ADA · Additive / base layer
ADA Power Sand Special
Japan · Pale tan with visible black additives · grain 5 to 10 mm (porous pumice base)
External link to adana.co.jp — opens in a new tab.
TL;DR, ADA Power Sand Special
Power Sand is a base-layer substrate designed to sit under Aqua Soil. ADA-style stacked substrate (Power Sand layer of 2 to 3 cm topped with 5 to 7 cm of Aqua Soil Amazonia).
Full specs
- Brand
- ADA
- Country of origin
- Japan
- Category
- Additive / base layer
- Colour
- Pale tan with visible black additives
- Grain size
- 5 to 10 mm (porous pumice base)
- pH target
- Neutral
- pH effect
- Neutral
- KH effect
- Neutral
- Ammonia release
- Moderate
- Nutrient content
- Very high (pre-loaded with Bacter 100 and Clear Super additives)
- Buffering longevity
- Functional for the substrate lifetime
- Recommended water
- Used under active soil
- Difficulty
- 3 / 5
- Shrimp-safe
- Yes
- Best for
- Premium ADA-style substrate stack
How it works
Power Sand is a base-layer substrate designed to sit under Aqua Soil. The porous pumice grain creates water and oxygen flow channels beneath the top layer, preventing anaerobic pockets in deep substrate. The pre-loaded Bacter 100 (beneficial bacteria) and Clear Super (humic acids and trace minerals) additives release slowly through the active soil above.
Best use cases
ADA-style stacked substrate (Power Sand layer of 2 to 3 cm topped with 5 to 7 cm of Aqua Soil Amazonia). The stack produces longer plant root systems and reduces the need for fertilisation in the first six months.
Common mistakes
Treating Power Sand as a standalone substrate. It is too porous and the additives are too concentrated for direct contact with plant roots; the active soil layer above is required.
Pro tips
The Special variant is for larger tanks (60 litres and up). The "M" size is for medium tanks. The "S" size is for nano tanks. Matching the size to tank volume affects flow through the base layer.
Plants that thrive in this substrate
Hand-curated pairings based on the substrate category, not a relational query.
- Cryptocoryne WendtiiCryptocoryne wendtiiADA Power Sand + Bacter 100 stack supercharges Cryptocoryne root systems.
- Amazon SwordEchinodorus grisebachiiThe premium ADA stack is canonical for large background swords.
- Rotala RotundifoliaRotala rotundifoliaStems colour faster on the full ADA additive stack than on plain aquasoil alone.
Sources & further reading
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