Raising pH - Crushed Coral and Other Options

[AquaStudent]

I've recently moved to Albany, NY and the water isn't nearly as hard as it was at college or in Virginia. My water has settled in the mid 7's and I'd like to bump that up a bit without using chemicals (I'm fine with chemistry but I don't like chems).

I'm looking into getting some crushed coral to place in the canister filter but am not sure where the best place to get it. I pick up a 20ish pound bag off ebay for about $25-30 but I'm wondering if anybody knows of some other alternatives.

On the other end of the spectrum I'm going to attempt to lower the pH for my South American setup by floating a peat moss hunk in some of the water change water I age.

Any input, experiences, or ideas would be appreciated. I am more than happy to do DIY too!

 

[cichlidaddicted]

I just got a few bags of aragonite at the god awful petco by me in pa. It was 9 bucks a bag regular. However it was on clearance because they discontinued it, dropped it to 70 cents a 10 pound bag. It wasn't a marked clearance. I decided to try a bag and at the register they told me it was a discontinued item so I bought it all like 50 lbs for four bucks. Works great keeps my tank at 8.2. I also add baking soda to increase Kh and epsom to increase Gh. Good little all natural cocktail my parameters never budge. All the ph up crap is horrible it may raise it for an hour tops, it has no buffering capability at all.

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[AquaStudent]

All the ph up crap is horrible it may raise it for an hour tops, it has no buffering capability at all.

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Exactly why I don't like chems.

The aragonite sounds like a possibility. I've looked at it before. Isn't it just (super) crushed coral...basically pulverized coral turned into sand?

 

[cichlidaddicted]

Actually i dont think it is coral. I could be wrong, repeat could be wrong but i believe its actually mined from the earth not the sea and distributed in several diffent sizes from a fine sand to gravel. I use the gravel, the fine stuff is very abrasive and I wouldn't want it stirred up and ending up in my filter or causing abrasions in my fishes mouths, they constantly rescape the tank orally.

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[maramc]

I used the packaged Afrixan Cichlid Substrate in my tank and the pH hasn't wavered from 8.2. I justify the higher price using the thought that I haven't needed to add any chemicals with the exception of a de-chlorinator during water changes. It's worked really well.

 

[Jmty]

try puca shell works good and keep in in the filter, raised my from 6.2 to 8+ and killed my s.a cichlids overlooked filter oh well kill and learn.

 

[Becca]

I wish I could trade water with you!

 

[chriscoli]

I add baking soda and Epsom salts to mine if I need to bump the pH and hardness. Both are cheap.

 

[CichlidOWNR]

I use Argonite by mixing some with the PFS substrate and I also keep it in a filter bag in the last shelf of my canister filter (water gets cleaned before hitting the argonite). I used to buffer with baking soda and epsom salt as well but have stopped adding since June.

 

[Ading522]

I add baking soda and Epsom salts to mine if I need to bump the pH and hardness. Both are cheap.

What's the ratio or formula you are using? Would like to try that approach as well rather than buying the buffer..

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[DougGosnell]

I run my RO through a bucket of oyster shell that chickens eat so you can get it at any agri-store. A 5 gallon bucket half full is way more then I need to fix the RO for my 3100g setup so guessing you need but a cup or less.

 

[AquaStudent]

What I ended up doing was picking up a filter sock ($2.50) and a bag of Aragonite ($8). I'm going to add the aragonite to the sock and add that to the last stage of my canister.

I also picked up a bag of peat moss ($9) and another filter sock and will test that out on some water I'll be aging before my next water change. I'm excited to experiment some.

 

[cichlidaddicted]

I would rinse the aragonite thoroughly my bags contained a lot of very very fine sand almost dust I wouldn't want that escaping the filter sock and ending up in an impellar mag. It took me a while to get mine to run clear.

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[chriscoli]

What's the ratio or formula you are using? Would like to try that approach as well rather than buying the buffer..

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For my Rift Lake tanks, I add about one Tablespoon Epsom, a teaspoon baking soda, and a teaspoon of marine salt per 20 gal. There are recipes that suggest adding this amount to 5 gallons of water, but I find that unnecessary since mine is already fairly hard.

 

[Ading522]

For my Rift Lake tanks, I add about one Tablespoon Epsom, a teaspoon baking soda, and a teaspoon of marine salt per 20 gal. There are recipes that suggest adding this amount to 5 gallons of water, but I find that unnecessary since mine is already fairly hard.

Thanks for sharing..last questions..hope you don't mind.. What pH are you having straight from tap? And by marine salt, is it the table salt? Or from the store?

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[chriscoli]

My tap water is usually 7.6 ish but lately has been 6.8.

Marine salt=the stuff for mixing up for a saltwater tank. You can use regular aquarium salt but marine salt has more trace minerals. Are they important? Dunno, but marine salt is pretty cheap.



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[Ading522]

My tap water is usually 7.6 ish but lately has been 6.8.

Marine salt=the stuff for mixing up for a saltwater tank. You can use regular aquarium salt but marine salt has more trace minerals. Are they important? Dunno, but marine salt is pretty cheap.



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Thanks Christine.. Will try that approach instead..

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