With this post on the chosen substrate to be used, we have finally come to the end of introducing all the components of Nano I. After this, we can start discussing about the aquascape itself.
The choice for substrate is a very easy one, ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia is celebrated worldwide and I've not used a better substrate.
Aqua Soil Amazonia is made up of natural black soil that is then heat treated and processed into a specific gravity and grain size that is ideal for root growth. This black soil is rich in humic acid and nutrients which are very good for flora. However, the high concentration of humic acid will seep into the water column during the first few weeks and if chemical filtration is not utilised, a yellow tinge can be seen.
Aqua Soil Amazonia comes in two sizes, normal and powder. As their names suggests, normal is the bigger-sized grain while powder is much smaller. In nano tanks such as the Mini S, Aqua Soil powder is very useful in ensuring the substrate grain size is in good relation to the tank itself. A grain size bigger than Aqua Soil powder will hinder the creation of an aquascape that appears larger than it is.
Besides using Aqua Soil Amazonia, I will also be using Power Sand Special S. Similarly, Power Sand comes in various sizes but the reasons behind the different in sizes is to enable Power Sand to better withstand the increased water pressure that comes with tanks of greater depths.
So what is Power Sand and what does it do? According to ADA, Power Sand is made out of porous volcanic stones and humus which supplies nutrients to plant roots over a long period of time. The volcanic stones prevents substrate hardening, sustains water penetration and encourage better water circulation at the bottom of the substrate.
Power Sand is one of those ADA products that no one seems to be sure of. I'm confident that it does work as described, but how effectively, I have no idea. It is completely possible to have a healthy substrate with just Aqua Soil Amazonia, and many world class aquascapers have proven it to be so. But I'm still going to use it because the best growth that I've in my nano tanks were from substrates that had it.
I will be using Power Sand Special that has Bacter 100 and Clear Super pre-blended in. Bacter 100 is a substrate addictive that contains more than 100 kinds of substrate bacteria in a dormant state. Clear Super is also a substrate additive but it is made out of activated carbon and organic acid. Together, they will improve the substrate environment right from the start. When pouring out the Power Sand Special S, you will notice that the stones are moist, just like ADA Bio Rio. I presuming it's because they contain they too contain beneficial bacteria and nutrients.
