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Re: Lava Rock

George &melanie Caruso wrote:
> 
> After seeing so much discussion on the use of Lava Rock in filters I
> thought I would give it a try. I use a combination of rain water and
> well water in my tanks. I found that after two days of running a small
> box filter with lava rock and filter floss in the tanks there was a
> considerable rise in ph. From 7.0 to 7.6 or higher. Has any one else out
> there had a similar experience?  I can't live with the ph climb so I
> have gone back to straight filter floss
> in my box filters.
>                        George

The small red lava decorative rocks (coarse gravel?) that I use has not
shown me any such tendency. Perhaps you didn't get true lava, or did not
rinse it properly? [Some fish stores sell dyed coral that looks a bit like
lava but is CaCO3. Buy lava only at the garden shop.]

Without knowing how well-buffered your well water is (what KH it has), and
what proportions you use to mix, it is hard to say what is happening.

You might try rinsing and soaking some lava in good hot tap water before
using it in the filter. It might just have some surface dust with a bit of
lime in it.

That said, what is it about the pH you can't live with? I can't find any
killies that really "feel" pH unless something else toxic is in the water
that is pH sensitive. If so, it's far more important that you remove it than
worry about the pH in that range. [The main worry at higher pH is conversion
of ammonium to ammonia. They build up as a consequence of missing water
changes and insufficient plants.]

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  wright at killi dot net

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