'm off to Florida very soon so won't have much time for much until I get back.

James


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## Themuleous (27 Mar 2009)

Interesting, thanks for all the info, James, food for thought for sure.  I've got the co2 via a closed loop 3000lph powerhead which gets me great co2 levels in the tank (via CD and the fish gasping!), but still poor growth.  Do you think the bubbles ceramic diffusers create could be more important than perhaps we know?  I'm just wondering if ceramic diffusers create millions of tiny bubbles that we cant see but which 'stick' to the plant leaves thereby getting much more co2 to the plants than is achieved with having the co2 actually dissolved into the water?

Probably quite a left field theory but worth thought.

Sam

PS - I take it you've been doing 100% RO?  How do you find the fish with the DIY remineralisation?


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## JamesC (27 Mar 2009)

I have only added the ceramic diffuser recently to see if it made any difference. I've used diffusers in smaller tanks and have always noticed better growth so thought I'd try it on my 200 litre. So far it's looking good with increased pearling from the plants. This could be because of better CO2 distribution though but I am becoming more of a fan of diffusers with pumps blasting the bubbles around the tank.

TBH I've never really noticed that much of a difference with the fish. They seem to thrive regardless. I'm only doing my own remin because I wanted low alkalinity without adding sodium and with a decent level of GH using a 3:1 Ca to Mg ratio for my plants. I'm a great fan of tonina fluviatilis so aim my water parameters around this plant.

James


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## Themuleous (27 Mar 2009)

Very interesting James, thanks again for the info.

Sam


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## JamesC (28 Mar 2009)

Some quick photos before I go away. Tank's not at it's best at the mo as I'm trying some new plants and have been messing about with a few things. Just noticed it has been running with the Akadama for over a year now. Akadama seems to be holding up well so far which is good. You'll have to excuse photo quality as I only have an old point and shoot camera.

Whole tank shot





The crypt wendtii which is growing at quite an astonishing rate




My nice new Koralia 2 pump




James


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## JamesM (28 Mar 2009)

Looking great, James. I love this tank


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## Themuleous (29 Mar 2009)

Cool tank, nice healthy plants 

Sam


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## Mark Evans (29 Mar 2009)

looking great james. may i ask what the 2 big plants are? echinadorus sp.?....


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## George Farmer (29 Mar 2009)

The left plant looks like a nice big C. wendtii 'Green'.

Nice tank, James.  Super health!


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## JamesC (29 Mar 2009)

The large plant on the right is Tropica Echinodorus 'Red Diamond'. New leaves grow out a lovely deep red and then turn green with age. Mainly brought to see how well a supposedly heavy substrate feeder would do in Akadama. It has a bit of osmocote around it and seems to pearl all the time so I'd say it is fairly happy. The other large plant on the left is Crypt Wendtii 'green' I think. It doesn't show in the picture but some of the leaves are quite brown so it could be the 'brown' variety. George might know as this plant originally came from his tank that suffered a melt down while he was on holiday. Managed to scrounge a few of the surviving crypts and had it in my test tank for some time. Then put a single plant in this tank and it grew like mad but then had rip it up as it was too large and in the wrong place. Replanted a single small plant to it's present location. It's a bit of a weed this plant as where it used to be it still keeps on trying to grow from the little bits of root that I didn't manage to remove.

Thanks for your comments.
James


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## ceg4048 (29 Mar 2009)

Looking sweet James. 8) Is the Koralia able to pull most of the CO2 bubbles through before they reach the surface?  It seems not too much room for error on that shot.

Cheers,


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## JamesC (29 Mar 2009)

The Koralia's are very good. They have the water intake almost all over the whole surface so any bubbles at the back get sucked in as well. A few bubbles do get past but most get sucked in. Another good thing about the Koralia is that it uses a ball socket so it is possible to position in many different ways. All in all I'm very happy with it. I think the output figure of 2300 litres per hour is a bit far fetched though. Seems a bit similar to my old Eheim compact 600 at 600 l/Hr.

James


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## JamesC (6 Jun 2009)

Decided that I wanted a lower maintanance tank as the number of fast growing stems was becoming too much for me. HC had to go as well as it is far too much of a rampant grower. So this week out came the plants, gave the Akadama a clean and replanted the plants I wished to keep. I was well pleased to see that the Akadama was holding up well with no crumbling.

I'm trying a new plant, Lilaeopsis novea-zeelandiae, which seems very promising. I've planted it in the open areas at the sides. Here's how the tank looks soon after replanting. Looks a bit bare after how it looked before but I quite like it.






I'll update with more photo's once it's grown in some more.
James


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## Mark Evans (6 Jun 2009)

JamesC said:
			
		

> , Lilaeopsis novea-zeelandiae



a great plant.once it gets going it's growth rate is quick

 it'll look pretty smart once it's surrounded the "clump" you have. looks real nice mate


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## Garuf (6 Jun 2009)

I think this could be the nicest tank of yours, I already can't wait to see it grown out with that health that's so customary or yours. Good luck!


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## JamesM (6 Jun 2009)

Nice James 

Did you bin all your removed stems?


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## rawr (7 Jun 2009)

Wow, this could turn into something really nice. It has great potential. Be sure to keep us posted!


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## Tony Swinney (7 Jun 2009)

Lovely shaped arrangement james -  the lilaeopsis should look great


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## TDI-line (7 Jun 2009)

Very cool James, and nice choice of new plant too.


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## John Starkey (7 Jun 2009)

Hi James,it does look empty compared to it's previous look,but once it's grown in it should look very nice,I like the central mound style scapes,
Regards john.


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## sari (7 Jun 2009)

I really like this tank, liked it as a jungle but like the mountain look too.


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## George Farmer (7 Jun 2009)

I reckon this is going to be your best aquascape so far, James.

Can you give a us a reminder about your tank specs and plant list, please?

I look forward to seeing this grow in!


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## aaronnorth (7 Jun 2009)

should quality once the lilaeopsis starts spreading


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## LondonDragon (7 Jun 2009)

Looking great James I like the island feel to it


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## JamesC (7 Jun 2009)

Thanks everyone. My scapes tend to evolve over time so no doubt this one will change as well.



			
				George Farmer said:
			
		

> Can you give a us a reminder about your tank specs and plant list, please?


200 litres Rena tank
Arcadia Luminaire with 2x 54W T5 840's on 8 hours and 2x 54W T5 880's on for 4 hour midday burst
Eheim 2028 with Aquamas CO2 reactor and ETH300 heater attached
Koralia 2 with cheapo Hong Kong diffuser below it
Surface skimmer from Germany that I love as it keeps the water surface spotless
JBL regulator and solenoid attached to a 6.35KG pub bottle
Aquatic Magic CO2 splitter with dual needle valves and bubble counters
Bubble rate unknown but 6.35KG of CO2 lasts about 4 to 5 months
ADA drop checker which is a very yellow green
Substrate is Akadama
Water is reconstituted RO water with KH=1.5 and GH=5

Plants are:
Blyxa japonica
Bolbitis heudelotii
Cyperus helferi
Fissidens fontanus
Lilaeopsis novea-zeelandiae
Lobelia cardinalis
Ludwigia glandulosa
Pogostemon helferi
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala wallichii
Staurogyne sp.
Tonina fluviatilis

Dosing is done daily using a dish washer peristaltic pump which adds an 'All In One' solution
This adds daily:
0.5ppm Urea
0.5ppm NO3
0.15ppm PO4
1.5ppm K
Some amount of Aqua Essential traces

Think that's about it.



			
				JamesM said:
			
		

> Did you bin all your removed stems?


Afraid so. I did feel bad about it but at the moment I just don't have time to send out plants

Thanks
James


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## Nelson (7 Jun 2009)

hi james,
 have you got a link for your surface skimmer  .
thanks


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## George Farmer (7 Jun 2009)

Nice specs mate.  Cheers.


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## JamesC (7 Jun 2009)

nelson said:
			
		

> hi james,
> have you got a link for your surface skimmer  .
> thanks


Go to http://www.aquaristikshop.com and search for OFA Komfort.
There are three models, standard, Komfort and teleskop of which I use the komfort.

Here's a discussion for it - http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=72

James


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## Nelson (7 Jun 2009)

thanks james


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## Themuleous (8 Jun 2009)

Looking good James.  Did you reuse the akadama?  Or is it fresh? Peat under it again?

Sam


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## JamesC (9 Jun 2009)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Did you reuse the akadama?  Or is it fresh? Peat under it again?
> Sam


Hi Sam,

Just reused what was there as it showed no signs of disintergrating. IMHO mature substrates are best. I did a couple of water changes when uprooting the plants and running my fingers through the Akadama to remove the mulm buildup.

I keep an eye on other forums and notice quite a few people around the world are now using Akadama as a substrate and doing very well with it. In Europe using the Tropica substrate underneath seems to be quite a popular choice, but many people use it just by itself as well.

James


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## MasterMoriarty (8 Jul 2009)

Amoeba said:
			
		

> I was thinking whether it would make sense to soak the substrate in PMDD. If I understand the theory correctly this way it would pick up some Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Co.



Iv'e been "charging" a batch of akadama for three days, so far only with Ca + Mg + K.
Along the lines of Amoeba's question, would the akadama take in any micros?
I was thinking of adding Trace and FeSO4 for a couple of days.

Cheers


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## JamesC (8 Jul 2009)

It might do. It's not something I tried. If iron (II) sulphate finds it's way into the water column is will make it go very milky if there are phosphates present.

James


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## lljdma06 (9 Jul 2009)

Lovely tank, James.  Sorry I missed this.  So, do you like the Akadama?  Seems to be holding up well, from what I've read.


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## JamesC (9 Jul 2009)

lljdma06 said:
			
		

> Lovely tank, James.  Sorry I missed this.  So, do you like the Akadama?  Seems to be holding up well, from what I've read.


So far it's been great and hasn't caused me any problems. I find it easy to plant in and I even like the colour of it as well. It's nothing new as Amano was using it many years ago.

James


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## lljdma06 (9 Jul 2009)

Funny how what has become trendy in some places was always in place in another.  This hobby so has its phases.      I don't care much for the color and the grain seems rather rough for the kind of fish I keep, but substrates are so subjective.  Reminds me a bit of  a combination of flourite and laterite, but seems much less messy, flourite was ridiculously messy.  Glad you like it, 'cause it really would have bad if you didn't.


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## zigur (15 Jul 2009)

Hello James,
thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us in this journal.
Based on your writings I've decided to rescape my tank, and I'm gonna use Akadama. I have a question in connection with the Akadama: you wrote that we should soak it for a week, and I'd like to know whether it's all  right if I soak it for a two weeks, because we are planning to go on a holiday? won't it get mouldy or rotten in the heat? We have an average of 30-34 celcius degrees here in Hungary. So can I start soaking it before we leave, or is it better if I wait until we get back?
Does it change anything if I use hard water or RO water? Is it better to soak it in hard or RO water for two weeks? Does any of them prevent the worsening of the Akadama?
I'm looking forward to reading your answer. Thank you very much!
Robi


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## JamesC (15 Jul 2009)

Soaking for longer won't make any difference at all to the Akadama, even with the warm temperatures. Best to use hard water as it will soak up the cations. When you get back just give it a good rinse and you will set to use it. Quite a lot of people don't bother to soak it and don't have any problems either. I was just being over cautious when I first used it as I didn't know eactly what was going to happen if I just used it straight. Do whatever is easiest for you.

James


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## dipper59 (8 Sep 2009)

HI JAMES HOPE YOU CAN HELP IVE BEEN USING RED SEA FLORA BASE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS BUT NOW I HAVE A 5FT TANK AND ITS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE THE PROBLEM I FIND WITH IT IS THAT IT TURNS TO MUSH AND MY CORYDORIS TEND TO STICK THE NOSE IN IT AND TEND TO MAKE THE TANK CLOUDY IVE BEEN LOOKING INTO THE AKADAMIA, CAN YOU TELL ME IF THIS BREAKS DOWN QUITE EASILY AND DO YOU HAVE A IDEA OD THE LIFE SPAM OF AKADAMIA IF NOT CAN YOU RECCOMEND ANYTHING TO USE, THANKS TOM


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## JamesC (8 Sep 2009)

Hi Tom, I've had my Akadama for nearly two years now and it is holding up fine. It does crumble a bit just like any other baked clay substrate does and if disturbed it will produce a small amount of cloudiness. Five years for a clay substrate is pretty good going. If this is a problem then I'd opt for something like Eco Complete or Flourite which are tougher in composition. A life span of a substrate is hard to determine as it depends on many factors like how often you rescape or replant. If I get 3 to 4 years out of my Akadama I'll be happy.

James


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## dipper59 (11 Sep 2009)

THANKS JAMES ILL PROBABLEY GIVE IT AGO IM JUST TRYING AQUA GRIT AT THE MOMENT THANKS AGAIN 
TOM


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## Mark Webb (14 Oct 2009)

James, this is a great thread and a great find for me as I am planning a 1000 litre tank and the substrate I was considering would cost 4 times the Akadama. I will certainly use this. I was hoping to use tap water.  I do have an RO unit but was hoping to make life easier by using tap. I note that you switched from Tap to RO. Why was this?


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## JamesC (14 Oct 2009)

Because some of the plants I have don't grow in tap water, namely Tonina Fluviatilis, Rotala Macrandra and Ultricularia Graminifolia. I also notice all my fish are much happier with brighter colours.

James


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## Garuf (14 Oct 2009)

Ug won't grow in tap water? Do you know why or is it just the high mineral content of the water or if it's something else?


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## sjb123 (15 Oct 2009)

Mark Webb said:
			
		

> James, this is a great thread and a great find for me as I am planning a 1000 litre tank and the substrate I was considering would cost 4 times the Akadama. I will certainly use this. I was hoping to use tap water.  I do have an RO unit but was hoping to make life easier by using tap. I note that you switched from Tap to RO. Why was this?


Hi Mark,

can i just say if you go down the RO route, for a 1,000ltr tank you'll need an awful lot for water changes at 25% - 50% every week!! That means allot of waste water!   _Hope your not on a meter_?  

Regards Steve


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## Mark Webb (15 Oct 2009)

sjb123 said:
			
		

> Mark Webb said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Steve, yes I am very aware of that. Dont really want to go down the RO route.


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## Amoeba (30 Nov 2009)

JamesC said:
			
		

> The Koralia's are very good....... I think the output figure of 2300 litres per hour is a bit far fetched though. Seems a bit similar to my old Eheim compact 600 at 600 l/Hr.
> James



Hi James, have you changed your mind about the flow?   
I'm thinking about buying some Koralias myself (just 2-3 smaller ones for more even distribution) but from what you are saying it may be just better to use a proper external, inline pump.


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## JamesC (2 Dec 2009)

Amoeba said:
			
		

> Hi James, have you changed your mind about the flow?
> I'm thinking about buying some Koralias myself (just 2-3 smaller ones for more even distribution) but from what you are saying it may be just better to use a proper external, inline pump.


I would say the Koralia's are better as they give a slower but larger volume of water flow. Normal powerheads, pumps, etc give a high speed jet of water that doesn't seem to provide such a good flow of water around the tank.

James


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## plantbrain (2 Dec 2009)

Those propeller type of powerheads trade off the high head pressure for more flow, so the gentle high flow like you'd find in a stream, rather than the end of garden hose. They are much more energy efficient per unit of water moved and  more natural.

I use these:

http://ecotechmarine.com/

Ain't cheap, but they produce the flows I seek and *see in natural systems* easily and aesthetically.
Very energy efficient.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## plantbrain (2 Dec 2009)

We use Turface or Soil master select widely in the USA.
It runs about 16$ for 20 Kg bag.
Japan is mostly like Hawaii, old volcano so the soil is volcanic......no peat moss, no pine bark, etc. Akadama is literally dug out of old Cryptomeria Forests of Japan at about 10 feet depth. It's piled up on concrete areas to let dry, then it goes through sifters to separate the grain sizes. It is flashed fired to remove any organic matter that may have blown on it or somehow visited it during its "curing" process.
One of my other hobbies is bonsai.

SOIL TYPE      CEC
Sand           0.1-5 
Akadama        21
Clay           20-50  
Organic Soil   50-100  

CEC (me./100g)              Matrix
- -----------------------------------------------------
   <0.1                            Clean sand
    24.3                           Clay Soil
    27.0                           Kitty Litter
    1.7                             Fluorite

ADA is about the same as clay.
Flourite is lower than these(other than sand).
See Jamie's article:

http://home.infinet.net/teban/jamie.htm

I use dolomite without issue as a sole sediment in 3 of my aquariums, it's cheaper than SMS, Turface, Akadama etc.
I chose it for aesthetics, not nutrients etc. If I chose a sediment for fertility, I'll go with soil clays. If for cost and aesthetics, well..........then it's less of an issue and I can dose the water column. I guess my question is it really much better than say sand? I see little evidence in terms of CEC and it's pretty nutrient free otherwise.

Without testing it(the soil), it's difficult to say what the results are or are not due to the sediment alone irrespective of things lighting, CO2, and other general care. Plain sand can do a dandy job based on pics and good care as well.
You can do pot test, this works very well with terrestrial plants and should be the same for aquatics(emergent plants are not subjected to CO2 issues or to water sources of ferts, so it's all 100% sediment and nutrients contained there).
Small pots in an aquarium can be used also. CEC and nutrient analysis is already available for this Akadama. Still, cost a bit more than sand and you could add worm castings, osmocoat, soils etc to a base layer.

That would take more demand off the water column, thus making it leaner and still get the same growth rates, and thereby reducing water changes and less RO use.
Lower light will also do a similar effect.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Antoni (5 Dec 2009)

HI Tom,
I just wondered could we use dolomite with Worm castings or osmocote, so we get better aesthetics and fertility?
Is the dolomite has positive CEC? I have read that calcium magnesium carbonate(dolomite) is used for enrichment of soils with Ca and Mg, but I'm afraid that this could influence water parameters as DH and Kh in aquariums? I think it is very close to limestone?!
I have done research about the use of montmorillonite, but the one that is find in my area has Na for exchange ions and that is not good I think for aquarium?

Regards


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## belgarionp (1 Feb 2010)

Happy New years!
What's new ?
Have u any photos ?


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## alan_uk (24 Oct 2010)

any updates on yhis tank as it inspired me to use same substrate method


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## Wolfito (29 May 2019)

any updates? i am using this only for caridina shrimps not for high tech


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## Looneeyy (29 May 2019)

Wolfito said:


> any updates? i am using this only for caridina shrimps not for high tech



I ran akadama in my 240Litre capped with black gravel, the plants absolutely went crazy with it! so I’d like to say his would be doing well also!


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## Kezzab (29 May 2019)

Errr 9 year old journal...


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