• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Tetraplant Complete

thejesmonddingo

Seedling
Joined
17 Dec 2007
Messages
2
I'm setting up a 10g tank,with this substrate,my tap water is ph 6.2 and very soft,I've put a couple of harlequins in to cycle it,but the ph and hardness are rising,I've covered the Tetraplant with Unipac Aqua Gravel,which I assumed was inert.Why is my ph and hardness increasing,is it the gravel.
Ian
 
I'm most likely wrong but could it possibly be co2 being given up?
 
I've tried putting vinegar on the gravel,with no obvious effect,but I can't think of another explanation.
ian
 
I've got Tetraplant Complete in my cube and the stuff I've got certainly doesn't raise the hardness that I've noticed. Using RO water, DIY CO2 and inert sand the pH is around 5.8 - 6 all the time. Last time I measured it TDS was down to 80 as I've cut back the ferts for a while!

If there is only a trace of calcerous material in the gravel vinegar may not be strong enough to see any fizzing. Try soaking some of it in RO or distilled water and test the GH, KH and maybe the pH after a few days to see what differences there are.
 
I agree with ed. Vinegar is always mentioned for testing gravel and rocks but is seldom strong enough to show up anything. Try using kettle/bathroom descaler on it, that should show it!
 
If you have a nitrate test kit that contains two reagent bottles, I believe the second bottle is Nitric acid.

Dave.
 
Back
Top