As etch primer

Etch the marble chips and other material which contains a lot of calcium, which increases rigidity to reduce it, as follows:
Take some wide dish, pour a thin layer to the ground, about 3 - 5 cm, pour to 5% solution of hydrochloric acid. It is necessary to wait for the bubbles on the acid no longer be allocated on the treated material.
The solution can be filled with warm, then the process will go faster.

I uploaded by Oleg Kuznetsov Astana city

The soil of the sand quarry

Quarry sand is often criticized for being too small particles - say, he immediately turns sour. I want to share the experience of using fine sand as soil. He has a significant advantage over gravel - it is very easy to pick up trash (no dirt falls between the soil particles). And the plants, especially the nymphs, and sagittarii Cryptocorynes, better grow and grow in my fine sand than gravel. He looks, incidentally, is also quite decorative.
To prepare for use in the aquarium sand quarry, it is necessary to fill in a bucket 2/3, add water to 3/4 volume and put on the stove to boil. When the sand Prokip hour (in this case not only takes place sterilization, but also destroyed different small organic that without this treatment rots), its right in the bucket is washed with a strong jet of water, making sure that the sand does not flow through the buckets edge with water and dirt. It is convenient to turn on the shower to the maximum head and thrust his hand with a hose straight from the shower in a bucket, leading her as sandblasting machine. Do not be afraid of appearing in this mud - it is easily washed. Together with mud and clay from the sand washed coals, pieces of wood, sawdust, chips, needles and other rubbish. The wash procedure is very long - an hour or two. The ending can be considered a condition in which a jet of water in a bucket only stirs the sand, and the water layer above it is completely transparent. Then it was washed insurance for another five minutes (only cold water), and it can be placed in the aquarium. Do not be greedy - the lowest layers of sand in the bucket is almost always still contain turbidity. When there will be 1/5 - 1/6 of a bucket, wash the remains of a few more times, and only pack. The water in the tank after the installation of the sandy soil 2-3 days a little hazy, but the haze settles instantly when a fish in an aquarium. When laying a layer of sand should be about 2.5 cm.
While taking care of an aquarium with a sandy soil, remember that it is very easy to get sucked into the hose. Therefore, caution fail the hose to a handful of dirt on the bottom, so that the grains do not slide. It's easier than you think. Siphon sandy ground senseless. To prevent decay time of 1.5 - 3 years make "general cleaning" aquarium in which the sand is washed thoroughly in a bucket and fill up as necessary new.
And the last. Pisces, digging the soil, like sand - he's so soft! Therefore, in an aquarium with a sandy bottom burrowing fish and plants are incompatible. Possible options - put plants in pots, to impose their roots pebbles, land plants with dense sod (Cryptocoryne affinis, say, or arrowhead), or not to buy som-torakatumov and tsihlazom Dutch to decorate your aquarium. If you are attracted to is burrowing fish, but you are afraid that they will pick up from the sand haze, put a powerful pump, and that's that. Your cichlids and catfish will be grateful to you only!
Incidentally, the pot - because you can put processed by the above procedure the sand in the pot for the plant and bury it in the gravel ground. The result (in the case of Cryptocoryne) exceeds all expectations!

Sent by Alexander Kharchenko Novosibirsk