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I read as much as I could to find out about adding crushed coral to my fresh water tank for PH stability, but there are a lot of unanswered questions as I search the web.
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Very Simple explanation, no chemistry involved
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Adding crushed coral to your tank will increase the KH the amount of (calcium carbonates and bicarbonates in your tank water). Carbonates in a solution (the tank water) will resist changes in pH due to an increase in mild acid. This is called buffering. Like baking soda (bicarbonate) will help with an acid stomach.
A mid range pH of 6.5 to 7.5 requires a KH of only 4-5 dKH (degrees carbonic hardness) (87 parts per million) to protect the pH from falling.
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Other say, especially for Cichlids which I do have, they add roughly 2 pounds of crushed coral per 10 gallons of water right on top of the gravel, IF in fact they use gravel at all.
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A higher pH in the 8 range, strangely enough where Cichlids like it, requires a KH of 12 - 14 (250 parts per million or milligrams per liter) or more to protect it. It will also let the pH rise a little naturally.
Therefore a handful, say a pound, will help keep the KH in the 5 range, where it may take 10 pounds to keep the KH consistently at 14 or higher.
Adding the crushed coral also increases the GH (General Hardness) of the water. GH = the amount of Calcium and Magnesium ( and a bunch of trace minerals) dissolved in the water. Hard Water = high GH is usually associated with higher pH.
I have not heard of the gill irritation problem. It would seem to me a good rinse before introduction would be a prudent thing to do in order to keep fine dust out of the water column.
Jay
