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Tropica Substrate Problems or not?

andyh

Member
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1 Jan 2009
Messages
1,920
Location
Derby
Hello

Reference Tropica Substrate has anybody had any problems with this causing cloudyness in the water?

I recently saw Oliver knott cap this with ADA amazonia powder at TGM demo day, but i am helping a friend and he has done the same but gets constant cloudy water, He suspects that the shrimps are disturbing the gravel too much and causing the cloudiness. Has anybody experienced this?
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

How deep has he capped it? 5cm is a good amount but i've done it much shallower. With constant messing when the substrate cap is shallow i've noticed the tropica reaching the surface and then it can cause an issue.

There are of corse various reasons for cloudy water, you can usually tell if it's the tropica substrate and it should clear pretty quickly, like within a few hours.
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Dan Crawford said:
How deep has he capped it? 5cm is a good amount but i've done it much shallower. With constant messing when the substrate cap is shallow i've noticed the tropica reaching the surface and then it can cause an issue.

There are of corse various reasons for cloudy water, you can usually tell if it's the tropica substrate and it should clear pretty quickly, like within a few hours.


I don' think its capped enough.

The only other thing that could cause this cloudiness is the stones, which are Fossilized wood purchased from TGM, is this know to cause any problems?
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

andyh said:
I don' think its capped enough.

The only other thing that could cause this cloudiness is the stones, which are Fossilized wood purchased from TGM, is this know to cause any problems?
No, Fossilized wood doesn't cause cloudiness, or any other issues, IME.
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

George Farmer said:
andyh said:
I don' think its capped enough.

The only other thing that could cause this cloudiness is the stones, which are Fossilized wood purchased from TGM, is this know to cause any problems?
No, Fossilized wood doesn't cause cloudiness, or any other issues, IME.
Agreed, my last three long term tanks have featured fossilised wood with no adverse effects.
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

George Farmer said:
andyh said:
I don' think its capped enough.

The only other thing that could cause this cloudiness is the stones, which are Fossilized wood purchased from TGM, is this know to cause any problems?
No, Fossilized wood doesn't cause cloudiness, or any other issues, IME.
Dan Crawford said:
George Farmer said:
andyh said:
I don' think its capped enough.

The only other thing that could cause this cloudiness is the stones, which are Fossilized wood purchased from TGM, is this know to cause any problems?
No, Fossilized wood doesn't cause cloudiness, or any other issues, IME.
Agreed, my last three long term tanks have featured fossilised wood with no adverse effects.

Excellent, so i fear that the Tropica has simply not been capped enough.

Do you think that ada is good for capping tropica or is it to light and easily disturbed?
We took influence from Oliver knotts tank at TGM? Although he did use tonnes of ada and we only had so much.
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

It wouln't be my first choice because AS is so good, i don't think you'd really need the tropica stuff, it won't hurt though. When i've used tropica i've capped it with Unipac black gravel which is much heavier.

As you said, oliver used a mountain of AS to cap it off and this clearly isn't feasible for everyone, i know Jim and Mark had to sell their houses to pay for ALL THAT AQUASOIL :lol:
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Dan Crawford said:
It wouln't be my first choice because AS is so good, i don't think you'd really need the tropica stuff, it won't hurt though. When i've used tropica i've capped it with Unipac black gravel which is much heavier.

As you said, oliver used a mountain of AS to cap it off and this clearly isn't feasible for everyone, i know Jim and Mark had to sell their houses to pay for ALL THAT AQUASOIL :lol:

I got a bit of "twitch" on for Jim and Mark, Its always great when your not paying! :lol:
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Ok then people i have a real challenge then!! We now have to separate the Tropica from our ADA Amazonia, any tricks? :rolleyes:
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Can you not just chuck more AquaSoil in there? I know it's pricey but thats your best option if at all possible?
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Dan Crawford said:
Can you not just chuck more AquaSoil in there? I know it's pricey but thats your best option if at all possible?

We could do, but then if it doesn't work would have thrown more money at it. o_O
Its defo worth considering though. :geek:
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Are you sure it's the Tropica stuff? If it's a new tank it's more likely to be a bacteria bloom thats making it go cloudy?...
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Well I've said before that many people have had trouble, including myself and Paulo. And I have it on good authority that ADA went as far as to change the manufacturer of their AS several months back, although that was rumoured to be because of the problems with Amazonia II. Paulo used standard Amazonia and I use Malaya :?
 
Re: Tropica Substrate Problems

Holly crap! :lol: I am getting confused now!

Here is a pic of the cloudiness: (ignore the internal filter and heater just a temp thing)

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I am not sure what cause it to be honest but the tank gets regular water changes and maintenance, its approx 3 weeks old with an external mature filter.

It has a Tropica Substrate base with ADA amazonia on top with ADA Sarawak sand in the middle.

Never had an Algae bloom before, does it look like one to you guys?
 
Time to stand up and be counted............... its my tank.

Thanks for all your concern and possible causes.
Over the years i have experienced algae blooms, but this time im not convinced this is the cause.

In all honesty i had never considered the ADA, just assumed the tropica had been exposed by my team of 40 shrimps,a couple of the armano are like mini JCBs.

Im reluctant to add more ADA, with the obvious cost factor, particularly if i end up having to discard all the substrat and start again.

Ive just changed the floss in the Eheim external as suggested, and will probably put some carbon in as well.
Meantime as im away for a couple of days, i will bide my time and see what happens.
 
Whilst i'm aware that some people out there have had issues with AquaSoil, i haven't so i can't say whether or not it looks like that when AquaSoil clouds the water but i CAN say that it looks exactly like the issues i had a couple of weeks ago when i added a new filter to run alongside my existing filter. Not particles in the water as such, more just a "cloudiness". If it's your filter it should clear soon, mine was around 10 days all together but it was an FX and thats almost big enough for me to get in so your internal should be quicker. I don't want to sound condescending or similar as you've obviously done all this before, it's just how i see it. (I didn't think my issue was bacteria and it was)
 
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