# Aquasoil and soft water



## Gafi (Sep 1, 2011)

Hello Everyone

I figured I would post this here, hoping I will find someone who uses Aquasoil in these conditions....im about 95% certain I will be using ADA Aquasoil for my 90 gallon tank.....however, during my research there is one issue I am a bit concerned with, the lowering of PH and KH. My tap water has very little GH and KH, about 2degrees of each and a ph of right around 7. Am I going to have issues with the Aquasoil dropping my KH so low that my PH drops dramatically? Any help/suggestions would be awesome!?


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## chinamon (Jun 16, 2012)

what do you intend on keeping in this tank?


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## splur (May 11, 2011)

aquasoil never dropped my kh, however if you're worried about ph dropping too low you might want to consider another substrate.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I suggested he post this question here because I know many of the shrimp keepers have used this type of substrate, whereas I have not and thus can't say much about it. I think it's mainly a planted tank, isn't it Gafi ?


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## Gafi (Sep 1, 2011)

Yes heavily planted tank....perhaps some cherry shrimp....maybe venture to crs..... School of cardinal tetras...that's about it really


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## jarmilca (Sep 10, 2009)

If you are afraid of pH dropping to low with Aqua Soil, add a few stones that increase water hardness (Ryuoh stones) to your layout.


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## chinamon (Jun 16, 2012)

Gafi said:


> Yes heavily planted tank....perhaps some cherry shrimp....maybe venture to crs..... School of cardinal tetras...that's about it really


if you are going to keep CRS then it shouldnt matter much. one of my tanks is at 5.3pH and my CRS are doing great in it. however, RCS would probably not survive at that pH.


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## Gafi (Sep 1, 2011)

chinamon said:


> if you are going to keep CRS then it shouldnt matter much. one of my tanks is at 5.3pH and my CRS are doing great in it. however, RCS would probably not survive at that pH.


What about using Seachems Equilibrium and Seachem Alkaline Buffer ?


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

If you're using a soil to lower pH, trying to use something to combat that and raise it isn't going to end well. Either use the aquasoil and go with CRS or use inert gravel and go for cherries or some other neo. It's hard to get the right param's that make both happy and messing with buffers or other things is only going to create a chemical soup in your tank that your the aquasoil is going to battle.


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## Gafi (Sep 1, 2011)

getochkn said:


> If you're using a soil to lower pH, trying to use something to combat that and raise it isn't going to end well. Either use the aquasoil and go with CRS or use inert gravel and go for cherries or some other neo. It's hard to get the right param's that make both happy and messing with buffers or other things is only going to create a chemical soup in your tank that your the aquasoil is going to battle.


not so much for the red cherry shrimp...id like my ph above 6 i think haha...just thought maybe the seachem line would work like stones/baking soda...to help keep the KH high enough that my PH dont plummit too much...


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

CRS will do fine in anything from 5-6.5 pH for optimal conditions. Messing with buffers, coral, stones, etc is going to make the pH bounce and the shrimp less happy than them adjusting to a 5pH environment. This was one of my tanks with Netlea soil and 5.1pH, they don't look like they're doing too bad do they?

Stable acidic water over messing with it will make happy crystals.


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## Gafi (Sep 1, 2011)

getochkn said:


> CRS will do fine in anything from 5-6.5 pH for optimal conditions. Messing with buffers, coral, stones, etc is going to make the pH bounce and the shrimp less happy than them adjusting to a 5pH environment. This was one of my tanks with Netlea soil and 5.1pH, they don't look like they're doing too bad do they?
> 
> Stable acidic water over messing with it will make happy crystals.


Right, I totally get that....my concern is for the plants as well with a PH so low


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

Gafi said:


> Right, I totally get that....my concern is for the plants as well with a PH so low


Plants LOVE a low pH. Why do you think they sell 100,000,000 tonnes of peat a the garden stores every year? Because peat lowers soil down to 3-4 pH (it can be used in aquariums too if used properly) and plants thrive in acidic soil. Aquasoil is made for planted tanks, they love it. My plants grow better in Netlea than any other soil, gravel, sand, root tabs, ferts.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I must disagree with the statement that terrestrial plants love highly acidic soil. Most garden plants like it pretty much neutral, though as with all things, there are exceptions. Most terrestrial plants respond best to the addition of plenty of humus, and the best source for that is good compost. Peat is used instead because it's rare for most people to have access to enough good compost, while peat is available when it's wanted. There are some specialist plants that like an alkaline soil, and there are a few popular garden plants that do prefer their soil to be somewhat acidic.. maybe around 6.5 or so, but nowhere near 3 or 4. Most garden plants would do very poorly in soil that acid. 

The only plant I know of that needs soil that acid is the highbush, or cultivated type of blueberry. They are rather a pain to grow because of their need for a PH of about 4.5. Peat alone will not get it down that low, peat isn't that acidic. Blueberries require special acidifying amendments to be grown successfully. Peat IS used in huge amounts, but it is added to most garden soils to build up humus, help break up heavy clay soils so they drain better or help sandy soils hold more water, rather than for it's mildly acidifying qualities. The acid tends to leach out with rainfall anyway, and other acidifying amendments must be used to keep acid loving plants happy. For example, rhododendrons, which prefer a mildly acidic soil environment, as do some of the woodland plants like ferns that come from environments with a lot of leaf litter, which is also acidifying. Don't forget the Ph scale is logarhythmic, and each whole number is higher or lower than the next by a factor of ten.. two numbers would differ by a factor of 100.. so Ph 3 or 4 would be an extremely acidic soil.


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