# DIY: Reviving Old Substrate



## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

Wake-up! Wake-up! It is time for another DIY.

This time, we are going to revive old substrate with injection method. After long period of time, most substrate started to lose their energy. Nutrient is depleted due to overhauling by fast growing plant. I can't tell you how much I hate "Sagittaria subulata", now. They just keep growing and growing, forming new chain of swords everyday.

You don't have much choice for old substrate. Either by introducing clay ball/iron tablet which is messy when up-rooted, or redo the whole tank which is costly, trouble-some and time consuming.

However, I have found another way to end all these nuisance.

1. Step 0: 
Let's start shopping! 
- Buy a moderate size plastic shringe injector 6 cc or 20 cc (about 1" in diameter) will do. However, 20 cc does save you a lot of time when applying. 
You do not need the needle, just the injector.

- Next, choose your favourite base-fertilizer. You can use anything solid like peat but do not use clay. In my case, I am using Dennerle Deponit Mix - identified as "goodies" here.










2。 Step 1: 
Use sharp pen knife to remove the injector head. 
Note: The special tool you see here is just for "showing off". This is the only scissors with REMOVABLE blade, cool huh? 90 degree str8 clean cut is not an issue here!










3。Step 2: 
Action and.......Cut!










4. Step 3: 
Reload! Insert the "goodies" into the injector. Remember to push and compact them. You can use a bit of water. This is to prevent the "goodies" from leaking out into water column when soaked.










5. Step 4a: 
Lower your tank water level will make thing easier.
Before soaking the whole thing into water, cover the open end with your index finger until the injector reach the surface of the substrate.
While quickly remove your finger, push the injector fully into the substrate until it reach the....the....spot. 










6. Step 4b:
Now, tilt the injector 60 degree and inject the "goodies" the same way a doctor treat a patient. To do this slowing, pulling the injector tube upwards and pushing the whole injector downwards slowly is the best way to achive better penetration.










7. Step 5:
During the injection, sand will scratch the inner surface making it hard to push thru. So, you can change to a new injector when this happen. 
That's it. You still have 23 hours left for any given Sunday.:tea:

Remember, you only do this once a year. Selection of the right base fertilizer become a main factor. I would recommend Dennerle as its durability and performance are undeniable, despite the high price.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Cyberia


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> I can't tell you how much I hate "Sagittaria subulata", now. They just keep growing and growing, forming new chain of swords everyday.


 Why do you hate that?


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## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

I hate the sagittaria subulata as they are very invasive under highly-lighted tank. Their rooting system is so efficient that it could quickly suck up nutrient in the soil leaving the neighbouring plants pale and melt away. When left uncheck, they could make maintenance a nightmare. It took me 6 months to carefully remove them slowly as their roots will pull up significant amount of soil. At peak, they took over 80% of my tank. Now, that I could only manage to remove 95% of them, some runner is still there deep inside the substrate.

This picture was taken a year ago. You can see it started invading the front line glosso.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Thank you. It would have taken me a very long time to learn that from personal experience. I love the photos from your aquarium, and your experience with this!


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## acuajuan (Jan 30, 2006)

Great trik!! I was thinking on redo my tank because of that matter!!!!! but now I think I will try your idea!!! Thanks a lot!!!!

About your problem with roots all aroud the tank, when I plant any kind of root expander plant (sorry for my poor english) I use a piece of thin flexible plastic (made from office separater) cutting it to the same thick of my aquarium deep and place it into the substrate to made a kind of close place. I works great.


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## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

Hi, glad it helps. 
It is not the rooting problem. Chain-sword type of plant propagation is sending out runner from their roots. You can put them in a pot but the runner can still cross the pot barrier (sort of jumping over).


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Once we get algae under control, we have two major problems left: plants that grow too slowly and plants that grow too fast. There has to be a lesson in that, but what???


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## slvrknght8 (Aug 24, 2006)

What would be the equivalent of Dennerle Deponit Mix here in the US? I tried a quick Google and only came up with different European and Asian sites.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Yxberia, if using tweezers, forceps or tongs (I am trying to use the correct name), how would you plant Dwarf Sagittaria to get them to form a nice carpet? 

Or how would you use this plant for aquascaping? 

I am sorry that this plant drives you nuts in your tank. I am still learning about mine in my tank.


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## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

slvrknght8 said:


> What would be the equivalent of Dennerle Deponit Mix here in the US? I tried a quick Google and only came up with different European and Asian sites.


I don't know other brand with the "true long-term strength" but I have seen with my own eyes a friend's tank with dated Dennerle. He has a dense 3 feet tonina forest (tonina belem + tonina sp.) and no significant algae problem throughout the year. Now, after 1.5 year even without liquid fertilizer, few day-old limnophila aromatica's tip turns red! I can only get the same effect from dosing with Hagen Iron Enriched liquid fertilizer (0.3 ppm).

When the German are printing "long term" on their products, you can bet that those are not just marketing. 

I am trying out JBL Aquabasis, also a German product but at much much cheaper price.


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## yxberia (Apr 19, 2005)

Jimbo205 said:


> Yxberia, if using tweezers, forceps or tongs (I am trying to use the correct name), how would you plant Dwarf Sagittaria to get them to form a nice carpet?
> Or how would you use this plant for aquascaping?


Tweezer will do. 
From my experience, sagittaria can never form a good carpet. Some can grow taller than 1 feet and start flowering. Since their height is inconsistent, they are a bad choice for carpeting.

I don't know much about scaping. But I can see sagittaria subulata is best for middle-to-back position. You will like their striking flourescent green that stands out. Since they grow fast, you can use it to cover up "bald" area and keep their growth under control. Keeping them in darker area result in longer leaf and scarce development.

Alternatively, if you want them to propagate fast, just cut off and separate new runners from their parent.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> Some can grow taller than 1 feet and start flowering.


Wow! That is amazing. Considering how cold my city gets in the wintertime, I don't think I would ever see it flower or develop quite the same way.

Thank you again for letting me know about your experience with this. 
I like your idea of middle-to-back position. Very good idea.


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