aragonite sand

[Froglegpie]

Hey all !
I have some tanganykian cichlids and would like to slowly raise the pH to a more normal 8.0 for them. Currently mine is 7.4 from the tap. I know you can add aragonite sand to their enviornment to bring the pH up but would you all recommend adding a small amount in the filter to be leached that way or adding it as a substrate? Thanks ahead of time for the answers. :)

Happy fishkeeping

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

aragonite disloves over time just thourght id tell you

[JSchmidt]

I use aragonite sand in some of my tanks and it does a nice job of buffering the water and boosting pH. I think if you suddenly replaced your substrate with aragonite, it would cause pH/KH to jump too quickly. Rather, I'd add a half cup to a filter bag and plop it into your filter. I'd gradually increase the amount until pH and KH stopped rising, then go ahead and replace the substrate.

Good luck,
Jim

[Froglegpie]

Thanks for the information. :)

DLT: I knew it dissolved over time but I wasn't sure of the "best" route to put it in my existing tank. :)

How often should I check the pH after putting it into the filter? Every day, every other day, once a week?

[ChilDawg]

I'd check every day to make sure that the pH wasn't moving wildly out of control.