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New bag design, same amazing soil!
Ultum Nature Systems Controsoil is an aquarium soil from Japan made of high-quality natural soil and volcanic ash. Choosing a proper substrate is vital for any successful planted aquarium. This is not only for aquarium plants to flourish but also to buffer the water to optimum levels for certain fish and shrimp.
Controsoil by UNS will keep the pH of alkaline water below 7 which is ideal for keeping Caridina shrimp and most tropical fish.Â
Controsoil is the perfect solution for those who want good plant growth without the headache of excessive ammonia. With other aquarium soils, it is common to experience algae spikes during the initial month or two of a new set up. This is commonly referred to as “new tank syndrome” and is characterized by brown or green algae on the glass, aquatic plants, and hardscape along with cloudy or smelly water.
This phenomenon is caused by high levels of ammonia (NH3) which many soil manufacturers add to their products. Although the ammonia helps to cycle the tank, too much can cause problems so it is necessary for users to do daily water changes during the first few weeks of use until the planted tank is established. However, many users have reported success with using Controsoil and adding shrimp or fish within 24 hours of a new set up, but we always recommend cycling the tank first and making sure ammonia and nitrites are at 0.
How much soil do I need?
Length x Width x Desired Substrate Height (in inches)
Divided by 60
= Liters of soil needed
Specifications:
Medium Granules ~ 5mm
Good for larger tanks (20 gallons or above) with larger plants.Â
Fine Granules ~ 3mm
Perfect for smaller tanks (Less than 20 gallons), or to use as a topcoat to place on top of medium granules. Finer soil granules help small root plants, such as Hemianthus Callitrichoides, to anchor into the substrate easier. This also helps prevent pesky floating upon filling the tank.
Extra Fine Granules ~ 1mm
Perfect for smaller tanks (Less than 20 gallons), or to use as a topcoat to place on top of medium and fine granules. Finer soil granules help small root plants, such as Hemianthus Callitrichoides, to anchor into the substrate easier. This also helps prevent pesky floating upon filling the tank.
Overall rating: 4.9333334 / 5 from 105 reviews.
UNS Controsoil Brown is a highly regarded aquarium soil known for its quality, fast shipping, and excellent plant growth support. Customers appreciate its natural look, effective pH buffering, and variety of granule sizes suitable for different tank sizes.
Review topics: [size, color, shipping, service, looks, feel, results, works, water, texture, customer service, soil, plants, substrate, tank, growing, grain, size of the granules, controsoil, aquasoil, uns, holds, reason, rinse, experience, nutrients, team, ammonia spike, brown, monte carlo].
"I use this as a topper on all my tanks now. The medium size is perfect to hold any roots from monte carlo to even buce. The spaces between the grains give enough space to let nutrients sink down and soak into the clay to save for later. Also my Khulis loves digging around in it. I also use the small grain in jar terrariums."
"Quick shipping, love the brown look. Controsoil is perfect for my needs, the Fine grain helps with stem plants that won’t stay put. A bit pricey, but worth it. Will definitely purchase for all my future scapes."
"Soil arrived as expected. I ordered the large and the extra fine sizes because the ‘fine’ was not in stock. I regret my decision and I wish I would’ve waited for the fine to come back in stock. I mixed the two I ordered and it was not conducive to holding plant roots. Beautiful color though!"
"It’s hard to find quality brown substrate soil. I love this brown color because it lightens up a dark tank. I ordered the fine grain for a 15 gallon tank. They were out of the larger size bags so I ordered 7 small bags and had enough for my tank."
"I love this soil. The color and grain size of the extra-fine size loos very natural. Also it doesn’t overdo it with the ammonia release in the beginning. It’s soft too so I don’t have to worry about a stray grain of sand resulting in a scratched glass surface when wiping down the tank."
"Plants love this stuff."
"Great product and shipped very professionally. Always a pleasure doing business with you folks!"
"Looks great, I ordered the fine grain for a 10 gallon aquarium which I think is a good size for my set up. This substrate should help with the success of my plant keeping in my freshwater tank!"
"this product has the perfect properties for my shrimp and even better nutrients for my plants yielding top results"
"Plants arrived beautiful and ready for the tank"
