Ada Aquasoil Substrate

[TallTree01]

Hey guys,
I've been gathering equipment and supplies for an upcoming aquarium and would like to have a substrate that's not plain white sand. I've been doing some reading online and it seems that the general consensus is that ADA is a good brand.

I've been looking at the Amazonia type as I quite like the color of it but on the site there is 3 different types of it: powder, multi and normal. The normal one is cheapest then the multi then the powder. I gather that it's a difference in size but how substantial is the difference? Is it worth paying twice the amount for smaller gravel?

If you've used this product or something similar how did you get on?
I'd love to see pictures of people's setups with the substrate so I can get an idea as to how it looks in situ.

Thanks
Ooh, almost forgot, is this substrate suitable for catfish like synodontis or corydoras? I would hate for them to hurt themselves on it if it's sharp or anything like that.

 

[daizeUK]

The difference in size is 1mm for powder up to 3mm for normal, to the best of my knowledge.  I've never used this stuff but I was planning to use it for my recent setup until I changed my mind and switched to a soil substrate with sand cap.
I got my info about it from here, if that's any help to you: http/www.ukaps.org/index.php?page=guide-to-substrates
 
The coarser grain sizes are better for plant roots and oxygen circulation but I can't comment on whether they're suitable for catfish.  With a grain size of 3mm maybe not.  The powder stuff is really intended for nano tanks, I believe.

 

[Goggy]

Hey guys,
I've been gathering equipment and supplies for an upcoming aquarium and would like to have a substrate that's not plain white sand. I've been doing some reading online and it seems that the general consensus is that ADA is a good brand.

I've been looking at the Amazonia type as I quite like the color of it but on the site there is 3 different types of it: powder, multi and normal. The normal one is cheapest then the multi then the powder. I gather that it's a difference in size but how substantial is the difference? Is it worth paying twice the amount for smaller gravel?

If you've used this product or something similar how did you get on?
I'd love to see pictures of people's setups with the substrate so I can get an idea as to how it looks in situ.

Thanks
Ooh, almost forgot, is this substrate suitable for catfish like synodontis or corydoras? I would hate for them to hurt themselves on it if it's sharp or anything like that.

i think my dad used these before, and i do not think it will hurt catfish. he got the substrate on the ususal way. he has kept a school of corydoras and a few synodontis before, and they were not hurt at all. heres a photo

 
Totally unrelated but, substrate idea?
 i thought this was cool: https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=10EnRI80zvk

 

[Byron]

I've not used ADA substrate, but daize has answered that question and provided a good link for info so I'll move on to your second about catfish.
 
With corydoras, you are best to have a "sand" substrate, by which I mean the grains are small like sand.  The powder seems the choice for this, with 1 mm grains which are still larger than my play sand.  Corys sift the substrate through their gills, so you do not want sharp or large grains.  The linked article is silent on the sharpness of ADA, so I would be careful.
 
Byron.

 

[TallTree01]

Thanks for the replies guys, terrific link Daize, gonna have to note that one down! Can see it coming in handy many times in the future.
It mentions that some substrates on their are sharp and therefore unsuitable for some bottom dwellers but as mentioned doesn't mention sharpness on the ADA Aquasoil ones. Whether this means it's not sharp or they simply left it out I'm not sure.
I think I'll stay off of the cories if I go with this substrate, even the powder type might be too big for them.

Do synodontis ' snuffle ' in the sand as cories do? Would Plecoes and other types of catfish be more suited?

I also like that you don't have to rinse it before use, rinsing sand has long been my least favorite part of setting up fish tanks. The sheer amount of water I have to use annoys me, even though it's completely illogical as I have to water the garden anyway.

Thought I was seeing things at first with that video, didn't read the title before hand.
With substrates like these, the small gravelly types, is there ever any issues with fish consuming the substrate and choking? It doesn't seem impossible that a catfish or something with a big mouth could be searching for food and accidentally suck one of these up.
I might just be paranoid from keeping axolotls, who are know to ingest stones and things.

 

[Goggy]

Thanks for the replies guys, terrific link Daize, gonna have to note that one down! Can see it coming in handy many times in the future.
It mentions that some substrates on their are sharp and therefore unsuitable for some bottom dwellers but as mentioned doesn't mention sharpness on the ADA Aquasoil ones. Whether this means it's not sharp or they simply left it out I'm not sure.

I think I'll stay off of the cories if I go with this substrate, even the powder type might be too big for them.

Do synodontis ' snuffle ' in the sand as cories do? Would Plecoes and other types of catfish be more suited?

I also like that you don't have to rinse it before use, rinsing sand has long been my least favorite part of setting up fish tanks. The sheer amount of water I have to use annoys me, even though it's completely illogical as I have to water the garden anyway.

Thought I was seeing things at first with that video, didn't read the title before hand.

With substrates like these, the small gravelly types, is there ever any issues with fish consuming the substrate and choking? It doesn't seem impossible that a catfish or something with a big mouth could be searching for food and accidentally suck one of these up.
I might just be paranoid from keeping axolotls, who are know to ingest stones and things.

Ive known that some catfishes with big mouthes filter out gravel for the nutrients within them (like byron said,)
I have no experience with keeping axolotls so cant help you there
but i do know that my dad's synodontis and corys are still alive right now and he put the fish in there 6 years ago, i would assume that the gravel did not affect their lives