ADA power sand

[jt1]

Anyone can provide me some feedback on ADA power sand. How long can this substrate last and how much does it cost? (Pls PM me if you feel it inappriopriate to post)
I'm considering this product for my new set up. As for my top layer, I will probably get ADA Africana. Alternatively, may consider Dennerle 120-mix as my base fert. What do you guys think?
I will be planting heavily with stem plants.

Thanks very very much in advance cos this will help me to make a decision on which items to purchase.

[jt1]

Anyone can assist?

Originally Posted by jt1

Anyone can assist?

i am using ADA powersand in my new setup. it's only 6 weeks old so can't really comment on it's ability.

Like you, I have tried to get more info on the actual use and benefits of using ADA powersand as part of the substrate. however, I was unable to get much information from the net.

What I know are only hearsay and comments from current users. This is what they claimed ADA powersand does:

ADA powersand is packed with peat and other nutrients. Besides the usual ability to act as a base fert, some claimed that powersand has the ability to absorb nutrients from the water column (source from the liquid fert that are dosed) and slowly release them back. This practically allows the powersand to be "refilled" and thus there will be no issue of the base fert depleting thru the years, in other words, powersand eliminates the need to insert root monster or other substance to reboost.

I cannot verify whether the above mentioned is true. So please do not believe wholesale. I stand to be enlightened myself.

hey there,

if i may paraphrase Tom Barr aka plantbrain,

"most substrate deplete within 1 year maximum regardless of brand." as for the "refilling ability" i believe that it is the result or rather the high CEC Cation Exchnage Capacity. Correct me if i am wrong anyone, but CEC means that iron from the column is being "absorbed" by the power sand, which plants than take in from the roots.

as for whether plants have any preference to root or water coloumn nutrient uptake, given sufficient amounts, research have shown that plants have no preference.

however that said, one must understand that mr tom barr is really a professional , so people like us need a bit help from products available off the market some times.


jiesheng

Pardon me if I'm veering off topic....Regarding this CEC capability, Seachem Flourite also has similiar characteristics. Apart from ADA being able to alter pH, does anyone know the actual difference between the two?

pricewise, pound for pound, flourite and powersand are about the same?

This extract is taken off the Seachem corporate site :

Flourite™ is a specially fracted stable porous clay gravel for the natural planted aquarium. Its appearance is best suited to planted aquaria, but may be used in any aquarium environment. Flourite™ is most effective when used alone as an integral substrate bed, but it may be mixed with other gravels. Gravel modifiers such as laterite are not necessary. Flourite™ is not chemically coated or treated and will not alter the pH of the water. Although pre-washed, it should be rinsed before use to remove residual dust. Dust can also be minimized by filling tank slowly and dispersing water so that the Flourite™ bed is not disturbed. Slight initial cloudiness is normal and will clear rapidly (2–12 hours). This bag is sufficient for about a 5 cm (2 inch) deep bed in a typical 40 L (10 gallon) tank. Recommended use is 1 kg (2 lbs) for approximately each 200 cm2 (31 in2) of tank bottom at a depth of 5 cm (2 in).

Sizes: 7 kg

Concentration of nutrients in Flourite™
Aluminum 10210 Barium 124 Calcium 195 Cobalt 6
Chromium 13 copper 17 Iron 18500 Potassium 2195
Magnseium 2281 Manganese 64 Sodium 223 Nickel 12
Vanadium 15 Zinc

More details at http://www.seachem.com/products/gravels.html

I can't find the ADA gravel literature, maybe someone could help then we might not be that clueless.

[jt1]

Very useful info from all the bros above. Thanks a lot.
Price wise, I was quoted near to double for Powersand as compared to fluorite. Quite a put-off really as there is not much info on the product.

Powersand is meant to be a bottom layer substrate/base fert, not as the top layer. Flourite and Aquasoil are meant to be top layer substrates.

For a short description of Powersand: Go to

http://www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/i...r&wrap=ShopADG

And navigate to the substrates, powersand area. The Powersand and Aquasoil combo sounds good in my opinion, judging from the posts I've read in a American forum.

I'd say get Powersand as your base fert, and Aquasoil Amazonia as your top layer. Amazonia because I've read that Amano himself has admitted to having better results with Amazonia.

I personally use Aquasoil Africana, and what I have to say is: Do not use this substrate if you rescape often, like once every 2 months because this is not a substrate that's meant to be messed up. It also alters water values, rendering the pH/kH C02 calculation table useless, so C02 has to be more of an estimation.

Otherwise, it's a wonderful substrate. So far all my plants have been growing well, and I've not encountered a rooted plant that I cannot grow in Aquasoil Africana.

that's a very good informative site, Squeel. thanks

I, myself tried JBJ basefert with ADA, 8 months, and no plant has failed me before such that I grew tired of testing parameters. I hardly dose liquid fert because it is a shrimp tank and I go by Diana Waldstad's theory of fish fert. Results have been good as no plant has failed me yet.
Now I am trying out the powersand and ADA Amazonia combo. My PS layer is very very thin, only 0.5inch thick. I am doing Toninas for my 1st round of aquascaping, dosing the chemical ferts according to Chuck's calculator for now. The plants are responding well.

So all in all, I have rave reviews for ADA products for now. Price-wise is not a major concern as I can do many rounds of scaping without messing things up.

Originally Posted by andrewtyr

that's a very good informative site, Squeel. thanks

I, myself tried JBJ basefert with ADA, 8 months, and no plant has failed me before such that I grew tired of testing parameters. I hardly dose liquid fert because it is a shrimp tank and I go by Diana Waldstad's theory of fish fert. Results have been good as no plant has failed me yet.
Now I am trying out the powersand and ADA Amazonia combo. My PS layer is very very thin, only 0.5inch thick. I am doing Toninas for my 1st round of aquascaping, dosing the chemical ferts according to Chuck's calculator for now. The plants are responding well.

So all in all, I have rave reviews for ADA products for now. Price-wise is not a major concern as I can do many rounds of scaping without messing things up.

Im using the same combination of ADA (Amazonia here as I love black
gravels), together with JBJ basefert (cheap and fits into my budget nicely).

So far so good. The plants are doing better then before. But then again,
I had actually increased my lighting levels, fert regime and CO2 input (as what |sque| had mentioned bout the kh/ph chart being distorted up by
using such products). Didnt have a chance to compare the plants using
the predessor gravel (flourite) as the setup parameters had been changed.

Andrew, hope to hear updates on your combo of ADA gravel with
Powersand and share with us the results