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Hi all, Moler clay is diatomite based, but has clay minerals as well, details are at <"Moler">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is fine, but it is <"really difficult to get rid of the smell">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, The variability is the issue. Potentially you can do the same with <"sediment nutrients"> as you can with water column ones, all the way from <"Triffid to running on petrol fumes">. That is why I like Oak (Quercus spp.) or <"Beech (Fagus spp.) leaf mold">, it is going to add <"slow to...

Hi all, I think that is probably the important bit, the bark is <"nearly all lignin"> and that has a very low <"Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)">. The problem with the domestic green waste compost is that <"it isn't fully decomposed"> (although some of the fixed nitrogen will have gone)...

Hi all, I'd keep well away from anything with <"green waste compost">, or <"controlled release"> fertiliser, in it. If you did want to use it? I'd only add a small amount. There are <"loam based aquatic soils"> that people have used successfully You can use a small amount of garden soil...

Hi all, Perfect That was what <"Dr Newton found">. This is what he said: cheers Darrel

Hi all Are you using <"Prime"> as your dechlorinator? I'd stop adding the <"Colombo Bacto Start 250ml - Bacterial Filter Starter">, it is pretty unlikely to contain the microbes that actually perform nitrification. Have a look at <"Correspondence with Dr Ryan Newton - School of Freshwater...

Hi all, Yes, if its physically intact? Use it. cheers Darrel

Hi all, There is a fourth option, which is to <"just have sand"> and feed the water column. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, You can. If you keep Long-nosed Corydoras? Deeper sand required <"PlanetCatfish.com - Corydoras amapaensis (Callichthyidae) Cat-eLog">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I did, but I'm so technically incompetent that I can't do links on the phone. Cheers Darr

Hi all, I think you are safe enough, UKAPS is just the gift that keeps giving.* *Aargh no, no link........ Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I haven't. There are products you can buy that claim to contain them <"Thoughts on Blackwater Extract products . . ."> and <"leaves & gravel vacuuming">. I don't have any aesthetic issue with structural leaf litter (<"see below">) (or any <"sense of aesthetics">) so I'm happy to use...

Hi all, I use sand with a minimal amount <"(~10%) clay and "leaf mold">. I like the leaf mold to still show obvious leaf fragments and use either Oak (Quercus spp.) or Hornbeam (<"Carpinus betulus">). I'm not sure there is anything particularly special about these trees, they are just...

Hi all, It is smart marketing, the "extra" CO2 comes because as the pH lowers more of the Total (Dissolved) Inorganic Carbon T(D)IC becomes gaseous CO2, rather than as the bicarbonate ion (HCO3-)*. Even that isn't really right and * @Andy Pierce & @hax47 have the <"proper explanation"> here...

Hi all, You need @_Maq_ to answer. I'm going to guess that the pH values for "C - aquasoil" are likely to be accurate, partially because the water is "saltier" in that treatment. He isn't adding any alkalinity in the remineralisation. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes, they exchange cations from the water column with the bound cations on their exchange surfaces. <"https://www.grainsa.co.za/soil-the-producers-most-important-asset--part-9-cation-exchange-and-base-saturation">. If you start with protons (H+ ions) on <"the exchange surfaces"> they...

Hi all, I agree. All fertilisers have to have a nutrient analysis, and that would be included on bags of <"John Innes (JI) mix"> and peat or coir based potting media etc., but after that it is a bit of a mess at the moment ,<"post BREXIT">. There are British Standard for Potting Composts...

Hi all, With the disclaimer that I haven't used either product, I'd say that they look fairly similar, and I'd guess that is true of most <"active substrates">. Have a look at <"Tropica Plant Growth Substrate Lifespan">. <"Dennerle Plants Soil 9L - Aquarium Soil Plant Substrate"> <"Tropica...

Hi all, That is the problem, the <"unknown unknowns">. Personally I'm willing to trade any short term enhanced growth for longer term stability, so I don't really <"see a need"> for aquasoil type substrates. I know @_Maq_'s thought process goes along the same lines <"Cloudy Water Hazy Water...

Hi all, This is a new one for me, but I sense <"another competitor"> in the <"World's Most Expensive Water Contest">. Do we have an ingredients list? I'm going to guess not. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm a rainwater user. If I didn't have access to rainwater? I would use our tap water <"If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil">. We have a water softener, but it gets through <"a lot of salt">. You could potentially get water that varies throughout the year, dependent on...

Hi all, Personally I'd go down the FeEDDHA and <"pink tinge route">. We all tend to have the <"same water parameters in the SE of UK"> (away from the Weald). cheers Darrel

Hi all, I wonder if those <"two factors are related">? cheers Darrel

Hi all, Sounds like the <"Nessler" method">, where the reagent converts all of the TAN to NH3 gas. <"Ammonia Nessler Test Method, Technical Information - Palintest"> If your test uses K2HgI4? It should have warning pictograms on the label. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It would be, and you can use <"the chart of pH and temperature"> to get the ratio of NH4+ : NH3. I like TAN as measure, the issue for me is that "ionized" can become "unionized", <"with disastrous results">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, You have to measure them as Total Ammoniacal Nitrogen (TAN), by either acidifying the solution to convert all the TAN to ammonium (NH4+) or adding a base to convert it all to ammonia NH3 <"Help understanding NT Labs liquid ammonia test"> . cheers Darrel

Hi all, I remember the conversation, but I can't remember exactly how the conversation went, but say you left the Aquasoil outside with the rain able to run through it and away? Then eventually it would be base poor again, the problem is just the time scale. Personally I'd re-use it. If your...

Hi all, It is just a really <"cheap option">. It always amazes me that people will pay a <"hefty premium"> for branded <"remineralising salts">. The calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (2HCO3-) ions are exactly the same whether they came from calcium chloride (CaCl2.nH20) & potassium bicarbonate...

Hi all, That one is probably where I'd start. It would add some carbonate hardness dKH ("alkalinity") - <"Some handy facts about water">. It is only the carbonates of group one (alkali) metals that are soluble, so basically the options are potassium (K+) or sodium (Na+). Open to question...

Hi all, It will raise it to pH8, but if you don't add very much bicarbonate (2HCO3-) that will go back down again fairly easily. The form of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) is pH dependent and if you add an acid (a proton (H+ ion) donor) it will convert some of the bicarbonate to CO2 and if...

Hi all, That should work. Do you have an external filter as well? and If you do? What is in it? Yes. I'll be honest my answer to nearly all problems is usually <"more plants">. It just wouldn't have as bigger footprint as the Amphitheatre, allowing oxygen diffusion more easily. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Welcome to UKAPS. The plant looks like Vallisneria <"Vallisneria spiralis ‘Tiger’ - Tropica Aquarium Plants">. Agreed, I'm a <"sand user as well">. Having said that, I'd like a few plants with <"chunky roots"> to <"spread through the sand">. Traditional Amazon Sword...

Hi all, I'm not arguing, if I had an infinite amount of time and money I'd set this up as a fully factorial experiment and analyse it using ANOVA. I'd still want to plot everything, because <"I'm obsessed with graphics"> (and <"penguins">). You would still need to keep refining your model, but...

Hi all, That is really the problem, the <"unknown unknowns">. <"Fully factorial"> planned experiments are problematic, mainly because of the <"large number of variables"> and not being able to weight these, basically we still don't know what is <"the coffee and what is the froth">. I'd...

Hi all, I'm guessing that <"light and CO2 availability"> is much more important. It grows <"without any problem emersed">, but isn't particularly keen on being submersed. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that is a real problem in cold places, once the cold air is in the house and warms up the humidity plummets. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think most cushion (Acrocarpous) mosses will be unsuitable to be grown continually wet, they are usually adapted to dry places and droughting. <"Common mosses on walls"> <"Common mosses on walls - British Bryological Society"> gives you some pictures of species to probably avoid...

Hi all, Could be urea (CO(NH2)2, but it is probably an ammonium (NH4+) salt. Ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 would be my guess, very cheap to buy, acidifying and a lot of ammonium content. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think they just soak the media in a salts solution, let it air dry a bit, and then bag and sell it. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, I'm guessing that yhey add the nutrients after they process the aquasoil, but I don't know. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, No, they should be fine. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"That is the one">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It doesn't have to be red. Is your garden clay? You could just use that. If you didn't want the clay to raise pH? You could try an acid clay, I get mine from <"the Gault clay"> along the chalk edge, but there might be acidic clay locally to you in the Kellaways formation etc...

Hi all, Well I'm in. cheers Darrel

Hi all, We have a comment from <"Dr Greg Morin himself">. As for expense? I think @sparkyweasel has <"the answer">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It maybe in patches. I'd look on a <"gradient of REDOX values"> <"in the substrate"> as a good thing. Have a look at <"Aquarium Biofiltration - SWISSTROPICALS">. That should be all right. I'm guessing that the <"Chempak Sequestered Iron"> mentioned elsewhere is this product...

Hi all, I'm not sure it is any different in terms of <"available iron content"> (Fe) , but you are definitely in the <"right part of the world">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Sand as a substrate, with a <"very minimal amount of leaf mold and clay mixed in">. Once the substrate is in place I try and leave it undisturbed. I have Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculata) in my tanks, so there will be some substrate turn-over. I use as floating plant...

Hi all, I should have done that one as well. As @Oldguy suggests laterite isn't really a source of plant available iron (Fe), the "issue" is <"one of solubility">. cheers Darrel

H all, I've had a look, and I'm not convinced is probably the answer. Have a look at <"Soil Substrate or Dirted Tank - A How to Guide"> Personally I'm not keen on organic and nutrient rich substrates, and I also don't think that any tank necessarily has a finite life span, mine have run for...

Hi all, "Father Fish Tank", I'll be honest a new one on me. I'll have a look and get back to you. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think if the substrate <"is a reducing environment"> then ferrous iron ions (Fe++) will be plant available. However I think you are likely to have problems with root growth, and I would want <"some emergent plants"> with <"roots adapted to deep substrates">. You would need these...

Hi all, I think this is similar to the <"Danish"> <"Moler clay"> cat-litter that people have been using in the UK. I'm guessing that these absorbent clay granules are cheaper to buy in the US, because they work out quite expensive in the UK. I didn't look closely at the spec. for the last...

Hi all, The thing for me is that you can argue about aesthetics with tanks and filters, and even, to a lesser degree, with substrates, but you can't with fertilisers, (once you've got past the <"sexy bottles">) . <"Hypothetically">, if some-one gave me an "ADA 60P" aquarium, "ADA Aquasky RGB...

Hi all, The past is still pin-sharp (although <"a different country">), it is the <"recent past"> & <"present"> I have issues with. I think <"I remembered it"> because it was a semi-serious suggestion, in much the same way that <"secret ingredient soup"> was. cheers Darrel

Hi all, <"Tarot readings"> beckon yet again. ADA have stolen <"my intellectual property rights">. <"Darrell's (dw1305's) soil thread"> cheers Darrel

Hi all, They do, if you disturb the substrate at all. It is via <"granular convection">. Cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is 2 + 2 = 5. Quartz (and glass) are <"made from silicon dioxide (SiO2)"> and <"so are the frustules ("skeleton") of diatoms">. The issues are <"all to do with solubility">, the ability of diatoms to extract Si from water and the amount of <"orthosilicic acids"> (H4SiO4) in...

Hi all, <"I'm a sand user">. I add a <"very minimal amount"> of <"leaf mold"> <"and clay"> when I start, but I'm not sure it makes any difference. I've got one tank with <"Moler Clay cat litter"> and that has also been fine and hasn't degraded over ~ ten years. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Nitrification and synergistic effects <Stripping Away the Soil: Plant Growth Promoting Microbiology Opportunities in Aquaponics> cheers Darrel

Hi all, This is the bit that maybe of most interest to us and it talks about the difficulties of keeping iron (Fe) in solution. Iron Limitation: a Case Study for Pgpm Research in Aquaponic Plant Production <Stripping Away the Soil: Plant Growth Promoting Microbiology Opportunities in...

Hi all, I've got even less idea of where to put this one, so I'll leave it in "substrates", even though they are the component that is entirely lacking in this study. Bartelme RP, Oyserman BO, Blom JE, Sepulveda-Villet OJ, Newton RJ. (2018) "Stripping Away the Soil: Plant Growth Promoting...

Hi all, I'm not quite sure where to put this, so I'll pop it in "Substrates". I've talked a bit about plants being able to change the conditions in the substrate, in <"the rhizosphere">, to favour "beneficial microbes" and this paper quantifies that, using RNA libraries. It also talks about...

Hi all, If it is quite light in weight? You will need to <"contain it in a bag etc">, or it will <"end up as the top layer fairly quickly">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That is my <"guess as well">, it is the <"good things come to those who wait"> argument. The <"best fish-keeper I ever knew"> kept mulmy tanks, despite <"working with fish"> that need very "clean" conditions. It is easy to conflate "clean" with "sterile", but there are many different...

Hi all, I think this is a very valid point, we wouldn't try and grow Orchids and Tomatoes in <"the same conditions">, so why should "one size fits all" work for aquatic plants? If I wanted to grow a lot of <"Cyperus papyrus quickly">, or grow a <"Victoria amazonica Water-lily from seed">? Then...

Hi all, I have <"another link for you">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I just use silica sand, usually <"play sand">. I mix a minimal amount of clay and leaf mold in, but if I <"don't have any to hand?"> I don't worry too much. I want a low nutrient substrate, because I want to <"run the tanks as lean as possible">. Once the tank is setup I don't tend to...

Hi all, I may have to pass on that very kind offer, I'm not sure it is quite me. Although I may have a <"DIY alternative">, which may even be cheaper? I could write some <"advertising for them">, but <"RENA never took me up on my offer">, and no-one has offered since. A few years ago I did...

Hi all, Not a very <"informative web site">. I'm going to assume that they don't contain any nutrients, but presumably have some CEC (because of the "promotes neutral to acidic pH" bit). I think it must be similar to moler clay which <"has been acid washed?">. I'm guessing they would be...

Hi all, What does the tank look like? If it has plenty of plants? (including some floating ones?) and they look to be in good growth? I wouldn't be too worried about the fish, otherwise I would be very concerned, even with the low pH. While any residual TAN would be ammonium (NH4+) you could...

Hi all, I wouldn't go that far, but the problem with all the <"Controlled Release Fertilisers"> is that they can become <"Uncontrolled Release Fertilisers">. @erwin123 's graphs in <"Osmocote plus disaster"> illustrates what I worry about. It is the potential and kinetic energy analogy from...

Hi all, I'd just put the meter about 60 cm from the light , just in the air, and see what it says. I don't know, but I'm definitely going to say <"not too bright">. That is why I like a floating plant, <"they are adapted to bright light"> and not CO2 limited, so you are <"unlikely to fry...

Hi all, Yes, a LUX meter is very useful, somewhere about 5000 LUX is <"LCP for most non-shade plants">, and the <"bright tropical sun"> would be in the hundreds of thousands. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Like this, taken this afternoon. These are in a N. facing window and have a "Superfish Scaper 45 Light" (that I purchased from @Epiphyte) earlier in the year. They don't have any fish and receive an extremely ad hoc slosh of <"Miracle Gro"> and an <"even more random dose"> of iron...

Hi all, The advantage of a floating plant is that you can discount CO2 deficiency, any floating, or emergent, plant has access to <"415 ppm of atmospheric CO2">. It is <"Diana Walstad's "aerial advantage"> and have a look at <"150 ppm co2?">. I think so, I also think that light is probably...

Hi all, It works fine in terms of growth and morphology, but you can't really use the greeness aspect. This is what it looks like with <"plenty of light and nutrients">. The same applies to Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), size and morphology work, but colour doesn't. Water Hyacinth...

Hi all, Yes, that is right. It was developed for Rice (Oryza sativa), and works pretty well for Duckweed (Lemna minor) and Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum), but <"isn't suitable for every plant">. Have a look at <"Glasshouse "floating weeds" tank."> It really has to be a floating plant...

Hi all, <"This one">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It should be fine, an ion is an ion is an ion, the plants don't care how much they cost. Have a look at the <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart""> and <"Duckweed Index">. I use leaf size and colour, in a non-CO2 limited plant, as an indication of when, or whether, I...

Hi all, I'd give them a go, they aren't going to do any harm. I'd have a look at an all in one dry salt mix intended for horticulture. Something like the Solufeed 2 : 1 : 4 mix <"mentioned earlier in the thread">. If you <"know the tank size"> and the chemical composition of the fertiliser...

Hi all, They look all right. <"NA Thrive Caps Aquarium Plant Root Tabs">. They don't have a very high nutrient content, so they would still work out relatively expensive. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Not really, "Biochar" is a bit of a buzz term, but the definition is "the solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment" which just means it is <"charcoal and ash">, which doesn't sound quite so sexy or exclusive. Biochar /...

Hi all, That is the thing I struggle with, you need some <"pretty inventive advertising"> to persuade people that is a feasible price, and you need to be entirely amoral to actually try it. I'm going to be very wary of any company that does this, they have basically lost my trust and I'm pretty...

Hi all, Unfortunately that has been a long running theme on this forum, various vendors who are <"economical with the truth"> and seek to obscure what their product contains and how it "works". Same for me, I like rounded grains. cheers Darrel

Hi all, That makes things a little different, basically you will need to break up line of sight and have a lot more cover for the Apistogramma. I'll copy in @Conort2 <"South American 400l"> They also require softer, very high quality, water. You might be all right with Apistogramma borelli or...

Hi all, I'm going to assume that you are going to keep Rift Lake Cichlids? In that case <"this is a species list of plants from Lake Tanganyika"> and I would probably just go with sand and some rounded cobbles to protect the plants from digging. Same for me. cheers Darrel

Hi all, What @LMuhlen says, they improve water quality. I had trouble with my Cherry Shrimps when the <"water got too soft one winter">. I didn't measure dGH or dKH, but I was down to about 60 microS conductivity. I have a hard tap water supply, but use rainwater in the tanks and it had rained...

Hi all, That is it, strongly acidic, reducing conditions will make iron (Fe) available. <"Redox Transformations of Iron at Extremely Low pH: Fundamental and Applied Aspects">. There is a lot of academic research on iron and flooding of terrestrial crops, because under flooded conditions soil...

Hi all, Not once they are <"ferric oxides and ferric hydroxides">, they will only release their iron as ions <"in exceptional circumstances">. The <"haematite that supplies most of the world's steel"> is Pre-Cambrian in age. If billions of years of rainfall haven't dissolved it? You know...

Hi all, You are right @jaypeecee, neither iron rich substrate or brick are soluble. If you want an analogy it is analogous to nitrogen (N). The atmosphere is nitrogen rich (70%) but that nitrogen is unavailable to nearly all organisms all the time it is N2 gas. If you can break the triple...

Hi all, <"Moler clay cat litter"> or silica sand? Personally <"I'm a sand fan">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Same as @Simon Cole for me. <"and again">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Rather than locking them in, I wonder if <"nutrients are more available">, because you are more likely to have zones of fluctuating REDOX values (in the rhizosphere) with sand as a capping. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I' m pretty sure the orange zone, around the root, is a zone of iron (Fe) III oxide. These zones form because of a combination of root exudates and bacteria in the rhizosphere. Iron is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde plant nutrient, it is incredibly abundant in the soil, but unavailable in...

Hi all, Same for me, <"100% fairly fine sand">, you only need a thin layer. You might be interested in <Corydoras breeder with planted tanks>. cheers Darrel

Hi all, I think that is the <"absorbent, clumping one">. They used to mine it around Bath. You want the <"Moler Clay"> one. I think it is all <"mined in Denmark">. cheers Darrel

Hi all, It is very light, so you would need to put it in net bags etc to keep it under the gravel. It is quite fine (coarse sand sized), but it shouldn't be dust like. It is fine on its own, I've had a tank with it in for ~12 years and it is still intact. cheers Darrel

Hi all, Yes it does. The substrate doesn't have any H+ ions (protons) to exchange (~ all the cation exchange sites have a Ca++ ion). Acids are "proton donors" and the substrate has stopped acting as a weak acid buffer. cheers Darrel