Stella Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 at a public aquarium I am working on there is a weird problem with pH in a couple of the tanks. It looks like the hideous fruit salad gravel* is increasing the pH...! I can't remember the numbers, but it is cranking up to nearly pH 8. The water is cold (~15*C) and is spring water, I am not sure of the hardness. The other standard parameters are fine. The 'miner's canary' troutlets are dying slowly. Surely this shouldn't happen? Fruit salad gravel is meant to be used in aquaria ( :facepalm: ) The tank is utterly enormous, acrylic and concrete with a fibreglass background and ehiem filter. no wood or plants, just stones. Anyone got any ideas? (*used on purpose to be intentionally hideous) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracytrout Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Is the tank new as it could be the concrete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 It is new. I am guessing the concrete has been coated in something (built by proper aquarium designers who should know stuff). I forgot to say that there are two tanks that have this problem, the smaller one is all-acryllic with no concrete or fibreglass. We put a handful of gravel in a small bucket with some fresh water and the pH was higher the next day. I guess I am wondering if this is a normal 'starting problem' with the gravel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I am not sure of the hardness. I'd check the Gh and KH, far more meaningful than pH.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I'd check the Gh and KH, far more meaningful than pH.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I'd check the Gh and KH, far more meaningful than pH.... Spring water is likely to be hard to start with and also quite likely the concrete isn't coated. As per this months Aquarium world, concrete sets better under water so the guys that made it might have just filled it up to set it. Even if it has been emptied and refilled a couple of times it will still slowly leach out the lime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Spring water can be hard (if coming through rock with a lot of calcium), Acid (if coming through peat or an old swamp area). It is as variable as any other water so a test should tell you what you are dealing with. Fruit salad down this way has a bit of rusty coloured content due to iron, grey from greywake and white from quartze but you may have white from carbonate. A test will show you what you are dealing with. The carbonate (if present) will not be very soluble unless the water from the spring is acid (which can be caused by dissolved CO2). Test--don't guess and good luck. Sounds like a good project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted February 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Thanks guys. Am heading back up there today so will hopefully be able to find gh and kh tests and run the various options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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