Aquasoil
Also known as: ADA Amazonia, Tropica Aquarium Soil, Fluval Stratum, Landen Aquasoil, Brightwell FlorinVolcanit
Properties
| pH effect | lowers pH |
|---|---|
| KH (carbonate hardness) | softens |
| GH (general hardness) | neutral |
| Nutrient load | very high |
| Ammonia release initially | Yes (cycle the tank before stocking) |
| Particle size | 1 to 4 mm |
| Longevity | 2 years before replacement / refresh |
| Cost tier | high |
How it affects the tank
- Pre-loaded with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and trace elements: planted-tank specialists use it for rapid plant establishment without water-column dosing for the first 6-12 months
- Releases ammonia for the first 2-6 weeks: must cycle the tank fishless before stocking, or use a heavy plant load to consume the NH3 as fertiliser
- Acidifies the water (pulls pH toward 6.0-6.5 and softens KH), which suits soft-water community fish and most plants but is incompatible with hard-water species
- Exhausts in 1-3 years depending on plant load; the granules eventually become inert and the tank shifts to a root-tab-dosed system
Care notes
Premium aquasoils (ADA Amazonia, Tropica) are the planted-tank gold standard but expensive ($40-80 per 9L bag, two-three bags for a typical 60L tank). Budget alternatives (Fluval Stratum, Landen) work but with less nutrient density and shorter longevity. Do not stir vigorously once placed; granules crumble and turn to mud.
Plants that work in aquasoil
73 aquarium plants in the catalog list this substrate as compatible.
- African water fern
- Alternanthera reineckii
- Alternanthera reineckii Rosaefolia
- Amazon frogbit
- Amazon sword
- Ambulia
- Anacharis
- Anubias barteri
- Anubias congensis
- Anubias nana
- Anubias nana petite
- Aponogeton crispus
- Aponogeton ulvaceus
- Bacopa caroliniana
- Bacopa monnieri
- Banana plant
- Bucephalandra
- Bucephalandra Brownie Ghost
- Cabomba
- Christmas moss
- Cryptocoryne balansae
- Cryptocoryne beckettii
- Cryptocoryne lutea
- Cryptocoryne parva
- Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
- Cryptocoryne spiralis
- Cryptocoryne undulata
- Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Downoi
- Duckweed
- Dwarf four-leaf clover
- Dwarf hairgrass
- Dwarf hygrophila
- Dwarf lily
- Dwarf sagittaria
- Echinodorus bleheri
- Flame moss
- Giant hygrophila
- HC Cuba
- Hornwort
- Hydrocotyle tripartita
- Hygrophila pinnatifida
- Java fern
- Java fern narrow leaf
- Java moss
- Jungle val
- Ludwigia repens
- Ludwigia Super Red
- Madagascar lace plant
- Marsh ludwigia
- Micro sword
- Monte Carlo
- Needle leaf hairgrass
- Ozelot sword
- Pearl weed
- Phoenix moss
- Pogostemon erectus
- Pogostemon stellatus Octopus
- Pygmy chain sword
- Red milfoil
- Red root floater
- Riccia fluitans
- Rotala indica
- Rotala rotundifolia
- Rotala wallichii
- Salvinia
- Staurogyne repens
- Subwassertang
- Tiger lotus
- Water lettuce
- Water sprite
- Water wisteria
- Weeping moss
Sources
Data drawn from: aquatic-plant-central, tropica-product-spec, ada-product-spec. Last verified 2026-05-13.
Back to aquarium substrate reference