Monday, November 22, 2010

How much does coral change the chemical balance of freshwater?

i heard that coral changes the PH of water or something like that. How much coral would it take in a 40 gal F/W tank to significantly change the water to a state that it might harm some of my fishHow much does coral change the chemical balance of freshwater?
Coral is made of calcium carbonate, which is somewhat soluble in water. It raises the pH of water (in other words, makes it more alkaline), maybe up to about pH 8.3, which is the pH of sea water, and it also raises the hardness, especially, of course, the calcium content of the water.



Will this harm your fish? It depends on what kind of fish you keep. This might be beneficial to Rift Lake Cichlids, and it might be fatal to Apistogramma dwarf cichlids or tetras from ';blackwater'; habitats.



In general, it's not a great idea to use coral in freshwater aquaria. Coral has lots of sharp and rough surfaces that can injure fish that don't encounter coral in nature.



How much it would take to affect the pH in your tank depends on various factors, such as the hardness and buffering capacity of the water before you put the coral in, how often you do water changes, and the tank temperature.How much does coral change the chemical balance of freshwater?
I have 3 huge chunks of coral in my 20 gallon Cichlid tank. There was not a noticeable difference in the PH readings before putting the coral in or after using testing strips, so I don't think you will have a problem. I have almost always had coral in my freshwater tanks and have never seen any difference in the PH with or without it! If you are worried about it you can pick up the test strips for just a couple dollars at any pet store carrying fish supplies....
I don't think that a piece of coral would change the PH enough to worry about.I have had tanks for many years and always have a chunk of coral in them about the size of 2 softballs.and i have a 40 gal tank.If it worries you? you can purchase a PH test kit..and then adjust the PH..It is good to do that anyways..check the water about once a week for ph.Some fish like a high PH.A good fish book will also help tou to determine the correct PH for the fish that you are raising.

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