Ok, here's the question. I typically have tap water that is just on the hard side. I normally use a bit of sea salt and everything is fine. I have an African tank that no salt is added and they just love it. Here's my question. I have a 120 gallon tank full of rock, slate, and Africans. It also has three pieces of drift wood. I have been told that the wood will make my water too soft for my little Africans. Is that true??? Second, if it is true, is there something to add to keep the hardness where they like it? Or, should I just put the wood in another tank. (I don't like the last choice, it looks real good) Please help me out.
Wood or no wood
- Thread starter ziggy2
- Start date
I have two tanks, one with two large driftwood, and one with none. The tank with DW has one very old piece (under tank water for at least 10 years and slightly soft from decay) and one only a year old. My water is hard out of the tap. Both tanks have the same PH level when I measure it just before the weekly water change; so in my experience, the driftwood has little impact on PH.
I am trying to decide if I want to add DW to the other tank, or remove it from both. On the PRO side: DW looks nice (IMO), adds caves, provides a home for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and my BN pleco loves it. On the CON side: it clogs the filters much faster causing me a lot more work.
I am trying to decide if I want to add DW to the other tank, or remove it from both. On the PRO side: DW looks nice (IMO), adds caves, provides a home for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and my BN pleco loves it. On the CON side: it clogs the filters much faster causing me a lot more work.
Wood can lower the pH. Apparently, if you boil it for a while first and/or soak it for a couple of days, it will have a lesser effect on the pH.
Yes the wood will lower the hardness and the PH but if you add some crushed coral to you substrate(you never said what you used) or your filters it will help buffer the PH/gh up a bit. 7.0 does seem a bit low for keepeing africans.
ziggy2;1154235; said:
Id start with a handfull then test your water for a couple of days after. If its not risen enough add a bit more, too much then remove some. What are you using for a substrate?