# Any experience with Aquariumplant's Substrate?



## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

Does anyone have experience with this here?










Do you recommend it over eco complete?


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

There Bill Harada bought some and found out that it is the same as Soilmaster Select that one can purchase from lesco.com. Here's a picture comparing the two. There are several people who use soilmaster select as an alternative to premium substrates like Eco complete and Flourite with positive results. Matpat wrote up a good substrate setup thread using Soilmaster select. The pictures can speak for themselves.

If you can't find the lesco distributer in your area, aquariumplants.com offers this identical substrate solution that you can get shipped to your door.

-John N.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I just skimmed through the thread at PT and by the pics, it looks very similar to Soilmaster or Soilmaster Select. I can't find any Turface Pro League in my area so I can't say if this is what it is or not. 

If I thought there was enough interest in it, I would order a ton (2000lbs or forty 50lb bags) of it myself and sell it  But I would do so in the original bag so folks knew what they were getting


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

For some reason, I though this stuff had some nutrients added. It would improve the stuff by soaking it in a nutrient bath.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

dennis said:


> For some reason, I though this stuff had some nutrients added. It would improve the stuff by soaking it in a nutrient bath.


Soilmaster and Turface are both hygroscopic. That is why you hear that hissing sound when rinsing or adding water. It should be easy to add a nutrient solution (macros and/or micros) to the initial fill water and let the Soilmaster soak it up 

I have no idea how long it would last but if you are dosing the water column as most of us do, I would think it would remain available in the substrate also.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I sincerely hope that there isn't a group of people somewhere opening bags of SMS charcoal and dumping them into big red buckets with nice Aquariumplants.com labels. I gotta tell you though - those photos look identical.

Maybe they do add something to it - wouldn't be that hard - if done correctly it might accomplish something similar to the ADA products.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Back when I spoke to the Marketing Director of Oil Dri they had mentioned that I could repackage their products in smaller quantities (for ease of shipping) and sell it. I would imagine this is exactly what is happening be it Soilmaster Select or Turface Pro League 

Both products are very hard to find unless you order a ton (literally 2,000lbs) of it at a time.


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## Satirica (Feb 13, 2005)

Haven't used this particular substrate but I recommend almost anything over Eco-complete. I've used 5 different substrates, and the only one that is difficult to plant in is EC. It has a relatively low density and a variable particle size, which are problems. I found HC almost impossible to plant in it, and even plants like Blyxa and corkscrew vals tend to float up until they have established large root systems. This problem is compounded by the presence of cories and loaches! Tanks with 2mm sand substrates are much less problematic in my experience with planting.

In my tanks, with water column dosing, plants grow as well in inert substrates as in EC (I haven't used any other enriched substrate to date.) Like most people here, I put a little peat and mulm in the bottom of the tank. 

I'd buy and use the stuff in the bucket on the assumption it is Soil Master Select if I couldn't get it locally and wanted a dark substrate. I've purchased SMS from a LFS that sold it by the pound, and I like it.


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## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

Soilmaster select is probably doing a private label for AquariumPlant.com. Nothing wrong with that; I buy a ton of private label products at places like Home Depot, Target, Safeway (Tom Thumb), Whole Foods, etc. That's what you get when you purchase Target ibuprofen rather than Advil. It's not like AquariumPlants.com is attempting to do something nefarious.


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## Pen3 (Jul 9, 2006)

I just ordered 2 buckets of that with ground shipping $21 yesterday and ups says itll be here tomorrow so better than driving 240miles to pick it up i guess.


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## FishyGirl20 (Jan 25, 2006)

Let us know how you like it (or don't).  I plan on using it in my 38g...if I can ever gather all the stuff I need to set it up.


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## Pen3 (Jul 9, 2006)

FishyGirl20 said:


> Let us know how you like it (or don't).  I plan on using it in my 38g...if I can ever gather all the stuff I need to set it up.


I love it and i got a spare 9l bag of aquasoil amazonia to use as top layer, it should look pretty good and saves me tons of money


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