JBL Manado too light, does it settle down?

[ajm83]

No internet access in my LFS so I bought Manado on their recommendation without checking the reviews online. (Also slightly frustrating to find it's basically tesco value kitty litter at 10x the price but hey ho!)

Followed the pack instructions, but now I'm finding it is so light that I have to keep the filter running at only 10% or so or it turns the tank into a big brown snowglobe. Even having an airstone running a few inches away is enough lift to pull the substrate up. It's been in 48 hours or so.

Does this stuff ever settle down, or should I just rip the lot out?

 

[EdwinK]

It will settle down eventually but manado will stay light as before.

 

[mort]

I have manado in my tank on top of aquasoil and it does float a little to begin with due to its structure. When I first set it up I rinsed it in a bucket to get rid of the dust and the particles that floated I took out (you can soak these and they should sink in time) as I had 10 times more than I needed. I didn't have an issue with more than a couple of bits floating and I have very strong flow without an issue now so hopefully once yours in saturated you shouldn't have an issue. The one downside I find with it and why I wouldn't probably use it again, is I find it annoying to plant in. Its simply not grippy and only with a slight disturbance the plant float away.

 

[Nick16]

I have manado in my tank on top of aquasoil and it does float a little to begin with due to its structure. When I first set it up I rinsed it in a bucket to get rid of the dust and the particles that floated I took out (you can soak these and they should sink in time) as I had 10 times more than I needed. I didn't have an issue with more than a couple of bits floating and I have very strong flow without an issue now so hopefully once yours in saturated you shouldn't have an issue. The one downside I find with it and why I wouldn't probably use it again, is I find it annoying to plant in. Its simply not grippy and only with a slight disturbance the plant float away.

Its not grippy because of its lightness. Theres no weight pushing down on the plant from all sides to hold it in the substrate.
Tropica soil is quite light but still heavier than the Manado.
I used to love the JBL aquabasis as a base layer substrate. Does cloud quite alot when uprooting plants with a large root structure like crypts - but quickly settles down.

 

[Daveslaney]

I used mando to as has been said it settles down after a while.
I ended up mixing flourite in with mine because i found it to light to plant in.

 

[MatusG]

Its to light, have it and dont like it. Hard to plant...not anymore in next scape


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