Tag Archive for '46 gal'

The ADA Substrate System

Published on November 23, 2009 in 46 gal. 0 Comments Tags: , .

I went to Aqua Forest Aquarium today, and walked out with 2 boxes full of ADA substrate, an ADA catalog with instructions on how to lay it down, and the International Aquatic Plants Layout 2009 book for inspiration.

ADA Substrate

The two bags on the left are Amazonia Powder, the two on the right are Amazonia, and the one in the middle is Power Sand.  This is what the Aqua Forest Aquarium employee recommended for me to fill my 46 gallon tank and have enough to create a good slope.

Here’s my 46 gallon’s humble beginnings in its new location.  I have a Hydor undergravel heater, so that goes in first.

46 Tank Start

Now that I’ve gotten my hands on the “ADA system,” I can see why it works.  Power Sand is mostly granulated peat and is used to create a small layer across the bottom of the tank.  The granulated peat serves multiple purposes at the bottom of the substrate.  First, its large granules help prevent substrate compaction which can lead to anaerobic pockets that produce sulfuric acid.  I used to think that anaerobic pockets were a myth, but after this tank was running for about 16 months with Flourite it  began having problems, so I’m happy to hopefully not have to worry about that anymore.

Power Sand

The Amazonia and Amazonia Powder are actually more like granulated soil than gravel.  Amazonia Powder has a really small granule size that allows for ground cover plants to grow very fine roots, and Amazonia has a medium granule size which suits deeper rooting plants.  Amazonia II has also been introduced recently, and from reading the catalog, it’s main distinction is that it lowers the pH of your water more than Amazonia.  I’m using Amazonia because I’ll also be injecting CO2 into this tank, but in my 29 gallon tank I’m going to use Amazonia II.  The catalog also talks about Bacter 100, which is a fine dust filled with bacteria that will jump start the ecosystem in your soil.

Permanent Sand/Substrate Border

Published on June 5, 2009 in Aquascaping. 0 Comments Tags: .

I’m replacing a 5 year old 46 gallon bowfront, and I really like the look of tanks with an all sand foreground. For the next iteration of this tank, I’m creating a 2-3″ band in the front of the tank to be filled with pool filter sand. My plant substrate is Flourite, and obviously those aren’t going to stay separate for long, so I’ve created a border:

I used Gorilla Glue to secure everything to the bottom of the tank

Gorilla Glue is great for attaching things to glass!

First I drew a line across the front of my tank using a book as a guide. I placed it against the glass, then a sharpie against it, and slid them both together along the curved glass. Then I went to Home Depot and bought some clear drawer liner and cut a 3″ strip in it. Getting it to stand in place was tricky, so I scotch taped the ends up and reinforced the middle to be sure. I then put a line of Gorilla Glue down the line that I drew earlier, moving the liner out of the way slightly, and immediately moved the liner back into it. Gorilla glue is so cool, I bet it was free standing within a couple hours.

The idea is that this will keep my Flourite and sand ALMOST completely separated. When I fill the tank with substrate, I expect that there won’t be enough to cover up all the plastic, but that’s OK, I can always trim it down! The plan is to let Glosso and H. Roraima overgrow it and hide the border, but we shall see.

I’m optimistic that in the absence of fish that root around this will stand the test of time. I’d love to hear your comments.

BTW – The cable you see glued down is a Hydor undergravel heater. It was the same basic process for getting it glued to the bottom. All the clips that came with it are in the gravel in my running tank!