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ADA Amazonia. How long will it last?

A

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Hi I've had ADA Amazonia in my tank for the past three years and attempted two aquascapes with it. Im just wondering how long it will last and maintain the properties for a good planted tank substrate. Since attempting my last aquascape it has lost its grain texture and is more of a mass of clay sitting on the bottom.
I'm soon to attempt another scape and I'm just wondering if its still any good for use, whether I should invest in a new substrate, keep it as a base layer and add another substrate over the top, or could I keep the old Amazoina as a substrate and mix it with a gravel substrate to alter the texture??
Cheers
Nick
 
I think most of the nutrients will be gone by now, if your dosing EI then it would be fine to keep, however since your doing a rescpape for the sake of it I would 100% buy new substrate, be it inert gravel or more amazonia or cheaper option of colombo florabase, just for the fact of the muddy dusty crap yourll get with your substrate being how it is now.

Got your moneys worth though aye :)
 
Most of the nutrient s other than N are still there...........

N is removed selectively, so the NH4 that was there the 1st year is gone.........so you need to add more N from fish or KNO3 etc.........
 
Still, for what its worth I think replacing it would be best, muddy bottom tanks look rough as amy winehouse ;) haha
 
good idea luis, could you place it in the bottom 'foot' of a pair of tights (re use the wifes)'

that way you could tweezer the plants into the tights and wrap it in moss to help hold all the mud in...
 
Cheers for the replies guys !!

I'm about to start a new scape on a budget (as I'm a student) so buying new Amazonia isn't quite what I have in mind.
Could I mix the Amazonia I have with inert gravel and still get decent results from the substrate? or is there any other method someone could suggest besides for replacing the lot (cant really afford to splash out on expensive substrates).
Possibly mixing seachem florite with the Amazonia (as this is the limit I'll be willing to spend)?
http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/seachem ... -1735.html
Or will this method cancel out the benefits of both (florite/Amazonia)? or will I get just as good a substrate mixing the Amazonia with plain gravel?
Cheers
 
Nick593 said:
..Could I mix the Amazonia I have with inert gravel and still get decent results from the substrate? or is there any other method someone could suggest besides for replacing the lot (cant really afford to splash out on expensive substrates).
Click to expand...
Yes, here's a method:
Why don't you just continue using the Amazonia you have?

Barr's data shows that Amazonia does not generally lose much of it's potency of Phosphorous and Potassium but does loses some of it's Nitrogen potency. This is somewhat compensated for by nitrification occurring in the sediment due to bacteriological waste breakdown action.

Do what you need to do to return the sediment's visual aesthetic appeal and simply carry on. You can supplement the sediment performance by adding cheap NPK powders to the water column. There is absolutely no point in spending more money on sediment.

If you don't like the isea of water column dosing the just go to any garden center and buy some Osmocote, which is a terrestrial NPK+trace fertilizer. Spread a small amount (1-2 teaspoons per square foot) on the base of the tank and cover it with the Amazonia.

Adding sand to Amazonia is not a good idea as the smaller sand particles will sink and mix causing a messy look.

Cheers,
 
ceg4048 said:
Nick593 said:
..Could I mix the Amazonia I have with inert gravel and still get decent results from the substrate? or is there any other method someone could suggest besides for replacing the lot (cant really afford to splash out on expensive substrates).
Click to expand...
Yes, here's a method:
Why don't you just continue using the Amazonia you have?

Barr's data shows that Amazonia does not generally lose much of it's potency of Phosphorous and Potassium but does loses some of it's Nitrogen potency. This is somewhat compensated for by nitrification occurring in the sediment due to bacteriological waste breakdown action.

Do what you need to do to return the sediment's visual aesthetic appeal and simply carry on. You can supplement the sediment performance by adding cheap NPK powders to the water column. There is absolutely no point in spending more money on sediment.

If you don't like the isea of water column dosing the just go to any garden center and buy some Osmocote, which is a terrestrial NPK+trace fertilizer. Spread a small amount (1-2 teaspoons per square foot) on the base of the tank and cover it with the Amazonia.

Adding sand to Amazonia is not a good idea as the smaller sand particles will sink and mix causing a messy look.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Brilliant. Was thinking the same so that's all I needed to know.
Cheers,
Nick
 
All you need is really to increase N for the tank if you rely solely on ADA As for the nutrients.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
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