Substrate question

Hi
Hi have purchased macro element substrate in the yellow bag for the first time. Must I vacuum all the sediment out when redoing the tank after three months?

terri

 

hi @Terri lee What do you mean? Do you want to rescape the tank or are you taking out every thing and starting over. more info please.

 

The sediment will be full of bacteria... I'd leave it in as it'll help cycling the new substrate. Just place the new substrate over it.


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Hi I want to rescape using existing substrate and changing the plants. There is a lot of fine sediment in the substrate so if the plants are carefully moved about it is stirred up turning everything pitch black. It does settle after 24 hours but leaves this fine black dust on everything, including the plants.

 

Hi. What substrate are you using?

 

Oops. Ok the easiest way will be to move your fish to a temporary holding tank. Best to siphon half the tank into the holding tank, set up the filter and heater and transfer any livestock over. Then siphon half of the rest of the tank water and add to the half full holding tank. Once that's done, remove all your plants. siphon as much of the left over water, vacuuming as much of the fine black silty layer with. Empty that into your pot plants. Once that's done and you have very little water or none above the existing substrate. You can add the new substrate and plant. After planting and rescaping, slowly fill the tank halfway with new water. Set up the filter and heater. Switch on and bring the temp up to match the holding tank. Transfer your livestock and top up using the rest of the holding tank water. This way, you will be capping the old substrate, trapping the sediment under the new substrate. And won't have to go through any cycling process.


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Aqua Macro energy substrate

 

Barry has got the rite idea here. It's going to be a bit of work though. I have never used that substrate before. Where did you get it?

 

Thankfully I have no live stock in this tank. To date it has just been a planted tank. I want to put live stock in thus the rescape. I got it at a lfs in Benoni. I'm not sure if I can put the name on here. Maybe I should just replace the substrate, but its sad to chuck it away and it was not cheap. It comes in a yellow bag, small black clay like granules and a separate attached bag of some white stuff that you put under the granules.

 

Terri Lee, the only hitch is if the new substrate needs to be capped. The instructions will tell you if you need to cap it with something or not. If not, then you're ok to follow my post. If you do however, then you will have to take at least a 2cm layer of your old substrate out, lay the new substrate and then put the old substrate you took out back, making sure that you have a depth of 2cm covering all of the new substrate. This will produce lots of black fine sediment. You will have to fill and drain a few times more to remove the sediment, before planting and finally filling.


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Ah... Ok. Don't throw it away. The small bag, you just empty onto your old substrate. Again, make sure that there is almost no water above the old substrate or the white powder will float. that is the fertilizer and nutrient additives, The clay balls you put on top. That is the "soil." No need to cap it at all. Dampen the clay balls with a pump action spray bottle and plant. Dampening, makes it easier to plant. Then follow my post. Everything should be fine.


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Sounds like an iron rich substrate. Has any one used this before? Is the white powder causing the problem?

 

The white powder doesn't seem to be the issue as even after all this time it has not fully dissolved. I have a really thick layer of black sediment.

 

Hi. Is there an update on the tank? Did you fix the substrate?

 

Hi
I just landed up capping it and the water has come crystal clear. Plants seem to like it but I definitely won't use it again. Spoke to lots of people who do use it and they don't seem to have the issue. Maybe it was jut a bum packet, who knows?

 

Morning Terri Lee,
Glad you sorted it out. Could've been that the packet had been in the shop for a long time and dried out too much. That would cause the fine floating particles! Most soils come from the manufacturers, slightly damp! That's the only thing I can think could've happened. Very frustrating! Anyway... Glad you sorted it out.
Looking forward to seeing your tank grow now. BTW what did you cap with?


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Capped with plain black gravel that is very fine