BJRuttenberg

So I'm 3 days into my new 10 gal tank with Aquasoil...so far so good...

HOWEVER, I have been reading posts on APC about people having problems with melting plants when establishing a new tank with AS...so for those of you out there who have used aquasoil to establish a new tank please let me know:

1. What kind of dosing regime should I utilize from the onset?
2. What kind of water changes should I do?

Currently I am doing a 30%-50% water change daily and just began dosing K and micros... (because I found in some obscure post that this is what you're supposed to do for the 1st week and a half.
I am seeing some growth in both my HM and didiplis diandraare showing signs of growth...however I'm beginning to see signs of melting in my Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC)...

PLEASE RESPONDS WITH ANY THOUGHTS, SUGGESTIONS, ANECDOTES, etc.

My plants are already in the tank and they're not coming out again...so Im looking for info that addresses my current situation. Will some of you older and wiser folks please share your knowledge and if you have time give a brief explanation of why...I like to understand how my tank will likely be affected by your advise and the process it entails...thank

-BEN-

eklikewhoa

50-60% water changes
I dosed full schedule on the 2nd week
Short photo-period.

MrSanders

When I started up my tanks with AS and had melting issues.... 3 days into it my plants were long gone. It only took about 24 hours for them to turn to mush. If you have made it this far I think you maybe alright. If it were me I would just keep up with daily or every other day WC's for the first week or two to keep levels in check.

I dont know why it is that my plants were melting with AS so I can't give you any of the why, I don't think it is from ammomina as I have started up soil based tanks with osmocoat slow release ferts in the substrate that had levels through the roof, and had no such melting issues in these tanks..... *shrugs* oh well, hope your plants pull through WC's seemed to help mine out....

eklikewhoa

They melt because there is a drastic drop in water parameters with AS before leveling off.

MrSanders

A drop in what sort of water parameters? and why does that cause the plants to melt?

John N.

I think it has to do something with the drop in pH and KH. Acclimation shock for plants.

I justed planted some healthy HC, and crypts recently in a 3 gallon tank. Right now, all of the plants are recovering from the melt down. The same thing happened on a larger scale to all my plants in a 40 gallon breeder. All the plants have recovered and grew back in the 40 a month later. I'm still waiting for some new growth in my 3 gallon to occur, but it's early. I believe the difference in water parameters caused the melting issue:

Before in Eco Complete
pH 7.5
KH 8

After in Aquasoil
pH 6.4
KH 2-3

In my 29 gallon tank, I did daily 50-75% water changes for about 2 weeks after installing Aquasoil. The plants there did not experience a melt down. So I suspect the water changes help alleviate any drastic water parameter change, and allowed the plants time to adjust.

-John N.

eklikewhoa

Thanks John for explaining it out.

aloha

50% water changes daily for the first week. Then 2 X 30% weekly
Many many plants (plus many floating plants)
Full CO2 and lighting (2X39w T5 in a 120 liters tank - max 10 hours) from day 1.
Started adding K2SO4 and Flourish at the 3rd week.
No melting issue because my parameters were very close.
Before AS with inert gravel pH: 6.30 KH: 3
After AS pH: 5.50-5.80 KH: 0

eklikewhoa

See I think that's where the trouble lies....


my params....


start:
pH = 7.8-8.0
dKH = 11
dGH =10-12

Aquasoil/powersand:
pH = 7.4
dKH = 5-6

houseofcards

You guys are giving me the hebbie gebbies. I'm getting set to start an AS-based tank and my parameters right now with Eco are:

ph 6.0 (late afternoon)
kh 2