# ADA products in US



## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

Anyone ever locate a retailer that will ship to the US? Here is the ADA catalogue,
http://www.charm.jp/pdf/ada/03_nature_aquarium_world.pdf

What color bulbs does ADA use in there MH lamps?


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## Pigheaddd (Feb 27, 2004)

IUnknown said:


> Anyone ever locate a retailer that will ship to the US? Here is the ADA catalogue,
> http://www.charm.jp/pdf/ada/03_nature_aquarium_world.pdf
> 
> What color bulbs does ADA use in there MH lamps?


i can help ya to get directly from JP. lol

you mean MH-150w? if so
MH-150w(freshwater for aquatic plants 150w) 8000K
another two are for saltwater 10,000K and 20,000K

if you want to know the price on the catalog. pm me. you can have some ideas how much they sell in JP, and then + shipping to the U.S.

Tim


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

If you mean the old NA lights (Flourescent) they are high in the blues. I actually still have a few of the small ones.


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

Art, 

Do you have any of the 20w NO Flo bulbs?  

Carlos


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Actually, they are the 15 watters. I recall they were just right over a 10 gallon...hmmm...


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## pomby27 (May 2, 2004)

hmm, i would be interested in some ADA products too, or atleast the catalogue itself.


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## Pigheaddd (Feb 27, 2004)

pomby27 said:


> hmm, i would be interested in some ADA products too, or atleast the catalogue itself.


you just joined today? welcome then. what years ADA catalog are you looking for? i have 2k3. my friend has 2k2 and 2k3. please aim or msn me when you are ready to get ADA products. here is a pix what it looks like. just let me know if you need anything from Japan. i'm happy to help you out.

Tim


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## pomby27 (May 2, 2004)

how much would it cost to ship the 2003 catalogue?


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## Pigheaddd (Feb 27, 2004)

hey,

let me finish my dammm finals first. we talk about that after 15th this month.

keep in touch,

Tim


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I think that there are a lot of us interested in ADA products. I for one am interested in their substrate and fert systems. If you happen to have a "price list" can you PM me?

thanks


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Pigheaddd said:


> hey,
> 
> let me finish my dammm finals first. we talk about that after 15th this month.
> 
> ...


Tim are you coming to the GWAPA meeting this month?


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## Pigheaddd (Feb 27, 2004)

hi Gomer,

sure. dammm i have a Persuasive Speeches tomorrow. what the great week...  i'm interested in those stuffs too. want to try how good they are or... :roll:... i will give ya details after my FINALS done. :lol: :lol: :lol: 

hi Sean,

when is the meeting? 15th or? i've been busy. goshy!!!... i will probably be there if i finish my finals first...

c ya around,

Tim


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## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

Ok Pigheaded, I ran across what you ordered, that looks awsome,


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## Pigheaddd (Feb 27, 2004)

IUnknown,

muahahhahaha...yeap yeap... :lol: :lol: :lol: thats my first ADA product that i'm going to receive it around 13th this month. can't wait to get it. :twisted: 

Tim


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## pomby27 (May 2, 2004)

whoa..how much was that?


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Unfortunately, that catalog doesnt list substrates or ECA.

but for the brighty series of ferts (which I presume is what people would be most interested in, they cost ~$13.50/250mL or ~$22.75/500mL.
This does not include shipping. 


Compare that to the Flourish line at ~$20/2000mL and you have to ask yourself if you think it is worth paying more than 4x as much.

...of course this assumes that the dosing rate is the same....and that I know nothing about.


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## Pigheaddd (Feb 27, 2004)

the catalog contains pix of every single product.

lighting system
co2 system
control item & parts
filter system
aquarium tank
wood cabinet & garden stand
heating system
water condition & treatment
substrate system(aqua soil, aqua seramic, power sand, layout sand)
liquid fertilizer(green brighty series, bright K, green bacter, phyton git, ECA)
fish food
plocher energy system
marine aquarium system
layout tool
maintenance tool
layout material
mushi-ne
nature aquarium plants
wabi-kusa
nature biotop
ADA publications

:lol: 

Tim


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

perhaps I missed it, but the online link provided in this thread only has 3 pages of info.


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## litesky (Feb 9, 2004)

haha.....nice job pigheaddd. You'll def be hearing from me! =)


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

I think the dosing rate was one cc per 20 liters.

Don't be overly concerned with the ferts. We all know what plants need. ADA Green Brighty Series doesn't contain anything special we are not already adding currently.


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Now ECA...that is another story


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Efficient Complex Acid does contain certain cytokins and other botanical hormones that are intended to benefit the plants. I have not seen any studies that these chemicals make maintaining aquatic plants any better.

ADA claims that ECA helps plants take up Fe better and to strengthen their immune system. I can't tell you one way or the other.


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## IUnknown (Feb 24, 2004)

> perhaps I missed it, but the online link provided in this thread only has 3 pages of info.


Yeah thats not the full catalog.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Errr...if you all want hormones etc, get some "Super Thrive" add a couple of drops per gal once a month or so. Bit cheaper. 
Good for fruit and flower production. Not things we are really interested in with our plants. 

I really cannot say it does much for submersed aquatic plants(Hormones in general).

I've played with some. I think some folks will sell you anything they believe they have a market for whether it works or not.
Cables, hormones, equipment cleaning solution, etc

I have never seen any evidence in any of the literature done on submersed aquatic plants regarding hormone usage.

I would suspect, most of their claims and notions are from argicultural studies. 

But the part of Fe uptake and hormones, I am very skeptical. Even in terrestrial plants. I've had grad level plant metabolism courses, it's nothing that is common knowledge in that field certainly. 
The study to deterimine whether this occurs would be relatively straight forward but I doubt it's been done with submersed aquatic plants, there's just not a need.

You can try it yourself and see. I've never seen anything that suggest that adding these help.
Some crypts where induced to bloom more, but that was emergent growth.

Having your plant flower is not a large goal really except with a few species. Another thing, it's also not something that would help adding on a routine basis either. It's often added at a certain point to help Fruit, flowering etc with ag crops.

As far as Fe, they might be assuming something with some tannic acids will make some trace metals more available and then they add that part in there also.

Moss cotton, haha, try black 100% cotton string, cost 59 cents a roll. 

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

I have to ask why....

The ADA tool set looks EXACTLY like Aquarium Landscapes tool kit...and I mean exactly down to every detail. And for good reason, when Aquarium Landscapes lost their bid to Art Giacosa to be the ADA American distributor, Aquarium Landscapes decided to do their own knock offs.

The Amano plastic wood ties... go to any hardware store. The Amano cotton thread, well, how difficult is it to buy cotten thread?

Now their fertilizers, that I can understand, but it sure wouldn't be worth the price to have it shipped from Japan, not to me.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Folks,

There are certainly Nature Aquarium Goods (ADA's product line) that are not necessary. There are some that are easily replaced with local hardware items. However, they do have some items that are extremely well made and unique.

To date, I have not seen finer glassware anywhere. Their filter intake and return (Lily Pipes) are amazing. Certainly their diffusers are unrivaled.

Their lights are also unique. I'm setting up a 10 g and will be using their NA Lamps. They are custom designed to Amano's specifications and have a unique spectrum. I'll show some pictures once I get them running.

They fertilizer line is top-notch and is their substrates. I have yet to see something compare to the Power Sand and Aqua Soil lines. The Green Brighty line is unique in that it focuses on the maturity of the plants. No one focuses on this except for them. I think that's quite important.

The problem with their products is that ADA is unwilling to make an investment in the US. They learned with me truly how small the US aquarium plant market is and how different the current planted tank enthusiast is from enthusiasts in other parts of the world.

Currently, the tariffs imposed on these goods by the US is huge (as high as 30% in some cases). Transportation can also be as high as 30% of the product cost. Tack on the Yen/Dollar exchange rate and a product that may cost the equivalent of $3 in Japan will cost $12 here. There are not enough people willing to spend that kind of money in the US.

Nature Aquarium Imports, my company, even tried to ony focus on products that US folks would be most interested in (e.g., fertilizer line). However, the volume wasn't there. People where just unwilling to purchase fertilizer from a company for $12. This is even BEFORE the Seachem Flourish line, Botnica line, and the others.

If you are truly interested in ADA products, I challenge you to go to the AGA convention this year and tell Amano directly. Tell him we need special pricing to lower the price point here in the US. Then be prepared to answer the question, "What US distributor will be willing to make an investment to bring them in?"


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## fishfry (Apr 15, 2004)

Interesting thread. I would love to get my hands on some of their unique products, namely their Amazonia aqua soil. It is interesting how the plant enthusiasts differ from the reef enthusiasts who will spend money on high-end items equivalent to high-end ADA items (i.e. aquastar lighting and other HQI lights, RO units for their aquarium, $500 chillers, some ricordea polyps for $75 a piece!... 

I think the only way we will get them back in the U.S. is if they were to start dealing with saltwater reef products and not just freshwater plants. There IS a big market for high-end saltwater products. 

Just my 2cents


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## www.glass-gardens.com (Jun 3, 2004)

I think part pf the problem is the general lack of interest in the planted aquarium hobby in general, and I think more than anything, this is due to the complete lack of any real marketing by LFSs and the larger national chains and complete lack of knowledge of the people working there for the most part.

The most common experience of people just getting into planted tanks is similar to the Walmart fishkeeping experience, they buy a tank, some gravel, some plants, maybe some fertilizer throw it all in and watch the plants wither and die eventually and out it goes at the next rummage sale.

Note also some of the plant snobbery that goes on on the various forums, I've seen very nasty battles occur over everything from lighting to filtration to whether or not the smallest thing is neccessary, and then you can get into battles over whether or not a particular product line is better.

Can you imagine coming to a forum to ask a question, watch the "bulls" go at it without ever really answering your question? I've went round and round with some of the LFSs I deal with, trying to get them to let me set up a truly dedicated planted tank in their shops to show their customers what a thing of serenity and beauty it can be on a par even some of the most vibrant reef tanks, but they seem content to just throw a stock assortment into various tanks and write them off as they die.


Quite frankly, we all really need to start promoting our love of planted tanks and find ways to show the potential to others, take advantage of opportunities, oraganize club shows, hook up with local gardening clubs and talk tot hem about expanding their horizons.

Here in Ames we have a lovely garden run by the University with truly outstanding facilities indoors and out with some of the nicest water gardens I've seen in Iowa, and later this year I'm hoping to organize what will become a annual expo for aquatic gardeners, with an eye to maintaining a permanent display, same way with the zoo down in Des Moines.

I think the reason people will spend the big bucks for reef systems is the almost instant gratification they can get, and they walk into stores and shows and see the setups, how many times have you walked into a show or petstore and saw something that would make Amano take a second look. Maybe we all need to try and get those tanks there for people to see.

But I ramble on caffeine ....


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

I think the preception is like Amano once bemoaned as he slipped into sleep as heard someone say, "Keeping plants and fish is easy" after he had spent and desperate 2 days setting a display up.

LFS and the public tend to think it's the easier cousin of reef tanks.
In some ways they are right.

But I get quite a few salties that loss a ton of $ on reefs coming over to plants.

Then again I keep salt water planted tanks myself

But I think Amano will have the same problem Tropica has had here. Claus and I talked about this back in 1997 at length.

Amano is not any different or in any different situation business wise.
Claus just sells the TMG and that's about it for the US market. 

You do NOT need Amano's or Dupla's products to do the same level of work and design.

I think many believe they do for some reason, it'll give then an edge somehow.

I've used the diffusers, I've used the substrates. Yea, they are nice, I like a denser substrate personally though, the diffusers are nice, I can get decent glass diffusers for peanuts, about 18$ for nice big ones. 

Lighting folks have the 7200K(Triton color balance) and the 8800K(amano color balance) already.
I like triton colors better and I think we all know the debate with lighting color and it has not effect on growth vs 4100K cool white but might look a little better to our eyes perhaps.


I can mix a concotion for fertilizers that simply has a more N, P, K, Ca, Mg, traces for a more "mature tank" and a weaker formulation for a new tank. 

That's not difficult. But why would a higher level of say PO4 be bad for a tank vs less unless it runs out?
Does it cause algae or plants to stunt? No.......

Do you use a certain fert after a big pruning? Won't the tank use far less if you prune 50% of the biomass back?

You bet it will.

But does the dosing matter in that case anyway? No.
The only thing that might cause an issue: fish load and the waste or perhaps a lot of mulm.detritus being pulled up after a big prune.

Aquaticeco.com has some nice glass diffusers for pretty cheap. 

Yes Robert is correct about the AL kit.
Some of the tools I've seen do look different some, but for practical purposes they are the same. 

I still like my 89 cent plastic paint scapers and the 3$ hair scissors. Nice tweezers are good though.

Still, more product choices for the consumer is better and will drive a larger market and more folks into this hobby.

They need to develop a base, cheap stuff that folks will buy and use. Then be careful and bring in a few things they can make money on.
Dupla failed, ADA did, Dennerle and Tropica are smart enough to stick with their market. 

It takes time and with a cheap consumer base and a cheap LFS base, things will be tough.

The chain fish stores have no skilled personnel to keep reefs or planted tanks etc .....but they have the makrting and business volume.

So if you can hit that market like SeaChem and Marineland have, then you can make a go of it and do well. Their methods do not require too many brains/experience for the sales folks.

I'd love to see the LFS stick around but they are generally hard headed and jaded about planted tanks. They do non CO2 and that's fine with them. Of course they will try and sell you a RO, PO4/NO3 remover when you do not need it because some book 20 years ago said you need it. 

The other way is to write a book or two. Amano is well know as a photographer here in the USA market, so he's got his foot in the door like Tropica. But I think TFH prints it so he still has to deal with them. 


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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