# Aqua Dirt Substrate



## prismsand (Nov 2, 2013)

I joined this forum for a specific reason. To warn people to stay away from a substrate called Aqua Durt. Aquariumplants.com sells it. And there is a seller on Ebay who sells it. People will fall into the trap of thinking it is cheaper and just as good as other substrates. DO NOT BELIEVE IT.

Please!....Please! stay away from it and tell everyone you know to never use it. Its a very bad product. The first time I used it, it quickly turned into a blue-green algae nightmare. I hung on for about a year trying to clear up the algae, then gave up thinking it was a bad batch. When ever I moved the substrate around it emitted clouds of fine silt putting high organics into the water.

I dumped my tanks and re-ordered new. This time it took awhile but after 4 to 6 months the blue-green algae reared its ugly stinky head. Again I did everything possible to get rid of it. Plants either grew poorly or died off. This time I felt sure it must be something I was doing wrong. Self doubt set in. I'm not new to aquarium keeping, though I still consider myself a novice at planted tanks.

Two weeks ago I decided to key word reviews for the company that sells the substrate. I found a review describing exactly what I was dealing with. Here is what it said. 

"Buyer beware of their proprietary substrate. Do some extensive searching and you will see that it is Soil Master Select or Turface and at an elevated price for the product. Added your tank KH will decrease by 1-2 points per day for up to 6 months (although they state it is inert). Thirdly, it will “melt” in your tank. The instructions state to only rinse it once. That is because the particles disintegrate with agitation and a web search will show that you cannot, or will have a very hard time rinsing clear. Fourth, the material releases a yet to be identified substance into the tank that WILL cause uncontrollable algae blooms for a long time. I was bitten by the “cheaper than Eco-complete”. Now, I broke my tank down, and paid $10 more than the original purchase for Eco-complete. Their statement is propaganda and misleading. Call a reputable web supplier and ask them how many calls they get to fix issues with this substrate." 

After I read this review I dumped my 30 and 55gal tanks again. I got lucky Petsmart had a sale on FloraMax for 8.00 a bag. I found a great seller on Ebay that had some nice gravel sand. Looks great and my fish are happy too. I'm sure the substrate was affecting their quality of health as well. Gill problems,lesions,fish loss, fish fighting a lot.

Sorry for the lengthy post. I felt the need to make aquarium consumers aware of this product. I'm including pictures of my 55 tank before I broke it down. Horrific nightmare.


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