coral in freshwater

[Crispy]

quick question that I wanted to know... if you place coral rock from the ocean into your freshwater tank, how will it change the water chemistry?? Will it raise pH? or hardness?

[bushwhacker]

yes, its calcium which will increase your hardness and raise the ph

[Crispy]

yes, its calcium which will increase your hardness and raise the ph

might be good for my frontosas then since they prefer a higher pH and hardness. Anyone put any in their tanks to get this effect?

[kaybee]

...and probably not a bad idea for your frontosas.

[Crispy]

...and probably not a bad idea for your frontosas.

my other fish might not like it too much though. The pH is about 7.6 and everyone seems to be just fine, so maybe I shouldn't mess with it... but I do have some large pieces from the ocean if I ever have a lake tang specific tank.

[gm72]

Usually you are best off to leave well enough alone instead of risk upsetting the balance of things.

[Northernguy]

It all depends on your fish and the natural ph in your water.I used to keep all kinds of old coral in my tanks.It looked amazing but did raise my ph from 6.6 to 7.6.
I wish I had never got rid of it cause I could sure use it now!:22:

[Crispy]

I'm going to leave the tank alone, but it's good info to know forsure! Thanks all!

[Fishguy2727]

Frontosas are from Lake Tanganyika, which has a very high pH. If they were bred in the current pH don't mess with it. If not you may want to try buffering the water and see if it seems to be beneficial for them. Corals would not be the best way to do it. Crushed coral in the filter is a good method. Plaster of paris from the hardware store made into little cubes is supposed to be a great way to increase alkalinity and calcium.

[Northernguy]

Fishguy thats the first time someone mentions something I have in stock to raise ph.Will CGC Drywall compound work or is Plaster of Paris different?
They softened the water here so much because they are trying not to have any water mains crack this year.

[Fishguy2727]

I don't know. I never used that method, I just read about it on a snail forum as a way to keep the calcium up and make sure the water is good for the snails.