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Re: [GSAS-Member] pH and gender
June, where does one find powdered dolomite? The pharmacy? The hardware
store? The LFS???
Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional.
-- June Olberding <jdolb1@direcway.com> wrote:
Hi Anita,
>From what you say, I presume you have soft water.
I found that an easy, inexpensive and gentle way to increase pH is to harden
the water with Dolomite. Its is cheap and easy. Just be sure you get the
powder kind, which is very inexpensive, and not the stuff that is made into
"pearls" or grandulated in some way becasue those have excepients in them to
"glue" the powder into larger pieces and are not not good for fish tank. The
minerals in the Dolomite will also benefit your plants.
For 2 or 3 gal tank, you can safely add a tablespoon. If you are the extra
cautious sort, start with a half or third that. The pH will slowly go up
over a few days as the Dolomite is absorbed. Just pour it into back area of
tank and it will be pulled in by the filter. If it "dusts" the plants, just
agitate the water a little with your hand to clean the plants.
One of the beauties of Dolomite, or similar compounds, is that as the pH
rises, less is absorbed till it hits a balance. Then it more or less just
"sits" there waiting to be absorbed a little when ever the pH drops so you
have a stable environment with out adding chemicals at each water change. I
found that I only needed to replenish the Dolomite every few weeks.
If you play around with it and you will find a balance with the amount of
Dolomite for the pH you want and will have an easy to manage tank.
Good luck
June Olberding Currently in the Sonoran desert where it has rained almost
as much this year as in Seattle but boy is the flower bloom something to
see!
on 2/17/05 6:17 PM, A JACOBSON at amjacobson52@msn.com wrote:
> So that's my problem -- my tanks are all acidic, and my Endlers are almost all
> males. So how do I gently boost the Ph in my EXTREMELY simple Endler's tank
> (2 or 3 gallons, water sprite & hornwort, undergravel filter, & clip on
> full-spectrum incandescent for both heat & light.) It's been going without
> anything but water changes for several months, so it's definitely on the
> acidic side. Since it is such a small tank, I want to GENTLY nudge the ph,
> rather than make an abrupt change.
>
> I'd be willing to set up a 10 or 20 gallon for them, if that's what necessary
> to make them produce more females.
>
> Anita
> ----- Original Message -----
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