Okay, so I went to my LFS yesterday to buy some crushed coral after searching everywhere online and not able to find it. The owner said all he had was large rock pieces, so he helped me pick out a couple smaller rocks that would fit in my canister filter if I so desired.

So I take it home, rinse it off, plop it in the 55 w/the fish and 5 gallon that I'm doing a fishless cycle on....and the ph is going DOWN, not up! What the heck? What did he sell me?

Is there a white rock that lowers Ph instead of raises it? Why is the LFS owner telling me it's dead coral rock, but it's not acting like it?

I'm doing Ph monitoring every 2 hours and adjusting with BS. I'll be taking the rock out today unless I can confirm what it is exactly.

I'll attach pictures when I get home from work today, in case someone can identify it.

In the meantime, I know I saw pictures of crushed coral somewhere here in the forums (it actually looked like coral fingers), but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Can someone help me find it?

I wonder if it really is coral?

It does take some time for the coral to work its magic. It might be worth waiting a few days longer. Meanwhile a pic of the rock would help us try and identify it.

Hubby helped me get some pictures up ASAP:

I guess this is a hard subject.

I just came from another LFS with Utah Ice. Anybody used that before? They said it'll work faster than the coral rock I have. The salt that it leaches shouldn't be too significant. Does anybody have any concerns with me giving it a try with the goldies?

It raises hardness without raising pH.

That's what I found from another online source about the Utah Ice. But the LFS guy said it'll raise the PH too.

Well either way, since I need both to stabilize, it can't hurt.

I wish I could give you some advice on this, but I am clueless on the subject! LOL! Good luck and keep me posted!

i does indeed look like dead coral but it looks too white for dead coral hmm *off do some research* hopefully i shall find some answers for you lola

The LFS where I bought the Utah Ice had the same rock coral. It's real, but it doesn't seem to be doing a darned thing. I'm taking it out after work today. My PH is still getting lower with it. I'll have to see if the Utah Ice does anything after a few days. I had run out of Kent RO, but my order came in yesterday, so for now, I have to use that to keep the PH stable. I really want to be able to have stable PH naturally, with or without the Kent RO though.

I tested the Gh and Kh yesterday, and it was: GH 196, KH 70 something

Where are all the chemists at? If I get the KH up to 100, will the Ph stabilize?

Did u ever ask Rick what is in Buff it Up other than Baking Soda? As you know, I use that stuff, to raise my pH from the mid 6s to 7.2-7.4ish. It also raises my KH from virtually nothing to about 80. My pH never varies and remains constant once I raise it with Buff it Up; something I could not say with Arm & Hammer.

I don't think you told me about your KH going up with its use before. I thought it was just raising your PH. Hmmmm..........

Well the Kent RO is needed to add minerals back into my RO water, so I have to continue using that. I don't want to have to add too many additives, though, which is why I'm trying natural ways to stabilize everything.

These rocks that are supposed to be affecting PH aren't doing anything for me, so I was wondering if it's becuz the KH isn't high enough.

Just wanted to update, the coral rock worked in my 5 gallon. Perhaps the rock is too small for the 55g.

I did remove the one out of the 55g.

PH is holding stable for several days in a row now at 7.4. Just using my RO/POOL mixture along with Kent RO Right. I just need to make sure I don't run out of Kent RO Right again, and I'll be okay. Still planning on putting limestone in the 125 though - and maybe in the 55g later, if it works in the other one.