Crushed coral

[bigjoe200325]

 

I have a 75 gallon freshwater planted tank with corries, snails, glofish tetras, and Colombian tetras. Here are my parameters; Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20, PH 6.4, GH 300, and KH is 0. I’m trying to get my KH up to a normal level, PH up to a more neutral level without raising the GH more than it already is. I don’t like using chemicals, I’m more interested in doing it naturally and safely. I was told to use crushed coral in my filter, but I don’t know how to go about doing that and I looked at crushed coral on several sites but I don’t know how much to add and some have aragonite in it. Please help me with this information and I want to thank you in advance for your help. 

 

[lefty o]

crushed coral will only desolve as the tank needs it, so you can add half a pound or a pound, or more. it will slowly raise your levels to a certain point.  im fairly certain there are video's that go into the technical side of it, but this is the general idea.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I'm sorry I can't help with the argonite but I know others have used it here so maybe they'll pipe in it may work similarly but I don't know for sure. 

I can say I agree with you on chemical use and it's only temporary anyway. So I do use crushed coral in my tanks. How it does work simply put- is the more acidic the water is (lower pH) it basically eats at the coral, this releases chemicals/compounds from the coral that raises the pH and Kh. Once it gets to a higher pH it tends to leave the coral "alone" and if the water turns back to being acidic the process starts again but at a smaller level once it is in your tank. The initial adjustment does take time. My tanks are stable at 3-4 kh and generally 7.6 pH (I've never been able to maintain a 7.0 but all my inhabitants seem to be fine with it). I have mostly smaller tanks and honestly never bothered to measure out the coral. A handful in the substrate helped both my 20 gallon tanks. I use it in an HOB for a 10 gallon, keep it in a sake cup in my 4 gallon and have it in bags in a Flex9. It does work. 

Edited March 3, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX
to clarify