Are Limestone Pebbles Likely to Cause ph Problems?

[Davy]

I intend to put stones or pebbles in my wildlife pond which won't have any
fish apart from maybe the odd stickleback. My preferred pebbles are
limestone but I have seen a warning against using limestone pebbles because
they can change the ph. Should I take this warning seriously?
thanks, Davy

[Hal]

On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 11:20:55 +0100, "Davy"
> wrote:

>I intend to put stones or pebbles in my wildlife pond which won't have any
>fish apart from maybe the odd stickleback. My preferred pebbles are
>limestone but I have seen a warning against using limestone pebbles because
>they can change the ph. Should I take this warning seriously?
>thanks, Davy

Seriously? Yes. pH change problem, I don't think so.

Limestone is mostly calcium carbonate and magnesium, for pond keeping
purposes and I use it (ground garden limestone) to maintain KH, (AKA
Total Alkalinity/Carbonate Hardness and probably other names, I can't
recall at the moment.) or the stabilizer for pH. Limestone dissolves
into the water as long as the pH is below 7.8, but once saturated to
that point the limestone stops dissolving. I can't imagine that
being a problem and no it won't cause a crash, but rather stabilize
the pH so it doesn't get into wild swings and crash.

My biggest problem with dissolving garden lime is it's being so slow
in dissolving. After a heavy rain, usually acid, my pH remains
stable, but the KH readings often drop to 1 degree or about 20ppm of
calcium carbonate and 100 is recommended. I wish, but it doesn't
happen for me, still the pH hasn't crashed in more than 10 years of
using limestone to buffer the pH. I sometimes add baking soda, or
sodium bicarbonate, the bicarbonates being the buffer, like calcium
carbonates, or I can clench my teeth and wait until the limestone
finally dissolves enough to bring the KH reading back up to a more
acceptable level, and in my pond that is only about 40ppm, but it
works and the fish thrive. Without it I would have to add sodium
bicarbonate weekly to keep the pH stable.

Regards,

Hal

[Derek Broughton]

Davy wrote:

> I intend to put stones or pebbles in my wildlife pond which won't have any
> fish apart from maybe the odd stickleback. My preferred pebbles are
> limestone but I have seen a warning against using limestone pebbles
> because
> they can change the ph. Should I take this warning seriously?

Absolutely not. Limestone in its various forms _will_ move pH towards 8.4,
which is not ideal for some plants or fish, _but_ it will stabilize the pH
in that region, which is much better than having wild swings in the pH.
--
derek

[Köi-Lö]

"Davy" > wrote in message
...
>I intend to put stones or pebbles in my wildlife pond which won't have any
> fish apart from maybe the odd stickleback. My preferred pebbles are
> limestone but I have seen a warning against using limestone pebbles
> because
> they can change the ph. Should I take this warning seriously?
> thanks, Davy
=========================
They don't change the PH of my ponds and tanks. In fact I believe they keep
the PH from dropping by acting as a buffer.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[[email protected]]

up here limestone quarries are home to many kinds of fish. they dissolve slowly, act
as a buffer and keep the pH nice and stable. dont use marble chips, however. Ingrid

"Davy" > wrote:

>I intend to put stones or pebbles in my wildlife pond which won't have any
>fish apart from maybe the odd stickleback. My preferred pebbles are
>limestone but I have seen a warning against using limestone pebbles because
>they can change the ph. Should I take this warning seriously?
>thanks, Davy
>



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Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

[Davy]

Thanks guys for the informative answers. Seems I can, and should, use the
limestone chippings and worn pebbles.

My only problem now is that the crushed chippings contain some very small
sharp flakes which may harm the lining. I don't seem to be able to sieve
these out since I cannot get the chippings dry enough - even a small amount
of moisture makes the very small flakes stick to the larger pieces. Washing
is not reliable for much the same reason.

many thanks, Davy

"Davy" > wrote in message
...
> I intend to put stones or pebbles in my wildlife pond which won't have any
> fish apart from maybe the odd stickleback. My preferred pebbles are
> limestone but I have seen a warning against using limestone pebbles
because
> they can change the ph. Should I take this warning seriously?
> thanks, Davy
>
>

[Hal]

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:23:31 +0100, "Davy"
> wrote:

>My only problem now is that the crushed chippings contain some very small
>sharp flakes which may harm the lining. I don't seem to be able to sieve
>these out since I cannot get the chippings dry enough - even a small amount
>of moisture makes the very small flakes stick to the larger pieces. Washing
>is not reliable for much the same reason.

You could rent a cement mixer and tumble them for a few days.

I don't know what liner you are using, but I have a 20 mil Permalon
and a 40 mil rubber and wouldn't hesitate to use them in either pond,
if that was my desire. I did in face keep river pebbles in the 40
mil rubber a couple years, but cleaning was such a problem I stopped
doing that.

Regards,

Hal

[[email protected]]

see if anyone in the area has a cement mixer. put them in and tumble them for a
while, that should knock the edges off.
If you have a small amount, then try putting them in a bowl and pouring muriatic acid
into the bowl and wait. it will dissolve limestone chips first. then rinse well.

"Davy" > wrote:

>Thanks guys for the informative answers. Seems I can, and should, use the
>limestone chippings and worn pebbles.
>
>My only problem now is that the crushed chippings contain some very small
>sharp flakes which may harm the lining. I don't seem to be able to sieve
>these out since I cannot get the chippings dry enough - even a small amount
>of moisture makes the very small flakes stick to the larger pieces. Washing
>is not reliable for much the same reason.
>
>many thanks, Davy


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?hl=en&q=puregold&qt_s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan