Re: [APD] replanting in substrates

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at yahoo_com>]

>> I'm much less inclined to use fingers with ADA substrates(and SM) for 
>> planting/replanting and much more inclined to use fingers for flourite 
>> and onyx sand.

>Why? Where blasting grit can cut or abrade your hands, SM doesn't 
>hurt you at all. Why is there a difference in your planting preference?

>Vaughn H.

It's not the abrasion, really. It's how the stems stay planted, with tweezers, you have better control when you lift out of the ADA substrate, the heavier gravel seems to fall back on eachother with tweezers and the plants seems to come back out easier with tweezers but fingers seem to work better IME/IMO. The softer lighter weight of ADA substrates makes this tougher with fingers. I did not like the ADA substrates I used several years back, but I did not use tweezers much then either. Did not need to really, having used the heavier substrates exclusivesly. 
   
  It's when you push down on the replanted shoot, often the shoot will slip back out. The tweezers work better for the softer ADA substrates while fingers work better for the heavier substrates.
   
  You mash the ADA substrates also by using your fingers. So you will get longer use from the substrate as well this way. The hard heavier substrates will last forever pretty much.
   
  I definitely like the ADA substrates though, cost, effectiveness for plant growth and aesthetics. I do not like powersand though, but for folks that are enamoured with more substrate fertilization, it's offered. The ADA soils does work very well, better than with powersand when I use water column ferts in conjunction. Then you also do not have two totally different substrate materials in the same tank.
   
  One distraction, I can peroidically vacuum Flourite once a year etc.
  I'm not sure about ADA soils, all substrates need the mulm removed after time(at least yearly for most tanks) and if you cannot vacuum it, it needs replaced. I'm not sure how I am going to apporach this after a few years have passed with the ADA substrates, but my rational is I likely need to redo the scape anyway after 1-2 years unless it's a non CO2 tank.
   
  I have not tried with non CO2 yet. 
   
  Regards, 
  Tom Barr
   
  www.BarrReport.com 
   
    
   
   
   
   
    

			
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