# Adakama - long term



## idris (20 Feb 2015)

Does Adakama ever need replacing, or ... or something?
Ion exchange filters need "recharging" and as I understand it Adakama works as a substrate based on ion exchange, so I wondered. 

(The answer may well be in the sticky post on Adakama, and I'm very sorry if it is, but there are 234 replies, and I can't find enough enthusiasm to read 232 of them. Sorry!)


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## GreenNeedle (21 Feb 2015)

It depends on what you want from it.  

There is definitely a point where it is 'wasted' where it stops sucking in the KH / reducing the Ph.  When you first put it in it will suck all the KH out so you have to 'charge' it by adding clean water for a day or 2 until it balances out.  Then for a year or more dependent I suppose on how much 'work' you are making it do to reduce to a just below neutral Ph it will suck some KH out.  Then at a point it will stop doing that and you notice the water clarity is not what it has been and the KH has started to get higher.

Therefore if you are using it as a shrimp substrate with the intention that it should be reducing the Ph then you have to replace it at that point it becomes wasted.

If you are purely using it as a substrate then that isn't a worry.

Personally I don't change it even though I am a shrimp keeper because I reduce my tap's KH/Ph by mixing with rainwater anyway and I'm not keeping shrimps like Crystals where you need a smaller parameter range to keep them happy.


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## idris (22 Feb 2015)

It seemed to be the substrate of choice when I set the tank up, in terms of taking nutrients from the water and supplying them to roots. I don't recall giving any thought to KH or pH.


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## GreenNeedle (22 Feb 2015)

I use it in virtually all of my tanks.


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## idris (23 Feb 2015)

SuperColey1 said:


> I use it in virtually all of my tanks.


Do you do anything other than putting it in the tank and leaving it indefinitely?


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## GreenNeedle (23 Feb 2015)

No.  I put the Akadama in and fill it with tap water, leave for 24 hours.  Then empty as much of the water out as I can and refill with tap water and leave for another 24 hours.

Then I fill with whatever rain/tap mix I am going to continue with and plant up.

In my non display tanks they have had the same Akadama in since setup in April 2012.  With my display (aquascaped) tanks I change it with each scape.


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## idris (23 Feb 2015)

Hmmm. My tank has been running a bit longer than that.


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## GreenNeedle (24 Feb 2015)

Those from 2012 got to the wasted stage after about a year and a half.  It was pretty noticeable in terms of water clarity on it's own.  Had a few outbreaks of BBA at this time too as well as an increased death rate in the shrimp.)

I was using 100% tap water up to that point so it was working harder.  I would guess that it was quite a change for the inhabitants as my tap is liquid rock.


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