# Eco, Flourite and Aquasoil



## howie (Jan 5, 2007)

I am relatively new to this Amano style plants tanks and have read and gone through alot of different products. I have used Eco, Flourite and Aquasoil. I am a hobbyist and thought I would share my experiences with other hobbyist. Here is my opinion on these substrate. All three grows plants well. But from my observation, Aquasoil grows plants faster. HC and Hairgrass starts to spread very quickly in Aquasoil than in my tanks with Flourite and Eco. I've had Hairgrass in Flourite for months before I started to see spreading. In the tank with Aquasoil, I started to see Hairgrass spread in three weeks. HC stays put and starts to spread in Aquasoil where as in my tank with Flourite, it is always coming loose and never took off. Flourite and Eco does not lower your KH but Aquasoil does. From what I've read on this fourm and from Amano's publications. It seems plants prefer lower KH so Aquasoil is a better choice for people like me who live in an area that has very Hard water. Two bad things about Aquasoil is it throws up alot of sediments when you disturb it. So constant rescaping is a very hard thing to do. Also Aquasoil is best started in a tank first before any fish, plants and lights are placed on the tank. I let my tank with Aquasoil sit with the filters running in plain room lighting for two weeks, with 3 water changes before I put my first plants in.
These are my experiences and opinions with these 3 substrate.


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## Zabu (May 29, 2007)

Is it best to leave the tank running for a few days before adding the plants?
What would be the problem if I were to plant right away?


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

howie... Was this experiment done under the exact same tank conditions, such as light/wattage, C02 injection and amount of ferts being added?

Zabu... No problem to plant right away. It is best to plant heavily from day one.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Zabu,

You can add plants at any moment - right away or later. There is no set rule. But a good rule to follow is to set up the tank and disturb it as little as you can afterwards. Don't start the tank then add plants a week later, then remove some in a few days and add new ones.

One of the biggest reasons that people don't have success with this hobby is to try to rush things. A planted tank is an imperfect ecosystem that we set up and shoud let develop. Any change that we introduce disrupts the natural processes in this small world that we created. If you let these natural processes develop smoothly you will have a beautiful care free tank. 

Use common sense rather than follow someone's "precise" advice. Do not add tons of light and CO2 and expect to make 50% water changes every 4 days and have a gorgeous tank. Set everything up, control the light (as little as possible for as short time as possible) . You could start with only 2 hours of light a day in the beginning for example - that's too little light but it gives you an idea what a "careful start" is. Let the tank develop. Adding and especially removing plants is a big disturbance so try to have everything in from day 1 and let it be changing small amounts of water.

--Nikolay


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I apologize for helping Zabu hijack this thread.

To me there is no comparison between Aquasoil and other substrates. Also there is no need to use Aquasoil and nothing else. But Aquasoil trully benefits the plant roots while all other substrates do that partially or don't do anything at all.

--Nikolay


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## howie (Jan 5, 2007)

This wasn't an experiment. I just wanted to try the Aquasoil after hearing about it. I had a ten gallon tank with hairgrass and HC with all the same equipment except I was using Flourite. Then I moved the tank to a new location. Took it apart but this time I decided to try Aquasoil. Same light, tank size, CO2, etc. I first put in powersand. Then I used Bacter 1000 over the powersand. Lastly I put Aquasoil on top.
I only let sit for 3 weeks because I have very hard water and wanted to do some large water changes because I've read on this forum that if your plants are accustom to hard water, the drop in hardness makes the plants melt. Also I was just plain lazy after the setup.
As for Eco I do use it on another tank with the same plants but different tank size, equipment, etc.
As I said before this is only my opinion and my experience. I thought I'd share as so much people on this forum has help me with this hobby. I am not endosing one substrate over the other. I will leave the decision to the end user. I still use all three.


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## stepheus (Jun 13, 2006)

For me, its either very high tech and expensive aquasoil that works like magic or cheap efficient NPT style. I ll nvr go in the middle with eco again. I find using eco and such depletes real quick without base fert supplements, absolute annoyance.


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## styderman (Jul 1, 2007)

I heard of all these other soils and stuffs. This is what they do at my lfs in Hawaii. They do muti layer. I know they use three layer. Two of them are potting soil, ADAor Flourite, and one more different substrate at the bottom. The guy obviously knows how to grow stuff cause he does not fertalize at all. As I understand it, he grows, if im not mistaken rotalla macandra. Its nutz red and grows super fast. I have seen very few aquariums that can do this with no fertalizers, except iron. They guy says that his multi layer substrate system makes it so he does not have to change his substrate for like TWO YEARS!!! Dont know if this is true though. Damn his tank is nutz. Whats everybodys take on MULTI-LAYERING SUBSTRATES


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You can grow plants very well with any of the commercial substrates, with common pool filter sand, with Soilmaster or Turface. You can use layered substrates or all one material substrates. All of those methods work, and if you fertilize appropriately, they all work well.

ADA's substrate contains fertilizers in the particles, so it is possible to grow plants without using much water column fertilizing, at least until the substrate fertilizers get depleted. Flourite, pool filter sand, Soilmaster, etc. provide very little nutrients, if any, to the plants, so more water column fertilizing is needed. Layered substrates are a royal pain to re-scape with, because pulling out a plant mixes the lower layers with the top layer, and releases material into the water.

Most people find ADA's substrate to be the best one available for growing some of the harder to grow plants, but it does release ammonia into the water for several days, if not weeks, so regular, closely spaced water changes for a few weeks are almost necessary to avoid problems.

Those are my opinions, of course.


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

hey Hoppycalif....have you used Aquasoil before?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

chiahead said:


> hey Hoppycalif....have you used Aquasoil before?


No, I rely on what I read here and on other forums for such information. Tom Barr has had extensive experience with it, including in the 1600 gallon tank he set up for a customer. He reported extensively on it. The short form of his report is: don't use it in huge tanks, the problems become unmanageable. But, it is great in normal size tanks, providing you recognize that it leaks ammonia into the water column for a few weeks. After that it is the best for growing plants that he has tested.


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

you should try it....


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

chiahead said:


> you should try it....


We all should use the substrate we want to use, for whatever reasons. I go by cost and appearance, which is why I use Soilmaster. Those who want the best chance for success with hard to grow plants might prefer ADA's soil.


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