Resource Experience with APT Feast

[snowballs99]

1/5 diluted. so 1ml of tank water.
10 gallon tank.
3 days.
0 water changes before testing.
2 inches of APT complete, topped with 1 inch of exhausted aquasoil.

Camera makes the colors off, but it essentially maxxed out the chart.
Did a 70% water change after, will test again in a few days. I assume all this ammonia will essentially "charge" my old aquasoil and make it useful again.

 

[Sb1415]

Hi all,

Have been tied up with work. But here are the updates so far along with a recap

Cycling:
Doing a Dark Start
Using RO water and added APT Sky to an estimated GH of around 4 based on APT calculator

Filter:
- Oase biomaster 350 (pre-cycled filter media from an established aquarium - seachem matrix and Sponges)
Day 1:

• Turned on Filter
• Squeezed in Mulm from old Filter sponge as well
• No Co2/Light
• RO Water - (No added minerals or fertilizer under the recommendation of the 2Hr Aquarist team)
• Enclosed the aquarium from ambient light as well to be safe.

Day 2:
- Ammonia - 8.0 PPM (Using API master test kit, this is the max ammonia reading)
Day 3:

• Ammonia - 8.0 PPM
• Nitrate - 0 PPM (Using API master test kit)
• Performed 90% water change with RO water

Day 4:
- Ammonia - 8.0 PPM
Day 5:

• Ammonia - 8.0 PPM
• Nitrite - 0 PPM
• Nitrate - 0 PPM
• Squeezed in more mulm from filter sponge of a different aquarium.

Day 6
All test via API

• ammonia 8 ppm
• nitrite 0
• nitrate 0

95% water change

Day 7

• ammonia 6-8 ppm
• nitrite 0
• nitrate 0

90% water change
Recheck in 10 hrs

• ammonia 2 ppm
• nitrite 0
• nitrate 0 (by API), 1 salifert

Day 9

• 90% water change
• ammonia 1 - 2 ppm

Day 11 (planting experience)

• 90% water change
• ammonia 1 ppm
• nitrate 1 ppm
• Planted
• Very easy to plant with (especially when compared to Ecocomplete)

Day 14

• 80% water change
• Ammonia 1 ppm
• Nitrate 5 ppm

Day 17

• 90% water change
• Ammonia post change 0.25 ppm
• Nitrate 5 - 10 ppm
• PH 6 (that is the lowest on the API kit)
• KH 0 - 2
• Will be adding fish soon

Overall take

• This is a high ammonia releasing substrate. As others have mentioned, the initial ammonia release is probably well above 8 since that is the max API test kit measure.
• I would strongly recommend a dark start, and be more patient even when using a cycled filter and mulm. For me 3 weeks would have been ideal, but got impatient.
• It is interesting to see that i never went through a nitrite phase, which is probably because of the precycled filter. It is possible that my prior cycled filter was in a tank without aquasoil so maybe the bacteria needed to adapt to this newer environment. I also read that high ammonia might prevent the start of the cyle, or prolong it, so maybe water changes even with dark start would help accelerate it.
• I also built about 3 - 4 inches of aquasoil in the back which now that i look at it seems excessive. I could have used way less aquasoil and built height with things like lavarock but that was lesson learnt. Maybe this would have resulted in less ammonia leach.
• Finally, having no experience with aquasoil, i would say that i did expect the soil to have a little bit more weight to it. If you do not plant it deep enough there is a good chance for plants to float. My rec based on this observation is to not go too thin on the foreground which might prevent proper rooting.
• My request for APT/DW would be to include a packet of maybe APT start instead of APT pure. I think people who are going down aquasoil route with such nitrate probably already have something like Pure, but if cycling is going to be a major issue maybe the APT start might be useful to help cycle the tank quickly.

I am hoping to start my journal soon with the new tank, hopefully this is helpful to people.

 

[techman81]

My request for APT/DW would be to include a packet of maybe APT start instead of APT pure.

Strongly agree! I've got more water conditioner now, than I'll ever need.

 

[BenB]

• Finally, having no experience with aquasoil, i would say that i did expect the soil to have a little bit more weight to it. If you do not plant it deep enough there is a good chance for plants to float. My rec based on this observation is to not go too thin on the foreground which might prevent proper rooting.

I haven't used APT yet, but with the one I have, I found that after a few days and it was completely water logged, it was slightly heavier. Not dramatically, but not as light as when first in the tank. The weight was a surprise to me also. You get a little used to it with time.

 

[snowballs99]

I'd like to update as well.
My Ammonia is essentially 0 now after like 10 days.
I did 1 60% water change on like day 5.
Dark Start
That was it.

 

[Sb1415]

I'd like to update as well.
My Ammonia is essentially 0 now after like 10 days.
I did 1 60% water change on like day 5.
Dark Start
That was it.

Nice. Looks like using old aqua soil on top of new one might be better than squeezing mulm or using a cycled filter in regards to cycling. Of course lot of variables, but a nice discussion point.

 

[snowballs99]

Nice. Looks like using old aqua soil on top of new one might be better than squeezing mulm or using a cycled filter in regards to cycling. Of course lot of variables, but a nice discussion point.

There is such a high ammonia dump in this soil using old aquasoil in the mix might not have any disadvantages.
Think old aquasoil is designed to hold and absorb a lot of the ammonia that gets dumped from the new soil.

I mostly did it because I wanted to test 3+ inch substrate depth vs the 2inch a 5liter bag would get me.

 

[BenB]

Nice. Looks like using old aqua soil on top of new one might be better than squeezing mulm or using a cycled filter in regards to cycling. Of course lot of variables, but a nice discussion point.

I think this is what Tom Barr mentions that he does.

Also, see THIS exchange I had with Dennis Wong about how he likes to add fresh substrate as the old one gives out. If I ever get better at doing tanks with aquasoils, I think I'd prefer this, but could get expensive in a larger tank,

 

[BenB]

Just saw that Amazon no longer had the 15L for $75 deal for APT Feast. I bought 3 bags when there was a sale. I'm wishing I had bought more.

 

[techman81]

Just saw that Amazon no longer had the 15L for $75 deal for APT Feast. I bought 3 bags when there was a sale. I'm wishing I had bought more.

Yeah, I missed the $75 deal but still bought it at $90 I think. Now it's over $100. Not sure if it's that darn Amazon pricing algorithm or 2Hr Aquarist was just discounting it for a short time. I wish I'd bought more even at the $90 price.

 

[gnatster]

If you click on the 2hr Aquarist link at the bottom of the page you receive a 12% discount, and the site gets a taste.

 

[techman81]

If you click on the 2hr Aquarist link at the bottom of the page you receive a 12% discount, and the site gets a taste.

Just tried it. It says that code doesn't apply to items in my cart. Even so, shipping cost is added if shopping direct from the store. Also it's interesting that when I've purchased direct from 2HR Aquarist, it's come from Amazon(or at least in an Amazon box) and when I purchase from Amazon, it says it's coming from 2HR Aquarist.

 

[snowballs99]

Yup, I bought it because it was $75 for 15liters.
I was like "hm... this is even cheaper than fluval stratum at this point, hell why not".

Aquasoil prices skyrocketing is the main reason I've been going back to testing dirted tank substrates with old aquasoil as the cap.
Seems to work extremely well in my opinion with Foxfarm Ocean forest soil. The other ones doesn't seem to last that long in terms of nutrients if you injecting CO2, but that specific one is known to be strong and used by cannabis growers.

Anyways enough rambling, I've cycled my APT feast but still have yet to add any plants lol. Will add some pearl weed next week to get it stabilized before I add my buces.

Yeah, I missed the $75 deal but still bought it at $90 I think. Now it's over $100. Not sure if it's that darn Amazon pricing algorithm or 2Hr Aquarist was just discounting it for a short time. I wish I'd bought more even at the $90 price

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Keep watching Amazon, their prices fluctuate dramatically at times so the supply may be low and demand is high

 

[BenB]

Maybe it will be back available after a restock.
Then we can all buy more APT than we need.

 

[techman81]

Then we can all buy more APT than we need.

Which, per the algorithm, drives the price up.

 

[Sb1415]

Use camelcamel.com

Keep watching Amazon, their prices fluctuate dramatically at times so the supply may be low and demand is high

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Dennis reading these posts:

 

[techman81]

Dennis reading these posts:

I was hoping for some @Dennis Wong comments.

 

[Dennis Wong]

Hmm I don't touch much of the pricing/logistics side of the business, so I don't really know why the prices move that much on Amazon. But I can generate a discount code for you guys to use if you buy stuff directly from the 2hr Aquarist website: 95GF77H for 15% off - this should work universally.

Yup, I bought it because it was $75 for 15liters.
I was like "hm... this is even cheaper than fluval stratum at this point, hell why not".

Aquasoil prices skyrocketing is the main reason I've been going back to testing dirted tank substrates with old aquasoil as the cap.
Seems to work extremely well in my opinion with Foxfarm Ocean forest soil. The other ones doesn't seem to last that long in terms of nutrients if you injecting CO2, but that specific one is known to be strong and used by cannabis growers.

Anyways enough rambling, I've cycled my APT feast but still have yet to add any plants lol. Will add some pearl weed next week to get it stabilized before I add my buces.

I've used aquasoil to cap raw soil for years. I find that this combi grows plants better than using pure aquasoil (no matter what producer). However, I found most folks not interested in the idea as it seemed messy, and there were issues with raw soil selection due to its non uniform nature, so I stopped writing about it.