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fresh water live sand?

liqourish

Seedling
Joined
6 Nov 2008
Messages
15
is it possible to use Carib Argonite live sand for freshwater tanks? if i'd wash it out..
 
Hi,
Calcium has nothing to do with buffering pH. Aragonite is a naturally occurring mineral form of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) which dissolves easily in water. The carbonates (CO3) released into the water column will raise the alkalinity (KH) and this is the pH buffer agent. If you are planning a planted hard water tank for Rift Valley fish then this would be OK but the extremely high carbonate levels may cause some issues for soft water South American fish. pH is generally not a problem for either flora or fauna.

Cheers,
 
If the sand is 'live' then it is designed for marine use surely?

Therefore I would leach stuff that you don't want it too.
 
Well, whatever was "live" before would be dead after continued exposure to freshwater. Washing would rid the sediment of any marine salts and organic residue so that isn't a big deal, but why pay all that money only to have what you paid for washed down the drain? If one already has the stuff and is looking to be frugal it might be useful with the provisos listed above but it's pointless to go out of ones way to obtain it. There are plenty of much better substrate choices out there, that's for sure...

Cheers,
 
just wanted to make a planted shrimp tank with baby tear dwarf plants lol. my LFS doesnt sell reg sand, just live sand or black sand.anyways if i added co2 the ph shud go down ?(good for the plants :))
 
With the very large carbonate content of the water you would need high levels of acid to bring the pH down and this would mean equally large amounts of CO2.

This is irrelevant anyway, as the plants need the CO2 not the pH change and CO2 content doesn't change with pH, but pH changes with CO2 content. There are very few plants species which need a less than neutral pH, most people just use plain tap water.

If you want sand, you don't need to go to a aquatic shop. You can use play sand as mentioned, from Argos or the Early Learning Centre, or silver/silica sand from the garden section of B&Q/Homebase etc. There are a variety of sands available in different colours for aquatic use in the trade, but they're not the only ones available.
 
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