I hate to ask this rock question, sry in advance.

Bluephish · #1 07-25-2011, 01:14 PM

So i have kept reef tanks for a while, but very new to this. The search button got me threw my first 15 gallon anole viv with gs/coco fiber background. I ran this for the past year. Recently I acquired a red eye tree frog, and I'm in the process of building a 18x18x24 zoo med enclosure. For this one I'm building a water feature similar to the exo terra waterfalls out of concrete. I have it built coated in quickcrete and submerged In water. How do I know it is ready and safe(cured/ph stable)? I've heard everything from a few days to 6-8 weeks. It has been underwater for 4-5 days. I have been testing ph with a API ph test kit. My ph out of the tap reads about 7.8. Now the odd thing is I've got no rise in ph within the tub with the soaking waterfall. Actually the ph is slightly dropping from 7.8 closer to 7.4 over the last 48 hrs. What you all think?

Bluephish · #2 07-25-2011, 01:28 PM

also i purchased this brand acrylic paint from hobby lobby does this look ok to use. it says non-toxic on the back.
Deprecated Browser Error

last thing, i have not decided if i need to use a sealer what would you all suggest? I have 2 kinds but not sure if they are what i should be using. does this look like the right stuff to use as a sealer.

Deprecated Browser Error

viva la viv · #3 07-29-2011, 06:54 PM

well i guess if you really want to know you will have to test the ph of clean water then add your feature and check ph again to see if there is a change. If no change then its good or even a very small change if you have a big tank should not affect things, but i mean if you put vinegar on it and it fizzes well back in soak tub.

cuervo25_1 · #4 08-10-2011, 11:55 PM

I believe quickcrete contains lime, which will lower the PH of water and other acidic things. That is why alot of people use it when making compost due to the acidity of the decomposing plants and to aid in the smell of decomposing food for those that do that part as well.

Now if your not already using it since this is an older post go ahead the extra curing time is for better strength for buildings and thicker concrete ( ft. instead of in. or less) typically in this kind of application 5 - 7 days should be enough.

seemasaiyom · #5 08-11-2011, 03:43 AM

Hi,

i think this post is so much interesting and really nice..i want to get more info about this..

Thanks for sharing..

Bluephish · #6 08-12-2011, 02:06 PM

So I was pretty sure the lime raises ph? Maybe I'm wrong. Gardeners use it to raise ph because decomposing material lowers ph. I swear I just read this. Also I thought just about all concrete products contain lime. Could be wrong but this was the impression I was under.

Anyways I'm using it already, I painted it and sealed it with the above sealer. It has no cracks from curing. The sealer has been exposed and submerged in water for few weeks now and is holding up well, not turning white, flaking off, or turning mushy, and no leaks.

Tank is up and running complete. Plants, vitamins, and springtails I got from neherpetoculture.com I think I may start I thread about them because the customer service, and quality of plants I got was unlike any Internet vendor I have ever delt with absolutely exceptional. Also they threw in a few good size free plants because shipping was delayed a single day. Plus took the time to write me some great info on questions I had about my red eyed tree frogs.

cuervo25_1 · #7 08-12-2011, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluephish

So I was pretty sure the lime raises ph? Maybe I'm wrong. Gardeners use it to raise ph because decomposing material lowers ph. I swear I just read this. Also I thought just about all concrete products contain lime. Could be wrong but this was the impression I was under.

Nope it lowers it, here is a site that discuses it.

http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-ma...-your-lawn.php

Bluephish · #8 08-15-2011, 12:57 PM

Not trying to be a rude, but that article dose not explain much. All it says is lime neutralizes acidic soil. Acidic is considered anything 7.0 and under getting more acidic as move down. Alkaline is Any thing above. So right in your article it says it will neutralize Acidic soil( soil with a low ph). If lime lowers ph why would you use it to neutralize already acidic soil?

Just type lime ph and lawns in google and you will see lime raises ph.

Look threw previous posts on rock work and you will see about neutralizing ph with vinegar baths, because ph usually rises.

cuervo25_1 · #9 08-17-2011, 10:39 AM

[quote=Bluephish;59076]Not trying to be a rude, but that article dose not explain much. All it says is lime neutralizes acidic soil. Acidic is considered anything 7.0 and under getting more acidic as move down. Alkaline is Any thing above. So right in your article it says it will neutralize Acidic soil( soil with a low ph). If lime lowers ph why would you use it to neutralize already acidic soil?

certain plants do not like acidic soil they will grow much better in alkaline soil. so in that case you would want to add lime to the compost to raise the PH (I had it backwards in saying lower the PH when it actually raises it) to make sure the plant live a healthy life. depending on the plants of course. For example evergreens tend to love very acidic soil where geraniums prefer more alkaline soil.

The same holds true for water but replace plants with animals. Certain animals prefer much mor acidic conditions than others. You made this water feature and in soaking it you seen that it lowered the PH closer to neutral. I am not sure of what else it contains that may have an acidic ph to it because it sent it from a more alkaline state to a more acidic state.(not by much though)

But with this prodject we both came out with some more knowledge and I now understand to a degree why give a feature made from concrete a vinegar bath. However I also guess you could get away with not giving it one depending on the animal and plant life. I would still soak it in water to get rid of dust ect.

I think what I will do it make up a artical on how to make your own compost/soil for your set up and how to get it to the proper PH. and I will also include tips for water and a list of common plants and animals with the ph they do best at. This in turn should help alot of people out in setting up their habitats.

beckdg · #10 08-17-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluephish

So I was pretty sure the lime raises ph? Maybe I'm wrong. Gardeners use it to raise ph because decomposing material lowers ph. I swear I just read this. Also I thought just about all concrete products contain lime. Could be wrong but this was the impression I was under.

Anyways I'm using it already, I painted it and sealed it with the above sealer. It has no cracks from curing. The sealer has been exposed and submerged in water for few weeks now and is holding up well, not turning white, flaking off, or turning mushy, and no leaks.

Tank is up and running complete. Plants, vitamins, and springtails I got from neherpetoculture.com I think I may start I thread about them because the customer service, and quality of plants I got was unlike any Internet vendor I have ever delt with absolutely exceptional. Also they threw in a few good size free plants because shipping was delayed a single day. Plus took the time to write me some great info on questions I had about my red eyed tree frogs.

sounds good.

yes lye/lime are alkaline buffers.

vinegar is an acid.

hence cancels one another out... and sometimes reacts chemically.