Kolorscape Mini Marble Chips..

[FreshyFresh]

I purchased a bag of this from Lowes today to use as substrate for my 55g. I love it! It's much whiter/brighter than the pea gravel I used from them for my 29gal.

Fishdad, you are a genius! I got this idea from you. ~$3.70 vs. about $30 in fish store gravel. It does take some work to wash out. I washed it out in my wheel-barrow, then transferred it to a pail to get it into the tank. That was the easy part.

WOW what a workout filling a 55 with a 5gal pail. Gotta rig a hose from the sink to tank.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

^ Python water change system. Screws onto standard faucets. Allows you to fill the tank easily (or refill after water change), and uses the water pressure from the sink to pump water out of the tank and down the drain for water changes also.

Marble chips are a good idea. Even the normal aquarium gravel you have to rinse to high heavens, so that's not a big deal.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Thanks CL.

The only problem for me with a Python (or the likes) water changer is, I live on a 40yr/old septic system. We try to avoid any unnecessary water down the drain. Using it to re-fill? That would be awesome. The tank is only a few feet away from a sink. I'll have to rig myself up a system.

I'm really loving the marble chips. I mentioned using this on another board and got lambasted for my stupidity, in that marble is normally limestone and calcium carbonate. "This will dissolve in your water and raise your pH". My tap water pH is a 7.6 anyway and hasn't changed. For grins I did a vinegar test on a pinch of marble chips today and it didn't fizz in the least.

 

[exhumed07]

yeah whoever said that is an idiot. marble is not lime. also u can get a simple garden hose and syphone the water right out the window . I saw u have the new tank right next to a window and another tank there as well. i know the pain of an old septic system. ours leaches in the corner of the yard but luckily it just runs over into the woods and down the hill and don't realy bother us any. in fact i though about planting cat tails there lol. but anyway i belive ridex makes a chemical u pour down the toilet once every month that will extend the life of the field as well as dry it up if it is leaching.

 

[FreshyFresh]

The only problem with most of those septic additives is, they act like a laxative to the tank and on a weak system, can cause solids to pass out of the tank and into your leach field or sand filter. If your system is new enough, you'll have a Zabo filter that will catch this. Anything older than 25yrs or so wont have a filter, so solids can flow directly out of the tank, plugging your leach field.

 

[exhumed07]

see thats what our problem is. the feild is full but this stuff accually stops the leaching when we use it. the corner of the yard just dries up. it's alot cheaper to buy a bottle every 2 months then putting in a new field.

 

[FreshyFresh]

What ever works for you dude!

 

[exhumed07]

just trying to help u out. but i agree with u. i don't put my tank water out in the septic field either. but for daily use that septic field stuff realy does help out.

 

[OrangeCones]

yeah whoever said that is an idiot. marble is not lime.

exhumed07 - I have to ask you this: What do you think marble IS made of, if not of limestone?

And seriously, to call someone an 'idiot' for saying so?

What someone says can be opinion, fact, or complete misinformation, but does not rate the person being labled an 'idiot' if you don't agree with what he or she said.

 

[exhumed07]

marble starts as limestone but over time becomes calcite. other minerals such as silica in forms of chert and quartz. the silica also turns into diopside and forsterite. it's also comprised of carbonate silica compounds such as larnite, monticellite and another mineral i can't think of. if water is pressent at high temps when recrystalizing, serpentine and talc are pressent. also hematite and magnetitie are in marble. thats what produces the black red and yellow bands in it. marble may start off as simple lime stone like your standard C6 driveway gravel but it is completly transformed when it becomes marble. just as simple everyday carbon forms into a completly different crystaline structure as diamond over high temp and high pressure. to me calling marble limestone is like looking at an orange and calling it an apple.

 

[OrangeCones]

Nice google answer, exhumed07.

I stand behind the fact that marble IS limestone, and the other forum did warn about how using marble COULD raise your pH (by raising KH), which is valid. However, with the water's normal pH sitting in above 7, there is little to worry about. If the OP was raising Discus and using a lot of RO water, or the normal local water was very acidic, there would be more to be concerned about rising pH and KH (and GH when you think about it). But this would be over MONTHS, not a cause of sudden swings.

I'm done, exhumed07. Calling the other person an 'idiot' was over the top. Rude. Plain and simple.

Sorry for the distraction, FreshyFresh. It won't happen again.

 

[exhumed07]

I honestly did not use google cause i have had this conversation before with other people on fishtanktv.com. and i'm sorry if i offended u OC but i'm not one to beat around the bush and i am very blunt and call things as i see them.

 

[FreshyFresh]

It's all good OC and exhumed-

Sometimes things can get a little heated when learning new things.

Poke around other aquaria sites if you want to have contact with some real prize individuals.

 

[exhumed07]

I know my personality can be a little overbearing and abrasive at times and i do apologise for that. i've just always spoken my mind be it good or bad. it's gotten me in trouble more times then i care to count. but honestly is it better to fake being nice about something and calling someone an idiot in your mind? or is it better to speak ur mind and let people know how u realy feel? i think it's best to be honest. people on here have sent me absolutly horrific pms calling me everything under the sun. it dont realy bother me. i apreciate that they are truely letting me know how they feel instead of playing nice. but overall i am sorry that i upset u OC, that was not my intent and i will try to work on the brain to finger filter.

As for the topic of the post i do like how the marble looks. how big are the marble chunks in the tank? do they come crushed any smaller then that? i would think maybe a substrate of marble the consistancy of large sand would look realy cool.

 

[FreshyFresh]

exhumed, this substrate is a bit on the chunky side. It's about the same sized/shaped pebbles as the Lowes bought pea gravel I have in my 29g. Here's close-up of the 55:

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[exhumed07]

that does look realy good. i'm personally a big fan of sand myself but then again i've never seen marble used as a substrate and well it looks damn good lol.

 

[Thyra]

Is that tank going to be okay by a window? Algae could become a huge problem. Sunlight - even from across the room really helps the algae.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I'll have to see how it goes with the algae. If I can't keep up on it, I'll have to try another location for the tank. It's inches from a large, southern facing window. It does get some direct sunlight depending on the season, etc. LOTS of tall trees 20ft or so across from the window.

 

[exhumed07]

i knwo some people don't like it cause it's hard to get rid of much like duck weed but java or christmas moss will help alot at getting rid of extra nutrients. one thing u could do is make a java moss wall across the back to block the sun from the rest of the tank while at the same time creating a lush green background. and no need for fancy lighting cause the sun will give the moss all the light it needs. it's an idea at least.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I figured if need be, I'll throw a light blocking backdground on the tank to help keep algae at bay.