Is there a natural way to raise tank alkalinity

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 10:18:29 -0500, "J. Bahl"
wrote:

Using crushed coral as the substrate will also work.

I added a mesh bag with a half cup a week ago and today I am pleased
to see that tank has remained at exactly 7.0, which matches my tap
water. The GH and KH have increased some as well, though still in the
soft range. I'm giving myself a while to decide if I want to increase
the amount of crushed coral or hold tight and test again in a few
days. I'm not certain I would like adding it to my substrate until I
am absolutely sure of the amount I want.

-- Mister Gardener

Mr. Gardener wrote:
On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 10:18:29 -0500, "J. Bahl"
wrote:


Using crushed coral as the substrate will also work.


I added a mesh bag with a half cup a week ago and today I am pleased
to see that tank has remained at exactly 7.0, which matches my tap
water. The GH and KH have increased some as well, though still in the
soft range. I'm giving myself a while to decide if I want to increase
the amount of crushed coral or hold tight and test again in a few
days. I'm not certain I would like adding it to my substrate until I
am absolutely sure of the amount I want.

-- Mister Gardener

I think that the net bag is a good idea long-term, and keep net bags of
crushed coral in my filters. The "hardening" and buffering effect of the
crushed coral seems to diminish over time, and this way it can be
replaced periodically.

Thanks for the many good responses. When I first added the crushed coral,
it seemed to work well, but it appears to diminish over time and from Mister
Gardner's response below, it appears that I need to change it every once and
a while. I need to look for coarser crushed gravel than I purchased the
first time. When I added it to my filter it quickly seized the impeller.

From other Q's in the rest of the string, the only fish I now have left are
- 3 red fin tetras
- 1 neon
- 1 female guppy.

The new fished that died were
- 2 hone gouramies
- 1 male guppy

Established fished that died
- 2 cats (don't remember the exact kind, similar to corys)
- 1 dwarf plecostomus
- 3 neons
- 1 beta
- 1 hatchet fish

At this point my plan is to invest in a KH and GH test kit as well as coarse
crushed coral that I can add to the filter.

And from Netmax's reply I will look from the acid source - although I think
I know what it was. We had an automatic fish feeder and it was probably
over feeding the fish. We set it up for a vacation last June and never
turned it off. Since the difficulties I have turned it off and started to
get to know my remaining five fish a little more personally

Thanks,
Mark



"netDenizen" wrote in message
...
Mr. Gardener wrote:
On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 10:18:29 -0500, "J. Bahl"
wrote:


Using crushed coral as the substrate will also work.

I added a mesh bag with a half cup a week ago and today I am pleased
to see that tank has remained at exactly 7.0, which matches my tap
water. The GH and KH have increased some as well, though still in the
soft range. I'm giving myself a while to decide if I want to increase
the amount of crushed coral or hold tight and test again in a few
days. I'm not certain I would like adding it to my substrate until I
am absolutely sure of the amount I want. -- Mister Gardener

I think that the net bag is a good idea long-term, and keep net bags of
crushed coral in my filters. The "hardening" and buffering effect of the
crushed coral seems to diminish over time, and this way it can be replaced
periodically.

"ML" wrote in message
. com...
Since the difficulties I have turned it off and started to
get to know my remaining five fish a little more personally
=================
Feeding my fish is second only to plopping in one of my overstuffed wicker
chairs with a cup of coffee and just watching them do their thing.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

ML wrote,
it appears that I need to change it every once in a while.......

I don't like using crushed coral or crushed oyster shells to raise pH
to a target value less than pH 8.0. In an established tank of fish used
to a pH 6.5, it would raise the pH way to fast, passing your target of
pH 7.0, or whatever. I found that a marble chip or two raises pH much
slower. By slowly adding baking soda over a few days, you can raise
your pH to the target value you want, and then hold it there with a
marble chip, or two placed in your filter's box....

new fish that died.....
established fish that died.....

Most people kill their new fish by osmotic pressure shock (used to be
called pH shock), and I can see how that happens, but that's not what
killed the established fish! An aged tank, low pH (lowered TDS), then a
large water change using water with a high pH (raised TDS) would/could
cause osmotic pressure shock, but you said your tap water has a low pH
(lowered TDS). Not enough difference in TDS to make enough of an
osmotic pressure change to kill fish! ....
Nope, I would stick a marble chip in the filter and look for another
reason as to what killed the fish, being that *both* the new fish *and*
the old fish died. Just adding my 2 cents worth............. Frank

On 27 Mar 2006 02:18:23 -0800, "Frank"
wrote:

ML wrote,
it appears that I need to change it every once in a while.......

I don't like using crushed coral or crushed oyster shells to raise pH
to a target value less than pH 8.0. In an established tank of fish used
to a pH 6.5, it would raise the pH way to fast, passing your target of
pH 7.0, or whatever. I found that a marble chip or two raises pH much
slower. By slowly adding baking soda over a few days, you can raise
your pH to the target value you want, and then hold it there with a
marble chip, or two placed in your filter's box....

new fish that died.....
established fish that died.....

Most people kill their new fish by osmotic pressure shock (used to be
called pH shock), and I can see how that happens, but that's not what
killed the established fish! An aged tank, low pH (lowered TDS), then a
large water change using water with a high pH (raised TDS) would/could
cause osmotic pressure shock, but you said your tap water has a low pH
(lowered TDS). Not enough difference in TDS to make enough of an
osmotic pressure change to kill fish! ....
Nope, I would stick a marble chip in the filter and look for another
reason as to what killed the fish, being that *both* the new fish *and*
the old fish died. Just adding my 2 cents worth............. Frank

And 2 cents from Frank is worth a few bucks next to many of us.

-- Mister Gardener

On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 04:35:46 GMT, "ML" wrote:

Thanks for the many good responses. When I first added the crushed coral,
it seemed to work well, but it appears to diminish over time and from Mister
Gardner's response below, it appears that I need to change it every once and
a while. I need to look for coarser crushed gravel than I purchased the
first time. When I added it to my filter it quickly seized the impeller.

Yikes! That must have been pretty fine grained stuff to get into the
impeller. Or your mesh bag doesn't have a fine enough mesh. I place my
mesh bag behind one of the filter bag wells in my Whispers, so even if
the stuff does escape the bag, it's downstream (or upstream?) of the
impeller - meaning that it is in water that has already passed the
impeller and is ready to go over the falls back into the aquarium.

At this point my plan is to invest in a KH and GH test kit as well as coarse
crushed coral that I can add to the filter.

A hardness measurement won't tell you about your ammonia, nitrites,
pH, etc. I strongly encourage to get those readings as well.

And from Netmax's reply I will look from the acid source - although I think
I know what it was. We had an automatic fish feeder and it was probably
over feeding the fish. We set it up for a vacation last June and never
turned it off. Since the difficulties I have turned it off and started to
get to know my remaining five fish a little more personally

If the feeder is the culprit, it will show up in your ammonia,
nitrites etc tests.

-- Mister Gardener