# ADA Aquasoil Amazonia: How much will it lower the GH/KH/PH



## Krishs Bettas (28 Aug 2009)

My water is very hard and has a PH 7. I was thinking of using the substrate for my CRS.
How much will it lower the GH/KH/PH?


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## Mark Evans (29 Aug 2009)

I'll try and help....

when i used it a year ago, it stripped my KH completely. was about 9 then read 0.   slowly increased to about 5 over time, then i stopped checking. with the addition of co2 my PH went down to about 5 from 7.5 ish. again i stopped checking. GH....don't know

same happened with nature soil.


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## aaronnorth (29 Aug 2009)

you will notice a small drop in GH as amazonia is already loaded with nutrients, (it will take Mg & Ca cations out of the water) but going by Marks observations my suggested theory is wrong.


the pH decrease will depend on the KH, and if you use CO2 injection.


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## Krishs Bettas (29 Aug 2009)

How long does the buffering last?


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## Mark Evans (30 Aug 2009)

this was a direct question to amano with his reply......


Q.1)ã€€ What are the major differences in the characteristics of Aqua Soil Amazonia, Malaya, and Africana? What are they specifically in terms of the ability to decrease pH, the effect on KH, and the brittleness of soil particles?

A.1) ã€€The differences among the Aqua Soil Series substrate materials are primarily the amount of nitrogen (organic materials) and pH decreasing (same as kH decreasing) effect as described below:

Nitrogen content in descending order:
Amazonia -> Amazonia II -> Africana -> Malaya (contains practically no nitrogen.)
* Aquatic plants grow better in a substrate with higher nitrogen content. Thus, they grow better in Amazonia and Amazonia II.

Ability to decrease pH in descending order:
Malaya -> Africana -> Amazonia II -> Amazonia
* As pH decreases, KH also decreases. Malaya and Africana are best suited for the purpose of decreasing pH.

As for the brittleness of soil particles, Malaya has particles that are the most brittle and easiest to break up. The brittleness is about the same among the other three types.


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## aaronnorth (3 Sep 2009)

so that would explain why all my plants have a coating of substrate particle dust


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## Mark Evans (3 Sep 2009)

this is why IMVHO nature soil is becoming king  8)


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## Fred Dulley (16 Sep 2009)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> so that would explain why all my plants have a coating of substrate particle dust



Me too. I shan't be using Malaya again.


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## aaronnorth (16 Sep 2009)

Fred Dulley said:
			
		

> aaronnorth said:
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> 
> 
> ...



its annoying isnt it, especially when so much work goes in, it is just as bad as having algae, it ruins the tank. you clean it off and its back by the next morning


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