Re: [GSAS-Member] Bulk chemicals - help!

[macker <macker@gmail.com>]

You can also put oyster shell flakes in your filter if your looking to raise
the ph (put them inside a panty-hose leg and tie it off). They sell the
oyster flakes at feed-grain stores. From what ive heard you can also just
put it directly in the tank under a rock. They sell bags at feed - grain
stores as it is used for chicken-feed supplicant. Someone on craigslist just
gave me a bag for free.

On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 9:43 AM, Laurel Larsen <laurelthequeen@gmail.com>wrote:

> As far as I know, epsom salts increase General Hardness (GH) which
> does nothing but help the fish's osmoregulation, making their tank's
> parameters closer to their "natural" habitat.  Carbonates, like sodium
> bicarbonate, aragonite, coral, etc. raise the Carbonate Harness (KH)
> which translates to the water's buffering ability.  There is a wide
> range in the carbonate hardeners as to what pH they hold though.
> Baking Soda (sod. bicarb) will only raise the pH to 8.2, no higher,
> whereas aragonite begins breaking down and buffering as far up as 8.8
> I believe.  Crushed coral, afaik, doesn't begin buffering water until
> 7.6.  So if you have a tank that you're trying to keep very hard, like
> for Tanganyika fish, keeping some crushed aragonite in the filter
> should help keep the pH very high, whereas for many central american
> fish, they don't thrive in such high ph, but do require hard water, so
> crushed coral or other additives are more beneficial to them.
>
> My understanding of water chemistry is at best elementary, I've only
> done research to determine what's best for the fish I keep(Rift Lake
> Cichlids), so I wouldn't take my word as gospel, I just know that
> different buffers will do different things to one's water.
>
> Laurel
>
> On Jul 27, 2008, at 9:24 AM, Steev Ward wrote:
>
> > It's mostly because carbonates raise the pH and sulfates don't. So
> > sulfates aren't
> > really buffers. But people might have other reasons for avoiding
> > sulfates. In marine
> > tanks I think people avoid adding any sulfates. Otherwise Magnesium
> > sulfate, epsom
> > salts, is great stuff. I think it is good to add for LOTS of fish,
> > not just cichlids.
> > Especially livebearers, goldfish, koi, rainbowfish, "sharks", corys,
> > and barbs.
> >
> >
> > --- Clifford Miller <clifford@clevergeek.com> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> While the topic was up I thought I'd get some opinions on the
> >> buffering
> >> agents I'm using.  Better to use Magnesium Carbonate than sulfate?
> >>
> >> I currently use a mix of epsom salts, baking soda and marine salt
> >> in my
> >> cichlid tanks.  Nice and cheap, and easy to get at any drug store
> >> if not
> >> already on hand. The fish all seem to be doing well (I haven't lost
> >> any
> >> fish yet, including the 13 daffodils that I think were from Erik.)
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Cliff
> >>
> >>
> >>> Hmm, interesting... certainly a possibility for the CaCO3 (if not
> >>> for the
> >>> MgCO3).
> >>>
> >>> As an aside, I did consider going ultra-cheap with something like
> >>> Dolomite
> >>> from a garden center... but there I'm worried there might be TOO
> >>> much bad
> >>> stuff for the fish.  Various web resources seemed to confirm this.
> >>>
> >>>   - Erik
> >>>
> >>> On Sat, 26 Jul 2008, Connie Carlson wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Have you tried any feed stores/livestock supply houses??  I do
> >>>> not know
> >>>> for sure but would guess that these are also used as mineral
> >>>> supplements
> >>>> for cattle, etc.
> >>>>
> >>>> It might be worth an internet search or phone call (DeYoungs in
> >>>> Woodinville & Sumner Animal Grub in Sumner are ones I have dealt
> >>>> with in
> >>>> the past for such things, but there are many others here locally)
> >>>> and
> >>>> you could probably get them in manageable quantities if so (ie
> >>>> one 50#
> >>>> bag).
> >>>>
> >>>> Good luck!
> >>>> Connie
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: Erik Olson<mailto:erik@thekrib.com>
> >>>> To: gsas-member@thekrib.com<mailto:gsas-member@thekrib.com>
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 4:24 PM
> >>>> Subject: [GSAS-Member] Bulk chemicals - help!
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> For the past umpteen years, Kathy and I have foregone the pricey
> >>>> "Cichlid
> >>>> Salts" and mixed our own formula for our Lake Tanganyika tanks.
> >>>> This
> >>>> formula consists of dumping in roughly equal parts Calcium
> >>>> Carbonate
> >>>> and
> >>>> Magnesium Carbonate.  It's cheap, it's relatively accurate for Lake
> >>>> Tanganyika, and it's not so harsh on plants.
> >>>>
> >>>> Unfortunately, our umpteen year supply just ran out, and we're
> >>>> kinda
> >>>> stumped where to get more.  We tried Welch-Allyn, which has
> >>>> reasonably
> >>>> decent prices on both, but they cancelled our order because we're
> >>>> not
> >>>> an
> >>>> educational institution.  Bah!  How utterly annoying.
> >>>>
> >>>> Anyway, does anyone have any ideas where one might obtain
> >>>> inexpensive
> >>>> Mag
> >>>> Carb and Calcite?  Also, if others are interested, I might try to
> >>>> coordinate a group buy.
> >>>>
> >>>>    - Erik
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Erik Olson
> >>>> erik at thekrib dot com
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> GSAS-Member mailing list
> >>>> GSAS-Member@thekrib.com<mailto:GSAS-Member@thekrib.com>
> >>>>
> >>
> > http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member<
> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member
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> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Erik Olson
> >>> erik at thekrib dot com
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>
> >>
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