# ADA Aquasoil problems



## Chizpa305

Hi I set up a new tank half a month ago with the aquasoil substrate and the power sand. I have been making regular water changes as was indicated here. Now there are two problems with the water:

Number one the water tends to take a pale yellow coloration like tea. (I have seen many other people with this problem too, so it doesn't bothers me much)

Nuber two, many bubbles appear on the surface of the water even after a few hours after water change. These bubbles are like those formed in fermentation. (I don't have anything in the tank except for the substrate with some foreground plants only; no fish or any other thing)

If you have any knowledge about what might be causing this, please let me know what it is and what can I do to eliminate the problem. I could post some pictures latter so that you can see how it looks like.
Thanks.


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## Tex Gal

Was your ADA AquaSoil new? Do the bubbles carry any smell? The bubbles could just be from your water change. There can be alot of gas in our tap water. That's why the tank looks like it's pearling after a water change.

ADA A.S. has peat in it. At least the Amazonia does. That is why your water looks pale yellow. That will stop. You can insert some activated charcoal into your filter and it will clear it out.


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## Chizpa305

I don't think its the water change is causing this because before I had the same tank with a different set up (gravel as substrate) and when i did the water changes that didn't happen. 

My aquasoil substrate is new. I'm trying it out after reading some nice comments about it. I'm using the regular amazonia type. Here is a picture of how it looks now, but Normally it is far worse.


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## Tex Gal

I think your tank is just settling in. The bubbles will stop as your bio filter gets established. You can also stuff it with plants. That will go a long way to taking up all extra ammonia.


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## Bunbuku

Chizpa305 said:


> I don't think its the water change is causing this because before I had the same tank with a different set up (gravel as substrate) and when i did the water changes that didn't happen.
> 
> My aquasoil substrate is new. I'm trying it out after reading some nice comments about it. I'm using the regular amazonia type. Here is a picture of how it looks now, but Normally it is far worse.


Could be a protein layer. Did raise your lily pipes at night to aerate? Texgal is right about the new Aquasoil BTW, as the soil gets hydrated it does give off bubbles - sort of like activated carbon does when you rinse it off in a bucket of water. It will eventually go away after 2-3 wks.

I used carbon to get rid of the brown tint, but next time I plan to use Seachem Renew as its supposedly does not remove trace elements like carbon does.


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## NeonFlux

New ADA Aquasoil has the tendency to leech tannins when introduced and the bubbles that has already been mentioned. That's how it is when I first started out, give it a week or two.

To remove the tannins, you could use black barbon or purigen.


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## kwc1974

+1 on the protien layer.

also give it time to settle in.


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## Chizpa305

Ok, two weeks later there are still bubbles but they are fewer and do not concern me much right now. I new and bigger problem is now present. Worms! It started with only a few, very hard to see small worms, but after a few days the infestation tookn over my tank and I can see them all over the glass walls. They look like tittle white hairs no more than 5mm long. At first I didn't even think they were worms but after watching them closely I could see them moving and sliding all over.

I have not yet added any fish to the aquarium because it doesn't appear very welcoming for them. This is my first experience with planted aquariums and it already seems like a nightmare. The marsilea crenata that I planted as a foreground plant started growing very fast the first week , but after that it just stopped growing probably because of insufficient light (plants still looking green tough); and now this...

I am posting some pictures here so that you can have an idea of how it looks. and please let me know what to do to fix the problem. All I wanted was a little 5 gallons Fluval Chi aquarium to relax while looking at it but all i've gotten so far is frustration:mmph:


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## Bunbuku

The way Amazonia is manufactured I doubt it came from the substrate. Most likely the worms (if they are worms) hitched a ride on your plants - check with you plant source to see if they feed live food to their fish. 

I am not familiar with the Fluval Chi - it might be a lighting problem as well. You might need to use moss or some other low light tolerant plant.


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## Muirner

It will settle in just give it time. I know it's frustrating but everyone here has their ups and downs.

The worm you see is planeria. A little bugger in my opinion. Normally they will only explode in population like that if you are over feeding, but you dont have anything in your tank so i assume you are not feeding... but assumptions can be bad.

Where did you get your plants? Are you able to go back/call and see their tanks again? They will go away, and IIRC fish will eat the planeria... though wait for verification. Add a few more plants, floaters or otherwise to help with the cycle.


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## wearsbunnyslippers

i am having exactly the same experience chizpa!

i am doing 2 water changes a week with RO water and this helps to keep the water from going yellow.

your water might be a bit on the hard side with higher ph, this causes the hummic acids to break down, yellowing your water.

the bubbles will go away, and get some small fish to eat the worms and copedpods.

i added some rainbow threadfins, and they have eaten the tank clean in about two weeks. the plants i added came from my large tank, which has none, so they must have come in with the soil. i havent been feeding any live foods and there where no inhabitants to feed so i wasnt feeding anything.

they do not seem like planaria, they actually seem almost like tiny white earthworms, and hey can swim through the water by writhing. these are all gone after adding the fish.


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## OTPT

Look like baby bloodworms to me. They are not red in initial state.


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## Muirner

Closer pics?


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## niko

I don't know why people still use AquaSoil... Could be because for all "downsides" the Japanese have an answer. 

Tannins - ADA suggests carbon for the first 2 months? 
Ammonia - it's intentional so the roots have the food that is taken the easiest (Ammonia). 
Compaction - use Power Sand
Lingering long-term Tannins - good flow, carbon
Acidic environment for the roots - wait, the roots love that. No other substrate provides that from Day 1.
Falling apart, turning into mush - some batches of AquaSoil do that, nothing is perfect
Absorbing nutrients from the water and making them available to the roots - wait, that is a good thing.
Lowering the water hardness - very few plants like soft water, right?

We have seen countless of people have success with all kinds of "substrates" marketed for planted tanks. A common feature of all these substrates is that they do nothing. When they age they "start working".

On the other hand AquaSoil is engineered to do many things for a long time.

Basically you should see the world of planted tank substrates as 2 groups:

1. AquaSoil
2. Everything else 

The best choice from Group 2 is inert filter sand - $10 for 50 lbs. Could be useful to note that a plastic bag that says "Planted Aquarium Substrate" may really turn out to be your favorite.

--Nikolay


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## OTPT

OTPT said:


> Look like baby bloodworms to me. They are not red in initial state.


After zooming in the pic. Look like Planarians now.


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