Aquasoil vs BDBS (Inert Blasting Sand) Cost

[JayP]

n Singapore, I've changed to using a bunch (5? 6?) of 10kg cylinders, I will exhaust them all before refilling all of them together once every couple of years. I pay the gas company to collect all of them at one go (costing around 30 dollars), who will then top up and refill and deliver them back to the office the next day or so. I find that doing it this way minimizes my cost, and I don't have to transport cylinders myself. The fee is something like $30 delivery/collection fee, then another 20+? dollars per cylinder.

This is essentially what I do. The cost of filling a single 5lb cylinder may be $30 but the cost of filling 5 of those cylinders may only be $45-$50. So I have many spare tanks plus a 20lb tank with dip tube that I use to refill smaller tanks myself. and I try to hold off as long as I can to get refills and take in as many as I can at once.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

I agree that the cost of aquasoil in the states is kinda ridiculous. Better to spend $$$ else where

But there is a reason the landscape out there is that way that it is:
In the states you guys have big houses, cheap large tanks but expensive aquasoil (as all aquasoils are produced far away and shipped there).
In most of modern asia and Europe, houses are smaller, tanks are much smaller and aquasoil is cheaper, so folks spend less on relative cost on the substrate. The most common tank sizes in most asia cities is 2 and 3ft. Even on company's budget and real estate, the largest planted tank I've own is only a 65 gallon, and I'm very well funded for where I am. I've only worked on larger tanks in commercial/zoos spaces.

On a relative cost basis, folks here complain about the costs of light and CO2 where planted aquariums are concerned. I.e. to replicate the 2ft tank below, the lights and CO2 stuff would cost around 700? while the substrate would just just 40 or 60 dollars.

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Also, from what I've seen, plants are WAY cheaper over there, too!

Cheap aquasoil and cheap plants would be awesome. Expensive electronics, not so much.

 

[CincyScaper]

I do like the idea of being able to uproot easily with inert. With the long term maintenance with aquasoil what I am learning is that if I try to do large chunks of replanting like a bush of blood red, I set off a system shock and takes a bit for things to settle down.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

I do like the idea of being able to uproot easily with inert. With the long term maintenance with aquasoil what I am learning is that if I try to do large chunks of replanting like a bush of blood red, I set off a system shock and takes a bit for things to settle down.

For dutch-style scapers who are constantly rescaping, replanting, etc. it's definitely easier with inert sand! Roots just don't hold onto the substrate the same way as they do with aquasoil, and there is a lot less organics released into the water column.

Also, planting... what a dream planting in BDBS is so easy and satisfying.