Re: Soft, acid water

[schmidt@mailhost1.csusm.edu (Michael Schmidt)]

>Having been a minerals exploration geologist for 8 years - including evaluating
>fluorspar (= massive fluorite) deposits in New Mexico - maybe I can add
>something
>to this.  Fluorite is considered a Halide mineral, like salt.


>> >The substrate in the 30g tank is fluorite and sand, in the 10g apisto tank
>> >it's regular old aquarium gravel.  Does fluorite cause significant
>> >fluctuations in water chemistry?
>>

I would guess that what is in the tank is not flUOrite, the mineral, but
flOUrite, a commercial substrate material consisting of fired clay.
Flourite is a play on the word FLOURISH, since this commercial substrate is
intended for planted tanks in which one hopes the plants will flourish. The
confusion this stupid name causes has already been discussed on the aquatic
plants list.

Michael Schmidt
California State University, San Marcos
San Marcos, CA