Hey guys I got a nice peice of drift wood in a tree form that I want to add to my CRS tank, soil I got it the tank is Ada down the bottom and ista on top and I will need to dig down to put wood into place would this be safe to do? 

I dig into my substrate all the time to replant plants. It's been okay for me.

The shrimp seem to like grazing on the freshly upturned substrate too.

Watch it with ADA.... Try to be gentle as possible. Even siphon out some of the ensuing dust cloud as you do it.

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I dig into my substrate all the time to replant plants. It's been okay for me.

The shrimp seem to like grazing on the freshly upturned substrate too.

@jayc - are you using Amazonia?

Watch it with ADA.... Try to be gentle as possible. Even siphon out some of the ensuing dust cloud as you do it.

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I echo this. I think I mucked around a bit too much in my Amazonia and deaths followed. Just be gentle.

10 hours ago, neo-2FX said:

@jayc - are you using Amazonia?

Yes, but don't go crazy digging.

 

@Mitch91, If you just push the wood down into the substrate, it should not cause too much disturbance of the substrate.

 

Edited June 16, 20169 yr by jayc
Grammer

Thanks I'll give it ago tomorrow atm it's on it side in the tank as if it's fallen down but idk if it looks to big or not how it is. I'll put a pic up tell me what u guys reckon if I should leave it how it is or stand it up right 

 

1 hour ago, neo-2FX said:

@jayc - are you using Amazonia?

 

I echo this. I think I mucked around a bit too much in my Amazonia and deaths followed. Just be gentle.

+1, I've had deaths after fiddling too much as well. If you can manage to dig the driftwood in the substrate in one motion and just push straight down, it should be ok.

Can someone explain why this happens? Ammonia pockets? 

 

 

 

+1, I've had deaths after fiddling too much as well. If you can manage to dig the driftwood in the substrate in one motion and just push straight down, it should be ok.

Can someone explain why this happens? Ammonia pockets? 

 

 

@sacurt I believe that's the case and Amazonia is known to do it more. My shrimp love it when I disturb a small patch. Just don't disturb too many areas. I usually see deaths about 2 days later and it lasts a few days too.

Hi Mitch. I'm only new here but I've worked as a specialist grower for three hundred years and was asked to run comparative tests on ADA when it was first imported, so I can explain the issues.

First, I should warn you that you don't have enough plants for the ADA. By design, it is important to plant every centimetre right from the start or there will be ongoing problems and heartache and algae and deaths.

Your tank looks new so it is too early for cloudy water to be a problem. But I will mention what causes the cloudiness anyway.

ADA media contains a lot of clay and this is baked into granules so it is practical to use.With time, the granules become soft and finally collapse.This is only a problem if you disturb the substrate because the clay particles all carry the same electrical charge so they repel each other.So they are unable to form clumps that become heavy and sink to the bottom....they remain suspended and are too fine for most filters to remove.

There are products for clarifying ponds that will solve the issue.Very surprised that nobody has mentioned this or maybe even thought of it...lol

 

There are products for clarifying ponds that will solve the issue.Very surprised that nobody has mentioned this or maybe even thought of it...lol

 

What products would you use? I used a clarifier on an ADA planted tank once and it was fatal to my shrimp.

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thanks for the info

18 hours ago, Anthony Rae said:

Hi Mitch. I'm only new here but I've worked as a specialist grower for three hundred years and was asked to run comparative tests on ADA when it was first imported, so I can explain the issues.

First, I should warn you that you don't have enough plants for the ADA. By design, it is important to plant every centimetre right from the start or there will be ongoing problems and heartache and algae and deaths.

Your tank looks new so it is too early for cloudy water to be a problem. But I will mention what causes the cloudiness anyway.

ADA media contains a lot of clay and this is baked into granules so it is practical to use.With time, the granules become soft and finally collapse.This is only a problem if you disturb the substrate because the clay particles all carry the same electrical charge so they repel each other.So they are unable to form clumps that become heavy and sink to the bottom....they remain suspended and are too fine for most filters to remove.

There are products for clarifying ponds that will solve the issue.Very surprised that nobody has mentioned this or maybe even thought of it...lol

 

thanks for that mate i am wanting to get new plants just sorting out what i want and what will grow well in my tank as its low tech no c02 and basic lighting. ph is 6 now i always wanted it low but i dont know how much under it is as my test only goes down to 6 lol.