Substrate comparisons

[dearis]

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone out there has used some of the top shelf substrates likw ADA amazonia or eco complete and has an opinion as to how worth while they are whe using them in a planted tank.

Regards Darren

[ILLUSN]

A good substrate will save you tons of stress, cash and heartache.

Eco is good, Flora base is VERY good, dulpa is good, flourite seems to get depleated quickly (both normal and red), onxy is ok it seems to hold more nourishment than flourite but does leach carbonates into your water, so your ph tends to buffer a little higher.

JBL aquabasics works well under sand but dont ever disturb it or it will send clouds of clay into your water column. laterite and 3mm gravel is ok ish, but you cant gravel vac. this is the same problem with peat, soil, clay and vermiculite substrates, they are a pain in a discus tank.

[dearis]

Thanks ILLUSN,

how about the ADA amazonia?

Regards Darren

[ILLUSN]

sorry, i've got not much good to say about it, i used it in a 40l bowl, it always looked "hazy" to me. for the money i prefered flora base the growth was good, but it really didn't like being disturbed. one thing i did like was the smell, it smelt like real fresh soil.

[dearis]

Were you refering to dupla ground? if so that is what I have now but hate the color.

Eco gets mentioned a lot and have never heard of flora base

Thanks ILLUSN

[ILLUSN]

florabase is made by redsea and is very similar to ada malaya. Its not cheap but its good stuff. Eco is also good i know what you mean about the dupla color but it makes the plants grow well. If your in syd and want 2 sell your old dupla substrate let me know.

[TW]

Quite a few people here have reported the hazy look that ILLUSN mentions with ADA, but I've been lucky enough never to have experienced it. Not with the 3 ADA setups I've had, 2 of which are still up & running. The only bad thing I have to say about ADA is the price - far too expensive, particularly when you see how much cheaper it is in USA. Also, when you take into account that quite a few members here have had bad experiences & that maybe it is a luck thing. Even so, I'd still use it again.

[Big Daddy1]

I have had Flora Base for about a year now. It is easy to clean and I don't have any mud or clouding issues. I can't say that it is great for plants or not because I can't seem to get any to grow that well. Otherwise it buffers ph to 6.5-7. This can be good and/or bad depending. It knocks my tap water from 7.2ish to below 7 in about 48 hours or more. This also brings down natural CO2 levels. In addition, keeping the temp at 82f+ doesn't help much either. I'm considering a mix to keep from nailing ph levels so low so quick.

[dearis]

Hi there,

I wonder if the ADA haziness is some reaction with the type of water from different locations?

I am using rain water but worry about what CO2 will do to the ph

Regards Darren