# ADA Aquasoil Killed My Rainbow



## nasfish (Sep 26, 2005)

hi,

After a several time pruning Ludwigia sp. repens, I decided to plant the top portions and remove the rooted portions. While pulling the rooted portions, the powersand underneath becomes visible. Later, try to push as much as powersand back into the aquasoil but with little success. So I add fresh aquasoil from the bag to cover the powersand, and plant the top portions of Ludwigia sp. repens.

Several hours later, my two medium sized boesmani rainbow acted funny, not actively swimmng around as usual, hiding at the back. Early in the morning the two poor rainbow died.

Lesson learned. Aquasoil have NH4(ammonia) in it. Uproot gentlely not to exposed PS.

TQ


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Really? It killed your fish?

I just added the AS right into the a tank, 1/2 full of water. 
My Bos is doing fine and has all along.
The Soil was not rinsed, I just dumped it in there through the water column.

I have the same fish and products.

The PS may do something, but I'm less inclined to suggest that.

While there is some NH4 in both the AS and PS, there is not much and most is occlueded inside the clay in AS, so it leaks out very slowly.

The main difference between AS and PS near as we can tell: PS has a lot of NO3. But NO3 is not bounded easily and diffused out relatively fast.

PS is ugly when you uproot, but I've not found any issues using shrimps, catfish cardinals etc.

Same with Rainbows.
After you uproot a tank, does not matter what type of soil/sediment you use, do a water change.

Regards, 
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com


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## nasfish (Sep 26, 2005)

thank you Tom, for replying,

i did it during a water change, i emptied the tank to half, uproot the plant, syphon cloudy water, around the area, push PS, top up with fresh AS from the bag, without rinse, just enough to cover leftover PS. Plant the top portions, and finally fill the tank full.

usually, i don't add fresh AS for replanting, nothing bad happened. only this time, the poor rainbows died. the only thing i do differently this time is adding fresh AS to cover uprooted PS. while adding the AS, the rainbows were the most active fishes around the area, picking up AS, dropping it back.

maybe caused by AS or PS, i am not sure. for sure i will never do it again, but uprooted PS looks so ugly on dark soil.

TQ


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Is your water already soft? If so, the AS can lower the pH to dangerous levels of acidity. That could have been your problem as most rainbows prefer a neutral pH or thereabouts.


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## nasfish (Sep 26, 2005)

hi,
thank you AaronT,

my water is pH 6.5, KH 0-1. before the accident all my raibows are doing fine in this water.

front view, only one boesmani rainbow left









newly replanted ludwigia repens at the back









TQ


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## jsenske (Mar 15, 2004)

From many many years of experince with Rainbows, I can tell you they are a fish that I have had "just die" after a water change or some particular "more extreme" maintenance event. Often, they would be the only fish affected, and it was often a real mystery as to WHY specifically they died. 

I have done the exact same procedure you describe- though not with Rainbows- and had no problems. Because you are talking about Rainbows-- Boesmanis in particular- I would not be so quick to proclaim so strongly "ADA Aquasoil Killed My Rainbows" . I understand the connection you are making, but that fish in particular is one that is subject to strange and sudden death scenarios that I do not claim to have the answer to, but have seen many times nonetheless. We use them very often in all types of tanks for many years, so I am not just referring to an isolated incident or two.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

I have the same fish specifically though.
No issues, low KH, 2.

The powersand has nothing in it that would imply any death blow to fish.
Especially this far along in the set up.

I have more sensitive wild SA fish and have uprooted with PS as well, again, no issues. 

But the AS has no impact on the fish. I have the same product, the same fish and just did this a week ago. Other causes killed the fish, but not the AS directly, nor the PS.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## nasfish (Sep 26, 2005)

ok, after two great guys says i am wrong to claim AS killed my rainbows, clearly i am too quick to claim that. maybe i am in denial, maybe i am too emotional, since this is the first casuality in the tank and the first casuality of my rainbows since more than 3 years keeping rainbows without any problems, maybe i should change the title to 'I Killed My Rainbows' instead.

i am sorry if i offended anybody. i love AS, i love everything connected to ADA. i recommended it to anybody who want to start planted tank. just the death of my rainbows is so sudden. but i would like to know the real reason though. yes it is a mystery. maybe during the next replant, i might do the same just for kicks.

rainbows over the years


TQ


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

I do not think it's a personal issue.
So no need to apologize.

Main thing is to rule out possible causes and prevent it in the future based on observations and predictive test.

Bos are tough fish and I've had them for about 11 years or so in planted tanks. I've been doing some strange things to muck up AS, so far it's taken everything I've thrown at it. 

No rising, simply dumping it into a tank that's full of water etc, directions protocol as well. 

In that respect, it's better than most other substrates, no rinsing, no cloudiness, I did mange to get some cloudiness but it was gone in a few hours.

So even if you have AS already and wanna add more without a complete tear down, you can without issue.

When you uproot plants, they bacteria that you pull also removes a great deal of O2 very quick, it's wise to do a water change right after any replanting.

To clean up the powersand you pull up, vacuum and siphon off the PS.
Some try and push it back down deep, that's a PITA.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

I would guess that there are anaerobic conditions in your substrate. The bacteria there get oxygen by stripping it off of sulfate ions, turning them into sulfide ions. When you dug in the substrate, it released hydrogen sulfide into the water column. If your tank is covered and you're not running aeration, your DO may be less than optimum, preventing the sulfide from quickly turning back into sulfate.

Only my speculation.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Salt said:


> I would guess that there are anaerobic conditions in your substrate. The bacteria there get oxygen by stripping it off of sulfate ions, turning them into sulfide ions. When you dug in the substrate, it released hydrogen sulfide into the water column. If your tank is covered and you're not running aeration, your DO may be less than optimum, preventing the sulfide from quickly turning back into sulfate.
> 
> Only my speculation.


Yea, but in order for those bacteria to exist, they need a carbon source.
So unless you added some soil, rottening bulbs etc, the substrate cannot produce anaerobic conditions becasue there is no food in large amounts for the bacteria to use, thus lowering the O2 levels.

A new ADA soil will not have such organic material in large amounts to do this. Roots also pump lots of O2 do there.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

OK, then what do _you_ think killed his rainbows?


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Salt said:


> OK, then what do _you_ think killed his rainbows?


The butler.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

plantbrain said:


> The butler.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom Barr


in the library.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

with a deep fryer

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

irresistable...:rofl: 
not to be mean or anything but you guys pulled a quick one...


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