Re: ph, gravel, and filters

["Susanne and Cory Williamson" <webwill@infinet.net>]

Distilled water should in theory have almost no buffering capacity- you
should try your experiment with what ever buffering agents you intend to
use. Virtually any of the chemicals leached from the rocks that  you added
to your experiments would likely change the pH of the "distilled water" and
would not reflect your real world situation. In all likelyhood, the expoxied
gravel should not affect a properly buffered tank.

Cory Williamson
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Evans <pm_evans@yahoo.com>
To: apisto@majordomo.pobox.com <apisto@majordomo.pobox.com>
Date: January 27, 1999 5:58 PM
Subject: ph, gravel, and filters


>I posted a question about two weeks ago
>describing my difficuties acheiving a
>low ph in my 45 gallon tank.
>
>Based on responses to the list, I conducted
>an experiment where I placed various rocks
>and gravel in pie tins with disilled water
>then tracked the ph.
>
>Unfortunately I got no diffinative answers.
>As expected the distilled water by itself
>maintained a ph of about 6.0.  The ph of
>the tins with other stuff in them were always
>higher.  Most reached equilibrium between 6.8
>and 7.2.  However, the one with gravel went
>upt to 7.6.  Further the one with gravel was
>the only one the bounced back to alkiline
>territory after I put ph Down in the pie tin.
>
>I am moving this weekend and can move my fish
>to a currently empty 20 gallon.  I intend to
>replace the gravel in the 45 since it is the most likely suspect.
>
>Two days ago I bought some epoxy covered gravel
>made by Top Fin, I think.  I put some in a pie
>tin, rinsed it with distilled water, then added
>some ph 6.0 distilled water to the tin.  24 hours
>later the ph of the tin was 7.2.  Has anyone used
>epoxy covered gravel with success?  I am not done
>with it yet, I am going to add ph Down to see if
>the ph bounces with the epoxy covered gravel.
>
>The other theme from the responses to the list was
>peat.  I am thinking of augmenting my UGF w/powerheads
>with an externel canister filter like Fluval so I
>can use peat.  Are these filters quiet?  This is
>an important consideration.  I presently get very
>nice filtration with the UGF and 35kg of gravel.
>Sould I replace the UGF or augment it?  This is not
>a breeding tank.  Also, I presently use only plastic
>plants.
>
>Thanks for any advice.  Especially any ideas about
>why the ph rises in the pie tins containing more than
>distilled water.
>
>Paul Evans
>
>
>
>
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