Re: profile as substrate

["mopargrrl" <mopargrrl@mindspring.com>]

Al,

I just started experimenting with Profile. After a not-so-scientific test
here at home, i found that it significantly raised the general hardness of
my water, but not the carbonate hardness. So fine for plants, but not
so good for most Apistos, or my new dwarf Pikes.

Flourite is really the way to go, but terribly expensive. Supposedly
there is an Aquatic Plant Soil made by Schultz, but i have only seen
it once. The aquatic plant soil is supposed to be totally inert. On the
Aquatic Plants Digest several folks have reported raised hardness
levels in tanks with the Profile Clay Soil Conditioner.   

I recently set up and planted a tank with the Clay Soil Conditioner.
Our water is very soft here straight out of the tap, about 35 ppm KH 
and less than 20 ppm GH. In my little test i found that the GH went
up to 180 ppm, while the KH remained stable. I'll test this newly
setup tank and see what the levels are.

later,
christine
danville, CA

> I was wondering if anyone has used profile soil conditioner as a substrate
> in soft water tanks..I did a test and my tap water is 120ppm and and after
> adding profile it rose to 500+ ppm....It said it is just kilned fuellers
> earth and is inert...but it seems to leach carbonates....if anyone has used
> this and has any info please let me know your results..also..if this is
> going to harden my water what would be a good substrate for a softwater tank
> and plants included...I heard people using black beauty...is this safe....I
> do not want to get into the more expensive stuff like laterite or
> simular..just something that will not alter the water and grow plants...
> 
> Thanks
>   Al




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