# AS Powder...



## beeky (30 May 2008)

...how do I use it?

I'm thinking of setting up a 2' (60cm) tank with AS powder as I like the fine look. I've heard it's not for use as a complete substrate and should be used to cover the main 'layer'. Can anyone confirm this and if so, what would I use underneath? Tropica? Sand?
Cheers for any info!

Graham


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## Garuf (30 May 2008)

It's meant as a capping for foreground plants over the top of regular grade AS but this is not to say you can't use it in a singular state, George did on his nano. 
I would however suggest using regular as rather than powder, I use the normal stuff and even this is light I dread to think what powder would be like to plant in.


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## beeky (30 May 2008)

I've just worked out the cost of it all...

Tank is 60 x 38 x 38 cm. Giving a total of 87l. According the AE, I would need 1 x 9l and 1 x 3l bag of normal AS and 1 x 3l bag of powder giving a grand total of......

...Â£57.97

Ouch.

Thanks for the info Garuf. When I looked at AE for the cost they also said it was for use as a cap over normal AS. Should have checked there first really!


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## Garuf (30 May 2008)

The cost is outweighed by the benefits of AS, If I was you I'd over spend and buy 2 9l bags then you've got more than you'll need and in a round about sort of way kept cost down. 
You really don't need the powder stuff.


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## Graeme Edwards (30 May 2008)

For a 60cm, go for the normal grade. The powder is great for very fine root plants like HC,and for tiny nano's.
You have to think about the weight of the water, normal will carry that weight better than powder.You will grow everything you want in the normal, it crumbles up some what anyway, so seriously, it isnt an isue.
Remeber, plenty of water changes and dont add your fish strate away for the first couple of weeks at least.


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## Dave Spencer (30 May 2008)

I use the powder exclusively, and absolutely love it. It makes planting an absolute doddle. I much prefer it to Eco Complete.

Dave.


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## plantbrain (30 May 2008)

I hated the powder, I call it "dust". Hard not to make mess and blow it around. Fine if you can let the plants fill in and lock the stuff in place.

But even the finest rooted plants do great with the normal size. I do not buy into capping methods to lock anything below. That's heater cable baloney theory. With time, normal size quickly fills in and pieces migrate down with size to the bottom and between the spaces, mulm etc fills in.

Powder is so fine it allows mulm to build up. Even in a 2 gal nano, the tiny filter would blow it around.
And the powder got blown around as well. As it's made out of the same stuff, it's fine to use if you can deal with it, but the leaching factors will still be the same and plant growth will be the same as well. I cannot imagine it lasting that long. Grains are so small they will end up below and oxidized on the outer surface more than the normal size.
If you look at any natural system, you have the larger rocks on the top, medium/normal size in the middle and finer grains at the bottom and with time, most aquarium sediments will follow this pattern also.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Martin (30 May 2008)

Well after the above bit of research Beeky, we are non the wiser, each to their own I suppose. Try it you might just like it!


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