ADA Start with A: Substrate
Symbiotic relationship between plant roots and beneficial bacteria
The most important factor for the substrate, the spot where the aquarium plants to grow, is to take in sufficient nutrients for the roots. Aquarium plants can inorganic nutrients with their roots, while organic nutrients cannot be directly absorbed. A large number in the substrate live bacteria break down the organic nutrients to inorganic form. They help to make the nutrients available for plants, so they with their roots from the substrate. These bacteria are normally present around the roots of aquarium plants, where oxygen and organic substances are released to the soil. These facts show that there is a symbiotic relationship between the plant roots and bacteria. To the growth of beneficial bacteria to promote ADA Power Sand and additives such as ADA Bacter100 used for the substrate. The substrate acts as the foundation of a Nature Aquarium.
The basic structure of the substrate
A substrate that is built up with ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia and ADA Power Sand has many advantages for a rapid growth of aquarium plants and reduces the risk of a successful aquarium.
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1. Spread a thin layer with additions such as ADA Bacter100.
2. Divide ADA Power Sand and make an even layer.
3. Divide ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia and create a slope, obliquely ascending to the rear.
4. Spread a thin layer of ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Powder over the surface.
The structure of the substrate with Cosmetic Sand
A substrate of Cosmetic Sand and ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia gives a bright foreground and a healthy growth in the middle - and background.
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1. Put a piece of cardboard in the aquarium as separation.
2. Divide the Cosmetic Sand in the foreground and ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia in the background.
3. Make sure that the levels of both species and both sides are equal and remove the separation.
4. Place a few stones along the line as a separation between the two materials.
Reasons to Aqua Soil Powder type to use
When the substrate is built up with only ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia normal grain size, the roots of voorgrondplanten easily from the substrate, and is holding back growth. By the finer ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Powder over the surface of water are small openings between the normal grains filled in, allowing the roots of plants more grip. The ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Powder is also very suitable for Iwagumi layouts because it is easy between the stones can be cast.
Power Sand Special use in the soil
The ADA Power Sand special contains more organic nutrients than normal ADA Power Sand. This is in particular suitable for aquarium plants with an extensive root system, such as Cryptocoryne. A point of note is, that the ideal is to have a well-screwed filter to use with fully functioning biological filtration. The nutrients from the ADA Power Sand special , leaks may be adequately treated in a newly launched filter with new filter media. Although ADA Bacter 100 and ADA Clear Super in the ADA Power Sand special is added, it is advisable to additional substrate additions to use the quick growth of beneficial bacteria to promote.
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| 1. ADA Power Sand special contains an additional amount of added nutrients. | 2. Suitable for plants, that their food is active to include with their roots, such as Cryptocoryne. |
In a Nature Aquarium, the substrate is the important spot for the growing of aquarium plants. A good knowledge about the building and maintaining of the substrate is therefore important. One of the main factors which makes it possible to have a long life of the aquascape, to the underlying concept of a Nature Aquarium, it is ADA's unique know-how of the substrate. Here, take a look at this valuable knowledge.
Substrate maintained
As the aquarium longer run, it will be dirty as the excrement of fish and shrimp in the substrate to accumulate. An excess amount of dirt the water permeability negative influence, causing blue-green algae and other algae can arise. To avoid these issues, should the dirt be away sucked out with a hose during the waterwissel. In particular, in a dense voorgrondplanten is a significant amount of dirt between the plants way to suck, as soon as the end of the hose above the substrate is held. Blue-green algae between the glass and substrate can be scraped off with a thin spatula, before this further in the aquarium can spread.
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| 1. Vacuum the accumulated dirt between the voorgrondplanten away with a hose. | 2. Scrape the algae road between the substrate and the glass. |
Nutrients and add it to the substrate
Substrate built up with ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia and ADA Power Sand is rich in organic and inorganic nutrients, enough food supplies for a year. However, these nutrients slowly as the aquarium longer runs. To the decreased nutrients to replenish, there may be ADA Multi Bottom or ADA Iron Bottom sticks to be added into the substrate with ADA Bottom Release. ADA Multi Bottom is suitable for general aquarium plants and ADA Iron Bottom is ideal for Echinodorus and Cryptocoryne species.
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| 1. Bring the stick with nutrients in a place at a short distance from the roots. | 2. ADA Bottom Release makes it possible to stick with the nutrients deep in the substrate to cross. |
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Source and copyright of the article/photos - Aqua Design Amano - ADA
(Translated by Wilco Piest)
