# New setup - JBL Aquabasis



## flaviu.vlaicu (2 Feb 2010)

Hellow all you happy people out there.I am starting a new planted tank setup and bought a bag of JBL Aquabasis.I don't know what to user over the aquabasis substrate.I have a picture here with what I have now and what I can buy,or should I go directly with the JBL Manado.I want some impressions about JBL Aquabasis and JBL Manado ,are they good together ?


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## Steve Smith (2 Feb 2010)

They look like they go together quite well, but if you're putting one ontop of the other, does that matter so much?   I guess you will get mixing when up-rooting plants etc so it's worth considering.

If you can get hold of Unipac Zambezi sand, I think it'd work quite well too.

i'd say go for it


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## flaviu.vlaicu (2 Feb 2010)

I want to go with JBL Manado but I don't know how good it is...

PS : Does the manado need washing ?


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## CeeJay (2 Feb 2010)

Hi flaviu


			
				flaviu.vlaicu said:
			
		

> PS : Does the manado need washing ?



I wouldn't wash it as you will be washing the nutrients down the drain. 
Just fill the tank slowly and you should be OK


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## flaviu.vlaicu (5 Feb 2010)

I think Manado *CAN* be washed,I don't think there is a problem in that.


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## CeeJay (6 Feb 2010)

Hi flaviu
It goes without saying, you can wash any substrate you wish to.
But you have just put your hand in your pocket for a substrate that contains plant nutrients, so why wash some of these nutrients down the drain. 
You might as well go and buy gravel and save yourself some cash


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## Steve Smith (6 Feb 2010)

CeeJay said:
			
		

> Hi flaviu
> It goes without saying, you can wash any substrate you wish to.



You're technically correct, although the ADA substrates specifically say you shouldn't pre-wash them; you put them into the aquarium dry and then fill with water once scaped.


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## Nelson (6 Feb 2010)

i have read somewhere that Manado raises ph and gh.not used it myself though so cannot confirm this.


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## flaviu.vlaicu (6 Feb 2010)

The only thing that I am worryed about is that is not heavy enough and after the plants grow bigger they will pop out of it .So I think I will go with some gravel made by Hagen.I don't know if it is the best choice but here in Romania you cannon buy all the fancy stuff that you can buy in other city's


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## Simon D (7 Feb 2010)

flaviu.vlaicu said:
			
		

> The only thing that I am worryed about is that is not heavy enough and after the plants grow bigger they will pop out of it .So I think I will go with some gravel made by Hagen.I don't know if it is the best choice but here in Romania you cannon buy all the fancy stuff that you can buy in other city's




It's unlikely that the plants will pop out when they grow bigger, they will be well rooted by that stage and it will take a lot to uproot them.


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## viktorlantos (7 Feb 2010)

Yeah this Manado is easier to float at the begining, but still you can plant anything in it. We have many tanks in Hungary which uses this type of soil. They are doing ok. Even the water hardening not appear for them after a week or so. However shrimp breeders are not using it.

You can wash this soil as this did not have any spec nutrients in it. This has CEC capacity to store it later, so aqua basis or other substrate needed for larger tanks.

This is a super cheap soil currently. If you can live with this color and the small grain, you also have patient for the early floating things this is a good type of soil to try.


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## flaviu.vlaicu (12 Feb 2010)

The Manado seems to be super ok.I am anctious to see how hard is it co clean and how often do I need to clean it.The color seems to be ok.From my point of view the rasbora is not so streesed because of the brown color that the Manado has.In the normal sand that I had last time my rasbora were more stressed.


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## Garuf (12 Feb 2010)

Odd that you'd suggest they were stressed, I've seen photos of rasbora habitats and they're mostly over white sand with tannin stained water.


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