Has anyone here had much experience with using oyster shells to provide
calcium for aquatic crustaceans and to buffer pond pH? Primarily any
difficulties with general hardness because of the extra calcium? Obviously
I'll have to keep a closer eye on the pH now, and possibly deal with calcium
buildup at the waterline.

Otherwise any other suggestions?

-S

IMNSHO unless yu have low enough PH to allow them to start to become
soluable they do not mean all that much. There is a very small area
that they are effective.

I had low PH in a pond and nothing I did brought it up to where I
really wanted it. Talking to my friend a marine biologist at Uof F and
he told me if all my parameters are fine, adn the fish are fine don't
worry about it......so I quit ****ing with it and have yet to have any
problems. I would have to think if yur changing any water out, the
calcium nmormally found in any water is sufficient. I do lots of
sal****er tanks and if yu listen to the so called pros, theyall say yu
need calcium, but I have yet to add calcium and do nothing but water
changes and my calcium levels stay within the 450 to 490 range..

What is your calcium readings now?



On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:10:58 GMT, "Snooze" wrote:
Has anyone here had much experience with using oyster shells to provide
calcium for aquatic crustaceans and to buffer pond pH? Primarily any
difficulties with general hardness because of the extra calcium? Obviously
I'll have to keep a closer eye on the pH now, and possibly deal with calcium
buildup at the waterline.

Otherwise any other suggestions?

-S

"Roy" wrote in message
...


IMNSHO unless yu have low enough PH to allow them to start to become
soluable they do not mean all that much. There is a very small area
that they are effective.

Probably true, I'm not really sure if daphnia nibble on the shells or if it
just dissolves into the water.

I do lots of
sal****er tanks and if yu listen to the so called pros, theyall say yu
need calcium, but I have yet to add calcium and do nothing but water
changes and my calcium levels stay within the 450 to 490 range..

What is your calcium readings now?


Calcium readings are unknown. I primarily measure the levels when I remember
to or feel like it. But I suppose they're probably high enough, given the
amount of calcium buildup we get in our pipes and the flecks of calcium that
clog up the faucet screen filters. My goal is primary to increase the number
of daphnia in the pond.

Last year I had a 2L bottle with it's top cut off. I used to keep it sunk
with a rock, and covered with a plastic grate. Periodically I'd inspect the
contents of the bottle to see what kind of aquatic insects are roaming
about. This year, I'm not finding much. A few 3mm long worms, which I
suspect are leaches are often anchored to the pvc pipes. A few dragonfly
nymph and I think I saw a ferry shrimp or two.

No luck in finding daphnia or planaria.

Maybe I'll find them as summer approaches.

-S

I use organic dolomitic limestone cause it has magnesium in it as well. Ingrid

"Snooze" wrote:

Has anyone here had much experience with using oyster shells to provide
calcium for aquatic crustaceans and to buffer pond pH? Primarily any
difficulties with general hardness because of the extra calcium? Obviously
I'll have to keep a closer eye on the pH now, and possibly deal with calcium
buildup at the waterline.

Otherwise any other suggestions?

-S




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Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:10:58 GMT, "Snooze" wrote:

Has anyone here had much experience with using oyster shells to provide
calcium for aquatic crustaceans and to buffer pond pH? Primarily any
difficulties with general hardness because of the extra calcium? Obviously
I'll have to keep a closer eye on the pH now, and possibly deal with calcium
buildup at the waterline.

Otherwise any other suggestions?

I use garden lime because it is cheap and available, but the KH stays
very low and the pH usually stays around 7.8 to 8.2. After a rain
the KH will sometimes drop so low it is a bit frightening, but when
the pH drops below 7.8 the lime begins to dissolve raising the KH and
pH. I suppose the oyster shells would react about the same.
General Hardness has never been very high. I used plaster of Paris
to raise the GH several times, but it never seems to make any
difference to the fish that I can see, so I have grown lazy and ignore
it.

Regards,

Hal

Best thing I have found is get a bag of aragonite sand, (commonly sold
as Southdown or Old Castle Sand) at Home depot. Add a small amount of
portland cement and make a few aragonite sand/ portland cement shapes
or forms that can be used to place plants on instead of bricks, or
some shape that is suitable to sink or place in the pond. Make rthis
a really dry porous mix so its more like a sponge than a concrete
casting....., even alowing holes etc tob e through it. Once cured, you
shoul dbe able to pour wate ronit and have it permeate right through
the shape you cast...If it runs off its not gonna work as well. It
needs ot be sort of like swiss cheese or a sponge......very pourus and
a dry mix is what it takes to achieve this density. ONce PH is lower
it starts to dissolve the aragonite sand which raises the pH. It has
to be the type sand listed in this post as regular silica based sands
will not work at all. If in doubt, carry some white vinegar with yu in
a bottle with a eye dropper, and put a bit of vinegar onthe sand. It
should fizz and bubble........if it done snot , its not the right
sand......
Plaster of paris may work but it does not really do much to correct or
buffer in sufficien t time without allowing wide swings in parameters
to occur. Sufficient aragonite (calcium based) sand wil lbe a suitable
buffer, but it may take considerably mnore than you really think it
needs to maintain a suitable buffer for stabikizing PH. Why do you
think its such an important factor in sal****er tanks to use aragonite
sands and calcium based liverock...its what really sets and holds the
ph and calcium levels.

On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 09:55:30 -0400, Hal wrote:
On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:10:58 GMT, "Snooze" wrote:

Has anyone here had much experience with using oyster shells to provide
calcium for aquatic crustaceans and to buffer pond pH? Primarily any
difficulties with general hardness because of the extra calcium? Obviously
I'll have to keep a closer eye on the pH now, and possibly deal with calcium
buildup at the waterline.

Otherwise any other suggestions?

I use garden lime because it is cheap and available, but the KH stays
very low and the pH usually stays around 7.8 to 8.2. After a rain
the KH will sometimes drop so low it is a bit frightening, but when
the pH drops below 7.8 the lime begins to dissolve raising the KH and
pH. I suppose the oyster shells would react about the same.
General Hardness has never been very high. I used plaster of Paris
to raise the GH several times, but it never seems to make any
difference to the fish that I can see, so I have grown lazy and ignore
it.

Regards,

Hal

How do you figure the ammount of Lime for your pond (assuming here that
it is some sort of gallons/ammount thing)?

Do you put it inline with your filtration or do you apply it to the
water itself or?

Thanks in advance!

wrote in message
...
I use organic dolomitic limestone cause it has magnesium in it as well.
=========
I've used BOTH dolomite limestone and oyster shells with success. Both
raised the alkalinity and hardness of the water.
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

I would certainly not take any info that Koi Lo aka Carol Gulley
gives as being correct.She did not answer your question and merely
posted what others have stated. Did she tel lyou how much to use and
how to apply or use it.Hell no because the bitch has never done what
she says she has done and does not have a clue. Just a quick google
search of CArol Gulley will show what kind of person this idiot is.
It would take a fool to think she knows what she rambles on about.


On 3 Jun 2006 09:09:39 -0700, wrote:
How do you figure the ammount of Lime for your pond (assuming here that
it is some sort of gallons/ammount thing)?

Do you put it inline with your filtration or do you apply it to the
water itself or?

Thanks in advance!

*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the pond and aquaria groups.

wrote in message
oups.com...
How do you figure the ammount of Lime for your pond (assuming here that
it is some sort of gallons/ammount thing)?

Do you put it inline with your filtration or do you apply it to the
water itself or?

Thanks in advance!
=============================
If you're trying to raise alkalinity it's safer but slower to use oyster
shells or dolomite limestone gravel. Using ground limestone (powdery)could
raise the PH too quickly and too high.
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

On rec.ponds, in , %
n"Koi-Lo" wrote:

I would certainly not take any info that Koi Lo aka Carol Gulley
gives as being correct. She did not answer your question and merely
posted what others have stated. Did she tell you how much to use and
how to apply or use it. Hell no because the bitch has never done what
she says she has done and does not have a clue. Just a quick google
search of CArol Gulley will show what kind of person this idiot is.
It would take a fool to think she knows what she rambles on about.

Ohhh... I'll have to copy that one...
--
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