# "New Amazonia"



## anasarka (23 Apr 2013)

Hi, I have a question about "New Amazonia" that is no longer produced.
Several of my friends have a problem with the "New Amazonia", the first three months of the launch of the aquarium at optimal conditions occurs same problem of rotting plant leaves but not the roots. Once you put charcoal in the filters problem partly decreased but did not disappear.After discussion we concluded that Amazonia released something in the water that kills plants. Does anyone have such a problem with this exactly "New Amazonia", and how if he had been dealt. I personally think that they have produced poor substrates and it stopped as soon as they know.


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## Alastair (23 Apr 2013)

Never found this to be a problem when I used it, plant growth was great. Hadnt heard of it being no longer produced though. Do you have any links tp this?? 
I know they have changed the packaging so it bo longer states 'new amazonia' and that the normal size grain us just labelled amazonia in orange where as the powder version is labelled with a yellow 'amazonia'. 
Cant find anything on it ceasing production

I do know that the initial ammonia spike from the soil can cause plant melt but enough water changes would deal with that.


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## anasarka (23 Apr 2013)

Looks that way written New Amazonia. Site Amano gone only Amazon. There is no ammonia in the water, and it comes to aquariums 2-3 months old


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## anasarka (23 Apr 2013)

http://www.google.bg/search?q=new+amazonia+ada&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=L6t2UbHQMcL1Ofy_gfAE&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#imgrc=gJDh44Otc5qQRM%3A%3BPOAaC-PXXrWaiM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fshop.naturaquarium.ch%252Fimage%252Fcache%252Fdata%252FADA%252FADA-New-Amazonia-500x500.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fshop.naturaquarium.ch%252FBodengrund%252FADA-Aqua-Soil-New-Amazonia-3-Liter%3B500%3B500
Looks that way "New Amazonia"


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## Alastair (23 Apr 2013)

I cant find anything related to your problem with melting but here's the link to the new packaging 

News ||| ADA Nature Aquarium - Aqua Design Amano Co., Ltd


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## Aquadream (23 Apr 2013)

I have a real nightmare with New Amazonia. Also three other guys I know in Bulgaria all experienced scapers for years.
My new aquascape have suffered so much problems for the first month that I had to make a complete restart. On Day 32 from the initial start I have replanted completely after endless water changes and of course active carbon in the filters.
Another month later nothing looks much better. There is a plant growth, but all plants look miserable.
I have HC, Staurogyne Repens, Eleocharis Parvula and Hydrocotyle Japan. All of those started growint like weeds and about 10 days later all got small and miserable leaves. The Staurogyne suffered the most.
Everything still looks like crap.
And guess what. Apart from using Easy Life Profito as micro supplement I use all ADA aditives, no exeption. No good result either.

The other guy made a tank only with HC. He managed to get it growing more than mine, but it looks like weeds. Very long stems with few leaves on them. Really weird. Also at least half of the HC in his tank is rotting away after it seemingly has grown well.

The third guy also made tank with only HC in New Amazonia. He lost all of it.

Another one also from BG and New Amazonia have reported HC and all other plants in his new set up rotting away. Only after two months did he get some improvement, but the Staurogyne never recovered in his New Amazonia set up.

Another experience that I have with New Amazonia, really bad one. I have not managed to grow not one emmersed pot of any kind of plant. They all grow nice from the start and about two weeks later die real fast.

I honestly curse the day I have started new scape with New Amazonia. Real crap. I have not managed to find any way out of this problem nor did I hear anyone else to have resolved it either.

Amazonia I and Amazonia II were really good. I could not go wrong with those no matter what.

May be not the whole production of New Amazonia was bad, but I definitelly hit on the worst of it.


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## gmartins (23 Apr 2013)

I am currently using New Amazonia with HC, Stauro and others and no problems at all. The tank is still emersed, yet no problems at all.

Quiet Little Thing


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

There will be mixed feedback all the time. This was the same in the old age with Amazonia and Amazonia II. The net was full with them.
This is how the substrate works sometime. I got some reports when soils got mud, got lots of algae etc.

There are different scenarios so this may can happen.

We also used the New Amazonia which is now just Amazonia as it is not new anymore with good success.

This was done with New Amazonia. Now more than 6 month old:
Timeline Photos | Facebook

This is new amazonia too: IAPLC 2012 entries Rank #111 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This one too: IAPLC 2012 entries Rank #67 CBAP 2012 Foreign 1st | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

my latest one also new amazonia: Reborn - fine tune | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This one is a new one so we had to wait a little to see how this works based on Aquadream's feedback: Green Aqua Showroom | Flickr - Photo Sharing! 
but a few days old and crystal clear.

Some of the above tanks used ADA ferts only, other used EI. So used different kind of fertilizers.

So there will be success and failures all the time. Not sure why it went wrong with Aquadream as he is a skilled scaper so we can close out the beginner's fault. I thought i add my 2 cents


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## Aquadream (23 Apr 2013)

gmartins said:


> I am currently using New Amazonia with HC, Stauro and others and no problems at all. The tank is still emersed, yet no problems at all.
> 
> Quiet Little Thing


 
One of the guys I mentioned with only HC and New Amazonia also made a dry start. All was fine untill he top up the water. He said he HC was almost completely gone by the next day.
So let see what happens when you put the water in.


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## Aquadream (23 Apr 2013)

viktorlantos said:


> There will be mixed feedback all the time. This was the same in the old age with Amazonia and Amazonia II. The net was full with them.
> This is how the substrate works sometime. I got some reports when soils got mud, got lots of algae etc.
> 
> There are different scenarios so this may can happen.
> ...


 
All of the New Amazonia that we have problem with was purchased in one batch last year.
I don't know what is wrong with it, but I am damn sure it is the substrate causing all the problems as I have exhausted all other options.
The last thing i got left to do is change the substrate to the older used type of Amazonia that I have and get all running from the start.

The strange thing in this case is that all of us in BG that have experienced problems with this batch of New Amazonia are using different ferts, different lights and different water.
I am the only one using pure RO water with GH and KH boosters. The results in all of the tanks are the same. Disaster.

I can accept that there will be success and failures all the time, but in my 30 years of aquatic practice have never experienced anything quite like this. Some partial problems are normal, but not one plant species to survive in my tank, after replanting second time in two months, that is not normal at all.


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

Did anyone reported the batch issue/concern there to ADA Japan?


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

This one is also with new amazonia
Project name - Forest | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## Aquadream (23 Apr 2013)

viktorlantos said:


> Did anyone reported the batch issue/concern there to ADA Japan?


 
We all recently got to use the substrate, like in the past two three months. So I reported the problem to Aqua Go the company that have supplied the substrate and they said will ask ADA for this, but no news. I guess it will blow away with the wind as always does.
Shame really. I got 6 x 9 Litres bags and a friend of mine got 11 x 9 Litres of the same new Amazonia.

I really can't imagine what the problem is, but one thing is sure. If not one plant is doing well it got to be the substrate. In my practice no matter how wrong I did some of my tanks in the past there were always some plants that did well and others that did not. Never had a case where all have gone bad.


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## Aquadream (23 Apr 2013)

viktorlantos said:


> This one is also with new amazonia
> Project name - Forest | UK Aquatic Plant Society


 
I suspect that if I get to use ADA Green Brighty Step 1 things might just get better. Can't get it anywhere in BG and no one would supply it on request. Have to wait God knows how many months to get it.
I noticed that New Amazonia is knocking down the GH a lot. More than a degree per day mostly by blocking the Magnesium. That is two months after start with 1.5 Litres of fine grain active carbon in the filter. It must be leaching a lot of acidity in the water.
It also keeps ridiculously low PH of 5.2 - 5.5. Managment of CO2 in such conditions is very difficult.


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## viktorlantos (23 Apr 2013)

Strange we've got a large shipment last year around summer, another large one the the beginning of this year. Both shipment had several tons from this soil and i not seen similar issues.

But maybe you got another production batch. Do not know.

We mainly use it with soft water, but our clients use tap water too. Did not get any report. I do use GH booster on the soft water tanks.


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## gmartins (23 Apr 2013)

Aquadream said:


> One of the guys I mentioned with only HC and New Amazonia also made a dry start. All was fine untill he top up the water. He said he HC was almost completely gone by the next day.
> So let see what happens when you put the water in.


 
I hope my batch is not "damaged"!!! 

It is really strange. There are a lot of people on an portuguese forum that are using Amazonia New and all is fine as well. You must have gotten a bad batch. I think you should report/ask ADA directly.


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## Aquadream (24 Apr 2013)

gmartins said:


> I hope my batch is not "damaged"!!!
> 
> It is really strange. There are a lot of people on an portuguese forum that are using Amazonia New and all is fine as well. You must have gotten a bad batch. I think you should report/ask ADA directly.


 Probably good idea, but since we have received the substrate last year who can possibly trace from which batch it is?
I have the feeling that this substrate I have is more dependant on the ADA additives than the previous Amazonia versions.
It is really wierd. my last aquascape i started with the older Amazonia and strong light. Did not have a single issue of any kind, no algae, nothing at all.
With my current scape I have the worse hell in history and I have been carefull about everything as always.

I wonder since the substrate was in storage for more than a year if the properties of the product simply did not expire. Also all of my ADA additives are over year old.
ADA is not putting any expiration date on their products, but this just could be the core of the problems I have now.
I wonder for example in the Green Bacter additive how long the bacterial cultures can remain dorment and alive for use in aquarium?


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## gmartins (24 Apr 2013)

I do not know about the bacteria but all the other stuff must be inorganic compounds. It should not matter how old they are.


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## Aquadream (24 Apr 2013)

gmartins said:


> I do not know about the bacteria but all the other stuff must be inorganic compounds. It should not matter how old they are.


 The Amazonia Aquasoil is made out of supposedly tropical soils that are loaded with organic compounds. More specifically naturally occuring humic acid or at least this is the claim.
See what is the reccomendation from ADA for using active carbon to absorb the extra organic matter that new Aquasoil would release in the water column durring starting period.
Also quite a few of the ADA additives are organic in their composition like Piton Git, Green Gain, Eca etc. They should have expiry date. They can not possibly be in good working order forever.

I am not trying here to make ADA products look bad in any way. Just looking for answers, but unfortunatelly getting comments from ADA fun boys and no one that knows anything in depth.


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## Aquadream (4 May 2013)

I have contacted ADA on this matter since no one have any idea what to do.
As soon as they answer, if they do, I will report their answer in here for others to get the information.


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## gmartins (6 May 2013)

cool. Let's see what they have to say...


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## Aquadream (11 May 2013)

One week after 2 e-mails to ADA.. No answer at all.
I seems that I will be forced to go for detailed laboratory analysis that is going to cost me some money and then spread it all over the internet.
I am really unhappy for getting this treatment.
The last think I did was purchasing from Green Aqua all of the ADA ferts and additives for a beginning stage of a Amazonia set up hoping that they will help.
NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
This disaster have cost me 300 Euros more for new plants and ADA ferts and additives and it is all the same almost 3 months after initial start.
Please if anyone had any similar problem share some info about solution if there is any different from another start up.


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## gmartins (14 May 2013)

Do you think your ADA retailer could help getting an answer from ADA?


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## Aquadream (14 May 2013)

gmartins said:


> Do you think your ADA retailer could help getting an answer from ADA?


 He tried. No answer.
I will send one un opened bag of New Amazonia to the Czech Republic for detailed soil analisys. Will see what will come out.


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## Amir (30 Jan 2014)

Hi, I bought a bag of fertilizer NEW AMAZONIA
 I think for 2008 it has lost its quality fertilizer?


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## Aquadream (31 Jan 2014)

Amir said:


> Hi, I bought a bag of fertilizer NEW AMAZONIA
> I think for 2008 it has lost its quality fertilizer?


 
Fertilisers don't get lost from unused substrate. They are basically salts and as such last forever unless if they get in contact with any substance that can cause chemical reaction.
So if the substrate did not get completely dry it will be just as good as new.


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## Amir (31 Jan 2014)

Aquadream said:


> Fertilisers don't get lost from unused substrate. They are basically salts and as such last forever unless if they get in contact with any substance that can cause chemical reaction.
> So if the substrate did not get completely dry it will be just as good as new.


Thanks for your answer
It was a little wet inside the box, and the seeds of aqua soil was a little wet. I dried the seeds because didn't want to use early.the aqua soil is spoiled?


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## Aquadream (1 Feb 2014)

Amir said:


> Thanks for your answer
> It was a little wet inside the box, and the seeds of aqua soil was a little wet. I dried the seeds because didn't want to use early.the aqua soil is spoiled?


 
Well get it wet as soon as you can. Not really muddy wet. Just tiny amount of moisture is enough. If Amazonia is completely dry before placed in aquarium it will start quickly to fall apart and become just like dust. You don't want this to happen.


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## Amir (1 Feb 2014)

Aquadream said:


> Well get it wet as soon as you can. Not really muddy wet. Just tiny amount of moisture is enough. If Amazonia is completely dry before placed in aquarium it will start quickly to fall apart and become just like dust. You don't want this to happen.


Just because it must be kept wet?
If I'm Amazonia keep dry before use and It would when using wet 
Do not be a problem?


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