Brightwell Aquatics FlorinVolcanīt Rio Escuro-F – Volcanic Substrate for Freshwater Planted & Shrimp Aquariums – Boosts Root Growth, Lowers GH & pH, 15lb

This is expensive, but well worth the cost, it lowed my PH to 6 in no time(with ro water that was remineralized) and my shrimp are thriving in it like no other substrate has been able to let them. one of the best substrates for raising caridina shrimp, no ands buts or ifs.

It's truly the best!

Great product as always no complaints

I have had so much trouble with this soil. Bought some for a 10 gal months ago. The first batch I filled the tank and started to add plants and the soil just started to turn into dust if I touched it. Returned that and got another bag, that second bag has been fine. Well I bought a huge bag for a new set of tanks. I tested a handful and it seemed it would be okay. Pour it into my aquariums and I notice there were 2 different colors mixed... weird. So I filled up my tanks snd sure enough, another bad batch. I cannot return the $70 bag now since its been over a month since I purchased. I highly recommend not buying this Brightwell aqua soil. Buy stratum or Ada Amazonia. In my photos you can see how it’s turned to dust, thats how it looks after being underwater for an hour... I’m gonna have to take all this out and go with something different.. ridiculous!!

I am using this to set up an aquarium for Caridina shrimp. I was waiting for an ammonia spike which never happened. I have set up an Asian style UGF box with this soil and have only good things to say. The price was right with a subscription. The look is great. I expect only the best from Brightwell.

Color is definitely not black. You can see the fluval stratum in the aquarium next to it in the second picture. I’m not too mad about it though since it will be heavily planted but I still took a star off because the bag clearly says black. It did look black in the bag as well. This is a 10 gallon aquarium and I used 1 bag on top of 2 small black sand bags I got super cheap at pet supermarket. Anyone who says that it clouded their water is an amateur and doesnt know how to correctly fill an aquarium up...I placed a plastic bag on the substrate and filled it up with a syphon that rested in a specimen container with holes, no issues. The water was mildly cloudy for like 30 minutes because I stirred it up a bit once it was filled up to let the bubbles out. Seems solid too and not mushy. Don’t know what it will do to PH or plants yet since I’m still waiting for the hardscape and plants to come in.

Rio Escuro-F excels at maintaining a stable, acidic environment ideal for Caridina shrimp. It naturally buffers the water column, keeping the pH in the sweet spot of 5.5 to 6.0. This eliminates the constant need for harsh chemical adjustments and creates a more stable environment for my shrimp to thrive. While the primary focus is on its buffering abilities, Rio Escuro-F also provides a surprisingly good base for plants. The fine grain size allows for easy root growth, and the substrate itself holds onto nutrients without releasing them excessively. This creates a healthy environment for both Caridina shrimp and the plants that share their habitat.

Used it for a 5.5 gallon nano tank and so far so good. Didn't cloud up the water. It hasn't lowered my pH at all so far having been in the tank for 3 weeks now. It's easy to plant in but sometimes the roots can come up easy, I think cause the particles are bigger. The color however is dark brown not black and it is noticable but I really like it. All in all I would definitely buy it again.