I have just begun a cichlid tank and want to know if lace rock works as well as holey rock to help buffer the ph and keep it in the 8.1-8.2 area?
Lace rock question.
- Thread starter johnlinds
- Start date
Ever look into Texas Holey Rock? You can find some nice chunks on eBay. I believe it's limestone based and will buffer your pH..
There are 2 kinds of lace rock. The first is derived from volcanic action and is acidic in nature. This rock is also uncommon in the fish hobby.
The second type is man-made lace rock using aragocrete. This "reef cement" runs an initial pH of 8.2 to 8.3 when the rock is first introduced into the tank. pH 'boost' effect can be lowered by dropping the rock in a bath of diluted muriatic acid. Once the visible reaction is completed, the lace rock will maintain a tank's alkalinity at a more stable 7.5 - 8.0 depending on the matrix used to make it.
Reef supply outlets carry unprocessed aragocrete that you can use to construct your own custom rock work designs to best suit your setup.
The second type is man-made lace rock using aragocrete. This "reef cement" runs an initial pH of 8.2 to 8.3 when the rock is first introduced into the tank. pH 'boost' effect can be lowered by dropping the rock in a bath of diluted muriatic acid. Once the visible reaction is completed, the lace rock will maintain a tank's alkalinity at a more stable 7.5 - 8.0 depending on the matrix used to make it.
Reef supply outlets carry unprocessed aragocrete that you can use to construct your own custom rock work designs to best suit your setup.
Montana lace rock is a name given to the appearance of the bands in lace agate. Lace rock is a whole different deal. BTW, lace agates are aquarium safe provided there are no exposed vugs (cavities) with green or blue mineralizations in them. Greens and blues are derived from copper-based minerals and vugs can contain crystalline or druzy (powder) forms of copper that can release into the aquarium water.
