# does tropica plant substrate or limpopo sand raise PH



## jacko32 (27 Aug 2011)

HI so i used tropica planting substrate and limpopo sand in my new tank thinking they were both inert my tap water is pH 6.4 but now after 2 months the pH in my tank has risen to 8.2 theres nothing on greenmachine website to say either of these products will raise the pH just wondered if anyone had any experience or info on either product.

cheers kris


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## George Farmer (27 Aug 2011)

They shouldn't do.

Do you have any rocks in there?

Did you test your tap water straight from the tap?  Sometimes it contains CO2 that will give you a lower pH.

Do you live in a soft water area?

Do you have GH or KH test kits?


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## jacko32 (27 Aug 2011)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> They shouldn't do.
> 
> Do you have any rocks in there?
> 
> ...



hi george i test the water from the tap but i have also tested it from a different tank and thats pH 6.4 i live in huddersfield west yorkshire which is right on the pennines its very soft water with very low GH and KH


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## jacko32 (27 Aug 2011)

the only thing thats in the tank is wood and plants in the other tank which is also testing at 8.0 is dragon stone and plants same substrate and sand


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## sanj (2 Sep 2011)

Hi, I think I am one of the other people who has bought the same batch of Limpopo. However my set up is more akin to the TGM display tank which uses Limpopo and Amazonia. I do have tropica under the limpopo.

I was wondering whether you are injecting co2 or not? 

After hearing about your pH swings I tested my system:

last night when the co2 had been running for about 4 hours = 6.8

Around midday today when co2 had been off for around 10 hours = 7.0

Tapwater pH = ~7.4

The colour of the substrate is what i found odd, but it was a gradual change over two weeks lightening up to what looks like light grey with black specs. I am hoping to cap the substrate with a layer of older batch limpopo in order to bring it back to somthing it should be; a dark substrate.


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## RudeDogg1 (8 Sep 2011)

tropica didnt raise mine


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## jacko32 (2 Oct 2011)

been away for a while abroad but before i went i spoke to green machine and unipac who sent me out 3 bags of black sand to replace the limpopo and managed to save most of the tropica i changed the sand and replanted just before i went away and refilled the tank with tap water which measured Ph 6.2 the tank is now running at a steady Ph 6.3 and all is well the discus and the plants are all looking very healthy again.


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## sanj (2 Oct 2011)

What is the black sand like? Is it more fine than the limpopo?

If it is im not sure about it due to compacting. I tried some Limpopo in a bucket of water over a few days and it did raise the PH to around 7.8 to 8.


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## jacko32 (8 Oct 2011)

yeah its fine ive had it before it plants really well theres thousands of MTS in there so no compacting problems


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