"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
In article ,
NetMax wrote:
"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
stability. Less and you're more prone to variations in pH due to
downward influences (mopani driftwood, CO2 injection, etc). A
higher
kH

Uh yeah, ABOUT that. Mopani's influence is not to be believed. I have
1200
ppm water and dropped a small (small!) chunck into a tank with about
30
each of 2 rare species of snails - spotted nerites and porcupine
snails.

Within a week the water was slightly amber and all the snails were
dead.

Huh.


The implication being... ? My experience with mopani is limited to

The water went right acid, acid + hard water let the plants use the
CO2 (pants wre doing great), this kept going till all the hardness
was gone, snails died in soft water.

Wow, I'm surprised that so much acidification could be attributed to a
small chunk of Mopani. I don't think this is typical. If it was, they
would be selling a lot more Mopani to people like me on well-water ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

Plants were doing well and no algae. I havn't chnaged water in there
this year, there's no fish in that tank, just snails.

fresh, store pieces in low kH, soft water, medium pH. By itself, the
mopani just added a tinge to the water. If I added CO2, or my water
changing got lax, the pH would dive. The mopani would have been a net
contributor to the acidification, though I don't know how acute. Going
by appearances (the tannins and humic acid), it was probably not
completely insignificant, though by itself, it probably would have
minimal effect in the face of regular water changes (unless the piece
was
quite large relative to the tank).

In 1200ppm water, I don't think it would do much but color the water.
Too bad about the snails (that's a mystery, some fungus on the wood?).
I
used to sell and promote nerites, but I'm not familiar with a Porcupine
snail (but I know what you get when you mix a porcupine & a snail - a
slowpoke ;~).
*groan*


Well, uh, I can probbaly show you a shell, but that's about it.




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