Nat'l Geographics Substrate?

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MonkeyMonk86

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Has anyone used the Nat'l Geographics substrate? Which way did it alter the pH? I'm not sure if I should keep or return the small bag that I bought.

I've googled like crazy and cannot find out what it is made of. It looks like black sand, but it does not say it is sand. It just says it might alter the pH.


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)
 
Its a new product so youre unlikely to find much info on it. Assuming it wasnt expensive, just put a little in a glass of water and trach the ph.

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Yes, if no answers to this post then that is what I'll do. I might write to them and ask if I can find an email for their products. It looks like sand, but nowhere on the bag does it say sand. So, I'm very curious what it actually is...


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)
 
Ive just gotten a bag and put it in a 5 gal tank with a bunch of plants and a baby bluegill. i shall see how that goes.
 
Great! Can u let us know the pH of your tap water and the pH of your aquarium water after a few days? Thanks!!!


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)
 
A 5 gallon tank is more than fine as a quarantine tank for a half-inch fish.

exactly!
Ive also got a slender madtom thats even smaller than the bluegill livin in the tank too. but thats all. When the bluegill gets too big, ill move it to my 20 gallon for a while, then im gonna put an otocinclus and a King Betta in it.
 
exactly!
Ive also got a slender madtom thats even smaller than the bluegill livin in the tank too. but thats all. When the bluegill gets too big, ill move it to my 20 gallon for a while, then im gonna put an otocinclus and a King Betta in it.
I should add that a 20 gallon is still way too small for a bluegill. 125 gallons is appropriate for an adult. Also they can be as nasty as some cichlids. I had a pumpkinseed sunfish for a very long time in a 55 but the only fish who could survive in the tank was a common pleco who was too big and too armored to be bullied (and he eventually had to be moved to a much larger tank). I'm not sure if you meant that you were putting the betta in with the bluegill, but that would almost certainly lead to the betta getting pulverized.
 
I should add that a 20 gallon is still way too small for a bluegill. 125 gallons is appropriate for an adult. Also they can be as nasty as some cichlids. I had a pumpkinseed sunfish for a very long time in a 55 but the only fish who could survive in the tank was a common pleco who was too big and too armored to be bullied (and he eventually had to be moved to a much larger tank). I'm not sure if you meant that you were putting the betta in with the bluegill, but that would almost certainly lead to the betta getting pulverized.

the betta will be taking the bluegill's place in the 5 gal after he leaves.
The bluegill will be temporarily living in the 20 gal.
There is a pond in my neighbor's lawn about the size of a 50 gallon tank (long) and it has 3 adult bluegill that breed (that is where I got my babies) and all three are seemingly healthy and even survive missouri winters (i think they are now 6 years old, not including how old they were when he caught them).
So, I think my bluegill will be fine in a 50 gallon tank as well, especially since there will only be a catfish living with him.
 
the betta will be taking the bluegill's place in the 5 gal after he leaves.
The bluegill will be temporarily living in the 20 gal.
There is a pond in my neighbor's lawn about the size of a 50 gallon tank (long) and it has 3 adult bluegill that breed (that is where I got my babies) and all three are seemingly healthy and even survive missouri winters (i think they are now 6 years old, not including how old they were when he caught them).
So, I think my bluegill will be fine in a 50 gallon tank as well, especially since there will only be a catfish living with him.
Bluegills are unimaginably hardy, so it probably would live in a 50 gallon, but it probably wouldn't thrive. If you only have a 50 gallon tank, I honestly recommend seeing if you can get ahold of a pumpkinseed sunfish instead. They're very pretty fish, same attitude as a bluegill, but they stay significantly smaller and would do much better in a 50 gallon than a bluegill.
 
Bluegills are unimaginably hardy, so it probably would live in a 50 gallon, but it probably wouldn't thrive. If you only have a 50 gallon tank, I honestly recommend seeing if you can get ahold of a pumpkinseed sunfish instead. They're very pretty fish, same attitude as a bluegill, but they stay significantly smaller and would do much better in a 50 gallon than a bluegill.

Ok cool, but it shouldnt be anything to worry about if i cant get anything bigger. Ive had a very successful past of keeping bluegills in 30's, 40's, and 50 gallon tanks.
Ive caught them in branson missouri before, they are certainly beautiful fish.
 
with respect.....:facepalm: if you guys keep arguing about bluegills in a thread about national geographic substrate, i am going to start :drinking:

ha.

i will say that substrate seems a little pricey. interested to hear about the ph test on the tank using it.
 
with respect.....:facepalm: if you guys keep arguing about bluegills in a thread about national geographic substrate, i am going to start :drinking:

ha.

i will say that substrate seems a little pricey. interested to hear about the ph test on the tank using it.

Hahaha sure.

Well, I only got it cause it was the cheapest thing I could find. It was $6 for a 1/2 gallon bag of black sand.
 
Can anyone tell me what happened to their water parameters when National Geographic Substrate was used? I still have my receipt and bag unopened. Thanks!


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)
 
I had the same problem with a 15 gallon tank using Nat Geo substrate. I ended up having to add a couple of tablespoons of crushed coral to a bag in the filter to naturally raise Ph. I tried contacting the mfg with no success. Pets mart did say that I could return it but it was already in tank set up with fish. Since adding Coral it has been around 7.5 and has just started to drop so I may need to freshen coral. Good luck!


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