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Posted by Angrie.Woman on March 19, 2005, 10:23 am
Please log in for more thread options In another thread that I didn't want to hijack, Elaine wrote:
"I learned from the fish store owner where I worked (he had 30 years
aquarium experience and wrote articles
for TFH) that just about any fish does fine at any pH between 6 and 8 as
long as the pH stays stable. Fish HATE pH swings and the best way to do
that is to start messing with your water chemistry."
Does that mean I can't add driftwood to an established tank, or is the
change too subtle?
Also, doesn't changing the substrate also change it? I'm still pondering the
least expensive way to get some green plants in there.
A
--
http://snipurl.com/cz4a : Submit a Google Request
"Default quoting of previous message in replies."
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Posted by Gill Passman on March 19, 2005, 10:51 am
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> In another thread that I didn't want to hijack, Elaine wrote:
>
> "I learned from the fish store owner where I worked (he had 30 years
> aquarium experience and wrote articles
> for TFH) that just about any fish does fine at any pH between 6 and 8 as
> long as the pH stays stable. Fish HATE pH swings and the best way to do
> that is to start messing with your water chemistry."
>
> Does that mean I can't add driftwood to an established tank, or is the
> change too subtle?
>
> Also, doesn't changing the substrate also change it? I'm still pondering
the
> least expensive way to get some green plants in there.
>
> A
> --
> http://snipurl.com/cz4a : Submit a Google Request
> "Default quoting of previous message in replies."
>
>
I would have thought, and others can correct me, that the driftwood leeches
gradually into the water so any pH change would be gradual....
With the substrate I would have thought it would depend what substrate you
use.
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Posted by Nikki Casali on March 19, 2005, 11:04 am
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Gill Passman wrote:
>
>>In another thread that I didn't want to hijack, Elaine wrote:
>>
>>"I learned from the fish store owner where I worked (he had 30 years
>>aquarium experience and wrote articles
>>for TFH) that just about any fish does fine at any pH between 6 and 8 as
>>long as the pH stays stable. Fish HATE pH swings and the best way to do
>>that is to start messing with your water chemistry."
>>
>>Does that mean I can't add driftwood to an established tank, or is the
>>change too subtle?
>>
>>Also, doesn't changing the substrate also change it? I'm still pondering
>
> the
>
>>least expensive way to get some green plants in there.
>>
>>A
>>--
>>http://snipurl.com/cz4a : Submit a Google Request
>>"Default quoting of previous message in replies."
>>
>>
>
> I would have thought, and others can correct me, that the driftwood leeches
> gradually into the water so any pH change would be gradual....
>
> With the substrate I would have thought it would depend what substrate you
> use.
I didn't even notice the slightest pH dip when I chucked in three large
pieces into my 75g aquarium. I'd think the effect was negligible.
Nikki
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Posted by NetMax on March 19, 2005, 10:59 am
Please log in for more thread options
> In another thread that I didn't want to hijack, Elaine wrote:
>
> "I learned from the fish store owner where I worked (he had 30 years
> aquarium experience and wrote articles
> for TFH) that just about any fish does fine at any pH between 6 and 8
> as long as the pH stays stable. Fish HATE pH swings and the best way
> to do that is to start messing with your water chemistry."
>
> Does that mean I can't add driftwood to an established tank, or is the
> change too subtle?
>
> Also, doesn't changing the substrate also change it? I'm still
> pondering the least expensive way to get some green plants in there.
>
> A
Minerals (gravel, rocks, chips) and organic matter (peat, terbang, oak
and various driftwood types) are often used to change the pH. If
placed into the tank, their effect is often much more subtle and gentle
on the fish. Depending on your objective VS your current water
parameters, their effects may or may not be sufficient, so then you
adjust the effect by increasing the quantity (matter/water ratio),
decreasing water changes (typically with a decrease in fishload) or
pre-filter the change water (ie: filtering water through peat, dolomite
etc).
The nice thing about natural pH adjusters like this, is that often their
effect tends to adjust itself to your water (ie: the more acidic your
water, the more quickly coral will dissolve into it, dissolving minerals
which add to your kH, gH and increasing your pH. hth
--
www.NetMax.tk
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Posted by Elaine T on March 20, 2005, 9:56 pm
Please log in for more thread options NetMax wrote:
>
>>In another thread that I didn't want to hijack, Elaine wrote:
>>
>>"I learned from the fish store owner where I worked (he had 30 years
>>aquarium experience and wrote articles
>>for TFH) that just about any fish does fine at any pH between 6 and 8
>>as long as the pH stays stable. Fish HATE pH swings and the best way
>>to do that is to start messing with your water chemistry."
>>
>>Does that mean I can't add driftwood to an established tank, or is the
>>change too subtle?
>>
>>Also, doesn't changing the substrate also change it? I'm still
>>pondering the least expensive way to get some green plants in there.
>>
>>A
>
>
>
> Minerals (gravel, rocks, chips) and organic matter (peat, terbang, oak
> and various driftwood types) are often used to change the pH. If
> placed into the tank, their effect is often much more subtle and gentle
> on the fish. Depending on your objective VS your current water
> parameters, their effects may or may not be sufficient, so then you
> adjust the effect by increasing the quantity (matter/water ratio),
> decreasing water changes (typically with a decrease in fishload) or
> pre-filter the change water (ie: filtering water through peat, dolomite
> etc).
>
> The nice thing about natural pH adjusters like this, is that often their
> effect tends to adjust itself to your water (ie: the more acidic your
> water, the more quickly coral will dissolve into it, dissolving minerals
> which add to your kH, gH and increasing your pH. hth
As for substrate, if you have a substrate that doesn't affect pH, and
you change to a second substrate that doesn't affect pH, there will be
minimal impact. If your stubstrate is very dirty and leaching organics
into the tank, the pH may rise some. This is a good thing if your
substrate was that dirty and not planted!
Examples of pH neutral substrates are coated aquarium gravel, glass or
plastic marbles or decorating pebbles, rock or sand that doesn't fizz
when tested with acid, Fluorite, Eco Complete, and Onyx. Most lava
rock, tuffa, obsidian, sandstone, slate, shale, and clay does not change
pH. For acid testing, Oz says vinegar is not strong enough but pH Down
does the trick nicely.
Examples of pH changers are aragonite, crushed coral, substrates
designed for African rift lake cichlids, and rocks or sand that DO fizz
when tested with acid. pH changing rocks that come to mind are
limestone, marble, and some granites. I'm sure there are more.
Out of curiosity, why are you changing your substrate? Plants are
pretty flexible as to what they need to grow and you may be fine with
just laterite tablets under root feeding plants like Crypts, swords, and
Aponogetons.
--
__ Elaine T __
><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
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>
> "I learned from the fish store owner where I worked (he had 30 years
> aquarium experience and wrote articles
> for TFH) that just about any fish does fine at any pH between 6 and 8 as
> long as the pH stays stable. Fish HATE pH swings and the best way to do
> that is to start messing with your water chemistry."
>
> Does that mean I can't add driftwood to an established tank, or is the
> change too subtle?
>
> Also, doesn't changing the substrate also change it? I'm still pondering