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Would be fun to see that data. I’m particularly curious how long any Gh/Kh/Ph changes persist for.... However from a practical point of view the precise amounts is not a big deal - it’s enough to know there will be “some” so one should cycle the tank before adding livestock and be wary if...

Can confirm if you don't have mature filter media - as I didn't - it puts out enough ammonia to go through a fish less cycle. I did not use the powder but it is probably better to get it for a nano, especially if you do a carpet.

I’ve used 3l of Tropica in my 17l low tech Betta tank and am happy with it. It did leach ammonia/nitrites so no livestock in the first month. Not tried the other two.

I just did exactly this - I added 2l tropica soil to the 1l already in a 16l Nano. I got 2 Nitrite spikes (maybe Ammonia too but no test kit) after 1 week and another after 2 weeks when I disturbed the substrate (plants have been showing up in dribs and drabs). Now I also did filter maintenance...

I'll put this here rather than starting a new thread. I am seeing this now. I have a 16 litre nano cycling with 2 litres of tropica aquarium soil for 3 weeks. A week ago Nitrites were high. Yesterday they had dropped to trace levels so I ran a 100% water change, chucked in the final litre...

Clive maintains it is snake oil, but it does have bacterial goodies in it and I am seeing a huge benefit having a mature substrate and filter. No surface film, no algae on the sand, crystal clear water. If I started again I would fishless cycle the Aquasoil for 3 weeks in the dark, use the...

I used 2*9l Aquasoil + 4kg sand and 1.5l JBL Aquabasis on my 200l, so you probably have just enough, especially if you use Powersand to pad it out (which I wish I had), or Aquabasis or Tropica substrate. There is no mystery - work out the average depth of substrate you want (say 4cm at front, 8...

Who can you get them from mail order LD? Thier catalogue is drool worthy and the small nano reef tanks with the LED lighting are utterly must have, if I ever start again they would be my supplier of choice. I've never seen any prices mind you. But Olivera has done a superb discus tank with...

I had to add another litre of AS to my tank, after the ammonia madness of my startup I soaked it in a bucket for a week, changing water every day. I then measured for ammonia after 24 hours and nothing was detected. So I agree with Clive, soak it. In fact, if I had my time again I would fish...

I put these in my pot plants, but I did wonder about a planted tank! In my local equivalent of B & Q they have two types, one with just Macros and one (for flowers, apparently) with traces including copper. This made me wary for shrimp, not knowing release rates and levels and so forth. How...

Its my opinion Clive that you have the best macro shots in the business. "Lush" doesn't even come close to describing them. Ok, you convinced me. My tank project is so long in gestation the budget seems to be amortized over aeons so I just ordered 2 bags of Malaya and a small bag of powder...

I meant a shocker that powersand was snakeoil, so to speak. I suppose that you could argue that it is at the beginning as the tank establishes that you most need these nutrients because later fish waste and other decaying matter in the substrate will replenish the original supplies? I'm still...

That's a shocker Clive - how do you know this - can you cite a source? Has someone done some experiments on how long AS and PS hold thier nutrient loads? Cheers, Ray

From ADG shop (here): http://www.adgshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=104%2D051&Show=ExtInfo I'd relax and do nothing - there is more than one way to skin a cat and there are people on here growing glosso on sand so ada powder should be fine. The roots help to oxygenate the substrate...

The fine stuff is supposed to be just a thin layer, no more than 1cm, on the surface. ADA advise against getting too deep with the fine or you hamper water circulation. Glosso will grow fine on the normal size and once its grown you won't know which one you have underneath! Amazonia is richer...

Did you go any further on this one James? My local garden centre sells it but I'm too nervous to try because dosing is an unknown and I don't want to end up with a massive 6 month ammonia spike... Maybe better with Aqausoil which has a known documented shrink wrapped ammonia spike :D

Now that would do very nicely I think! Wacky lateral thinking time here - if you are going to do that you could forget the osmocote and just put the zeolite on top of an undergravel filter which can suck ammonia down out of the substrate to get fixed for the plants by the zeolite! If the...

Excellent work James (and thanks Tom). Just yesterday I was lamenting the lack of decent bottom fertilizers with NPK, apart from the Tropica one which is horifically expensive. Look under "Root Tabs" on Aquaessentials and you see most of products proclaim proudly in thier marketing speal "no...

James says in his Akadama journal: So if I pre-treat with neat household ammonia will that do the trick? I _think_ some of it will be NH4+ and that will be taken in by the Akadama? If so will it then be released once you start using it in the tank or will it stay in the substrate? My goal...

Answer is in James' akadama journal here: http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=860&highlight=akadama There is a link from that to his more theoretical thread, also on akadama.

Very interesting indeed. I've seen mesh (semi rigid mosquito netting from DIY store) used to separate substrates on a forum here in Switzerland. I think it is safe to say if roots can find a path through gravel then mesh should not present a problem. Only issue I imagine could be if you try...