KarenMick Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Ok so I have searched the forum and can't find anything on this so I shall ask........ What is better for keeping ph up calcium carbonate or a crushed coral sand mix? Need to do the following tanks: 3x 6ft 5x 4ft 15x 2ft Thanks for all the help Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regani Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Crushed coral = calcium carbonate They are the same thing. There different forms of calcium carbonate that have slightly different dissolution rates (although solubility for all forms is very low) but for a long-term substrate the difference is negligible. Just don't get a powder as that will cause problems, everything else should work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browes_91 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I've got coral sand in my 8ft with Africans and pH is 8 to 8.2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny@ageofaquariums Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Shells and coral build up in a pile. Under their own weight they turn into limestone (like texas holey rock). A big pile of limestone under pressure and exposed to heat from the earth compresses into marble (or what we call in the aquarium hobby "calcium carbonate") I prefer to use natural coral sand, as it has been rounded by wave action and therefor is nicer for my peacocks to search through and filter through their gills. I find marble/calc carb to be a lot sharper. But shell grit, coral sand, limestone and marble........ ALL of them are calcium carbonate. And all will buffer your water nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obeice Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 I run cal carb in my breeding rack of 3500ltrs and it keeps all 9 tanks at 8.0-8.2 but i'm considering changing to coral sand for the reasons donny said maybe just adding 10-20mm across the top of the cal carb i already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellycheese Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 i use crushed soral sand in all my tanks and i find the ph is always at 8-8.2, and all my fish seam to love it thanks roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenMick Posted April 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Thanks for all the help we went with Cal Carb due to the look decided i liked the white gravel look better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellows Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 What size did you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenMick Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Hi we went with the 2 or 3mm nice and small for the Africans Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoody Posted May 4, 2014 Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 nice, whats your PH at now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenMick Posted May 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 Sitting about 7.8-8.0 roughly Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellows Posted May 4, 2014 Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 Very nice will be adding calcium carb to all my tanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
