Lace Rock

[sherry]

Is lace rock okay in a cacatoides tank, or does it always raise ph/kh.?

 

[aspen]

lava (lace) rock will raise the phosphate levels in your tank. ime, this is a bad thing in a planted tank, due to the relationship between phosphate and algae. i don't use it in planted tanks due to that.

rick

 

[sherry]

thank you.. I will definately stick to driftwood

 

[aspen]

don't forget mopani wood. it is more exp than plain old driftwood, but it sinks by itself, is much harder for your plecos to turn into sawdust, and looks really nice due to it's colour variations. you can lift it out without disturbing your substrate, while with driftwood screwed to rock, the rock is a pain to lift out of the substrate.

new stuff will give off lots of tannins. get used to it, it is probably healthier for amazonian fish. boiling first helps, but what for? you are going to add peat anyway, right?

rick

 

[sherry]

Aspen the wood I"m using is "african driftwood" from AZGardens. It's pretty nice stuff and also self sinking.. I've seen the Mopani, or pictures of it, recently and i agree that is beautiful.

No peat. I live in manhattan and it turns out that my water from the tap is kh2,gh2 ph 6.5.. I am afraid to turn on the co2 in my planted tank... but I also don't want to harden the water.. peat isn't my issue

I don't mind a bit of tannins at allk, tho I don't seem to have all that much.

can you explain the lace rock phosphate connection? I'd appreciate it.

Thanks