So many different kinds -- would someone please recommend an aragonite substrate (to raise KH) I can mix with my flourite?
Thanks!
Roan
Thanks!
Roan
Aragonite
- Thread starter Roan Art
- Start date
I'd recommend adding aragonite to your filter instead. That way you have control over the amount you need to buffer your water. It doesn't take much of the stuff to raise your KH a few degrees, two tbsp in my case. With crushed coral it takes a bit more IME. I think I used a cup of crushed coral to achieve the same effect.
If you can get your LFS to spare a handful of aragonite or crushed coral it would save you a few bucks. I plundered some from my brackish tank. It's made by CaribSea, not the live sand though.
If you can get your LFS to spare a handful of aragonite or crushed coral it would save you a few bucks. I plundered some from my brackish tank. It's made by CaribSea, not the live sand though.
Raithan Ellis recommended oolitic aragonite sand mixed into the substrate for vals. I thought I would give that a try and at the same time see how well it boosted the KH. If not enough I was going to replace the crushed coral in the filter with it.
What do you think?
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=483637&postcount=12
Roan
What do you think?
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=483637&postcount=12
Roan
If you just wish to raise you KH, you're probably better off just adding a smidge of baking soda or tossing some cleaned seashells/sand in the filter media bay.
However, if you are doing this for your plants, ie... vallisneria... the stuff I use is about $4 for a 50lb bag at Home Depot. SouthDown Playsand is the name, think it still has a red or blue label on the bag. It's composed of oolitic aragonite sand and has a fairly narrow range of particle sizes, from fine to dust. The same stuff that many of the marine aquarists use in their DSBs.
I'll either use it alone in a tank where I don't mind a pH in the upper 7's, or mix it in with a thin layer of peatmoss (for CEC) and cover it with Onyx or whatever substrate I'm using in my planted tanks. Even when it composes about 1/2 of my overall substrate, I don't see any notable pH rises (tap water is about 7.2-7.4) once the substrate has matured for about 2-3 months and the tank has had weekly 50% water changes. During the first month or two, you may note the pH raising to around 7.6-7.8 (in my experience, with my well water) between water changes. After all the fine particles are either filtered out and the substrate settles, the pH will be less prone to fluctuate. Note: If your tap water is in the 6.x pH range, you may notice a greater effect than I have. My pH settles in at around 7.4. Now how much the hardness is raised... I am uncertain. However, KH tests I believe are an acid precipitation test which is actually testing alkalinity... ?
Ideally, add about 3-4 cups sand and 1 cup peatmoss for every 18 square inches or so to the bottom of a new setup, then cover with your preferred substrate. Just make sure the peatmoss is spread nice and thin and evenly, you won't want to create an anoxic environment. Feel free to use more sand if you like, personally I like the appearance and find it holds down roots pretty well while still permitting easy uprooting.
However, if you are doing this for your plants, ie... vallisneria... the stuff I use is about $4 for a 50lb bag at Home Depot. SouthDown Playsand is the name, think it still has a red or blue label on the bag. It's composed of oolitic aragonite sand and has a fairly narrow range of particle sizes, from fine to dust. The same stuff that many of the marine aquarists use in their DSBs.
I'll either use it alone in a tank where I don't mind a pH in the upper 7's, or mix it in with a thin layer of peatmoss (for CEC) and cover it with Onyx or whatever substrate I'm using in my planted tanks. Even when it composes about 1/2 of my overall substrate, I don't see any notable pH rises (tap water is about 7.2-7.4) once the substrate has matured for about 2-3 months and the tank has had weekly 50% water changes. During the first month or two, you may note the pH raising to around 7.6-7.8 (in my experience, with my well water) between water changes. After all the fine particles are either filtered out and the substrate settles, the pH will be less prone to fluctuate. Note: If your tap water is in the 6.x pH range, you may notice a greater effect than I have. My pH settles in at around 7.4. Now how much the hardness is raised... I am uncertain. However, KH tests I believe are an acid precipitation test which is actually testing alkalinity... ?
Ideally, add about 3-4 cups sand and 1 cup peatmoss for every 18 square inches or so to the bottom of a new setup, then cover with your preferred substrate. Just make sure the peatmoss is spread nice and thin and evenly, you won't want to create an anoxic environment. Feel free to use more sand if you like, personally I like the appearance and find it holds down roots pretty well while still permitting easy uprooting.
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I'm growing several val types in my tanks to the point where I consider them to be a bit weedy in their growth rate and propagation. In my 75g I had to remove the jungle val and am in process of replacing the italian and contortion val because their runners get everywhere. This is using eco complete for substrate.
I do add calcium chloride to the water column during my weekly 50% WC.
I do add calcium chloride to the water column during my weekly 50% WC.
sorry to jack a little, roan, but i have a quick question.
reiverex, what do you use as a CaCl2 source? i've looked around and run into no OTC products. why do you dose the CaCl2 in the first place? inverts?
again, sry for the jack, but i figured it was somewhat relevent and not worthy of a seperate thread.
eric
reiverex, what do you use as a CaCl2 source? i've looked around and run into no OTC products. why do you dose the CaCl2 in the first place? inverts?
again, sry for the jack, but i figured it was somewhat relevent and not worthy of a seperate thread.
eric
You can get CaCl2 (and other ferts) from gregwatson.com. I recently picked up some Prestone Driveway Heat from Lowes. It's also CaCl2 and works out a bit cheaper.
My plants and snails do not fare well if I don't add the extra calcium. A deficiency is easy to spot - twisty leaves and snails with brittle white shells. I've found that pond snails and java fern make good indicators.
Roan, I grow val in tanks with eco complete, onyx sand and profile. It grows well in all these substrates although tends to do best in the tank with eco, probably because of the compressed CO2. By all means try what Raithan suggested. It might even make the val grow faster but the novelty could start wearing a bit thin with too much growth. I've had jungle val runners travel 18 inches under driftwood and then start invading other plants territories. Those ones are a real PITA to deal with.
My plants and snails do not fare well if I don't add the extra calcium. A deficiency is easy to spot - twisty leaves and snails with brittle white shells. I've found that pond snails and java fern make good indicators.
Roan, I grow val in tanks with eco complete, onyx sand and profile. It grows well in all these substrates although tends to do best in the tank with eco, probably because of the compressed CO2. By all means try what Raithan suggested. It might even make the val grow faster but the novelty could start wearing a bit thin with too much growth. I've had jungle val runners travel 18 inches under driftwood and then start invading other plants territories. Those ones are a real PITA to deal with.