UNS Controsoil Normal Brown

UNS Controsoil is the aquasoil a lot of aquascapers reach for when they want a planted tank to settle down fast. It is a blend of natural soil and volcanic ash made in Mt. Aso, Japan, and it does the two jobs a good soil should: it feeds roots and it pulls the water toward soft and slightly acidic. Unlike richer soils it is not loaded with nutrients, so it releases very little ammonia and spends its energy absorbing impurities instead. This listing is the brown soil in the Normal granule, sold by the bag. Plant it up with our live plants and finish the scape with UNS Spider Wood on Slate.

Features

• No rinsing required. It goes into the tank straight out of the bag.
• Low ammonia release. UNS says Controsoil releases only minimal ammonia, enough to help jump start a tank rather than stall it.
• Buffers the water. It pulls pH slightly acidic and lowers total hardness. UNS says it stabilizes to about 6.8 pH over time.
• Keeps the water clear. UNS says it inhibits cloudy water by actively absorbing impurities.
• Feeds the biology. UNS says the soil promotes and accelerates beneficial bacteria growth.
• Built for roots. The granule composition and size give roots the oxygen exchange they want.
• Shrimp safe. UNS lists it as suitable for all freshwater inhabitants, tropical fish and shrimp included.

Choose Your Size

These are the tank sizes UNS prints on the bag for a full substrate bed.

Want a deeper bed, a slope, or a bigger tank than the chart covers? Bring us your tank dimensions and we will work out how many bags you need.

About the Normal Granule

Controsoil comes in three granule sizes. This is Normal, about 5 mm, the largest of the three. UNS recommends it for thick-rooted plants such as Echinodorus and for larger aquariums. Fine (about 3 mm) is the all-rounder for mixed root sizes, and Extra Fine (about 1 mm) suits carpeting plants with fine roots, nano tanks and top-offs. We also stock this soil in black, and we can order the finer granules in either color, just ask.

How to Use It

• Pour it into the dry, empty aquarium. No rinsing.
• Mist or lightly moisten the soil while you plant, which makes planting far easier.
• Fill the tank slowly and carefully, pouring onto a plate or a bag so you do not blow the bed apart.
• Cycle the tank. UNS asks you to confirm ammonia and nitrites are gone before livestock goes in, and recommends weekly water changes.
• In UNS's own six month test, the tank ran on weekly 40 percent water changes with normal tap water and no extra nutrients added.

Specifications

Pair It With

• Live aquarium plants, the reason to use a soil in the first place.
• UNS Spider Wood on Slate for hardscape that sinks on day one.
• Seachem Prime for filling and for the weekly water changes.
• Shrimp and snails, which do well in the softer, slightly acidic water this soil creates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to rinse it first?
No. UNS says no rinsing is required. Pour it in dry and start planting.

What will it do to my pH?
It buffers the water slightly acidic and lowers total hardness, and UNS says it settles around 6.8 pH over time. That suits most tropical community fish, shrimp and planted tanks. It is the wrong substrate if you keep African cichlids or anything that wants hard, alkaline water.

Can I add fish right away?
UNS notes that many keepers add livestock within the first 24 hours because the soil releases so little ammonia, but it also tells you to confirm ammonia and nitrites are gone first. We would cycle the tank and test before anything goes in.

Will it work in a brackish or saltwater tank?
No. UNS prints it on the bag: Controsoil is not compatible with brackish or marine setups.

How many bags do I need?
Start with the chart above, which is UNS's own guide for a normal bed in each tank size. A deeper bed or a sloped scape needs more, so bring us your tank dimensions and the depth you want and we will work it out.