Gravel Type !!!

[Q&Q]

HI, I have been told from my aquarium store not to use one type of ( one colour of ) gravel & to mix white , black & redish types to avoid PH level changes....

I would like to know the possibility of changing the PH of water with one single colour gravel .... Pls advise....

 

[Jexnell]

Depends on what you use. Some substrate can raise or lower your PH. Most are neutral as in won't raise or lower.

 

[Fishflyer]

HI, I have been told from my aquarium store not to use one type of ( one colour of ) gravel & to mix white , black & redish types to avoid PH level changes....

I would like to know the possibility of changing the PH of water with one single colour gravel .... Pls advise....

Never heard of that and I have been in the hobby forty years. I will ask my LFS expert tomorrow about that and get back to you. Colored gravel is a baked on nontoxic enamel. I mix light and dark gravel and check my water parameters from time to time. PH stays stable. Some rocks that you collect say from beach and river can change PH, but I have not even had that problem. I will double check with the gravel question with the sage fish store owner in my town and get back to you.

 

[Fishflyer]

Never heard of that and I have been in the hobby forty years. I will ask my LFS expert tomorrow about that and get back to you. Colored gravel is a baked on nontoxic enamel. I mix light and dark gravel and check my water parameters from time to time. PH stays stable. Some rocks that you collect say from beach and river can change PH, but I have not even had that problem. I will double check with the gravel question with the sage fish store owner in my town and get back to you.

If you are super worried about it. Go with agate pebbles. River Gems distributes them. You can also adjust your pH up with baking soda and PH down with crushed seashell or a commercial pH regulater like Seachem's Neutral Regulater that automatically adjusts your pH up or down to normal 70.

 

[kno4te]

Gravel should be ok. Certain sand substrate can raise the pH.

 

[duanes]

The type of pit (species of rock) the gravel is mined in, can have an effect on whether it is inert or not.
If mined in a limestone (dolomite, ancient reef) area, that gravel may raise pH, or at least maintain it.
If you keep hard water loving rift lake African species, or Central Americans, this can be a positive aspect.
If you keep soft water fish from the Amazon, this may create osmotic pressure leading to HLLE or other health issues.
Most aquarium gravel tends to be inert, but salt water aquarium substrate is often aragonite (crushed coral) preferred because if helps keep pH stable, neutralizing fish urine and other metabolism by-products.

 

[duanes]

This mostly comes into play, if you don't buy from a LFS, they normally have inert substrates.
If you go to a big box hardware store and buy sand, it may not be inert. If you buy play sand, it can also be problematic, because it is easily stirred up, can get into and ruin filters (impellers).

Pool filter sand, (especially from a pool supply center) is heavier because it is meant to be backwash, inert, and sometimes cleaner.
I used to buy from an abrasives company, that knew the origin of the material, supplied LFSs, and was very economical ($5 for 50lbs)

One reason I prefer sand, is detritus is less likely to work its way between grains, the way it does in gravel, and becoming a factory for nitrate production.
So detritus sits on top, is easily seen, and easily vacuumed off during water changes.
My plants also seem to do better in sand than gravel (contrary to many opinions).