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Posted by Mean_Chlorine on March 11, 2005, 5:07 am
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>suprised by the results. I knew my water would probably have a low
>reading since it comes out of the tap around 6.8 but my tests show less
>than 35ppm for KH and between 70 and 90 for GH. I didn't expect the two
>to be so far apart or for KH to be so low. I was sort of expecting
>something between 50 and 100 for both and for the two values to be the
>same. Oh well.
Normally you can happily ignore GH. It's of little interest to
aquarists.
Low KH, however, means you may get fluctuating pH, and that's bad.
Bicarbonate is an excellent way of adding KH quickly, a slower and
simpler method is to put a couple of limestones (or sea shells) in the
aquarium.
>Anyway it got me thinking. I usually use sodium bicarbonate to buffer
>my tap water before I put it in the aquarium. Now the bicarbonate I'm
>ok with - but where is all that sodium going?
It's in the water. It will likely slowly build up, but big water
changes will bring it back down again.
>I'd like to use something else but all of the pH adjusting chemicals
>they sell at the LFS don't list their ingredients
It's usually bicarbonate or a phosphate buffer. They don't list
content because, well, would you pay $5 for 100 grams of bicarbonate?
Some, like oak bark extract, functions mainly through organic acids
(tannins).
>what's in it. When a slogan that essentially reduces to "will irritate
>the hell out of your fish!" is a selling point I worry about the
>product!
You are completely right to be skeptical, IMO.
>-Daniel
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> figured I should at least have some idea of how much CO2 my DIY
> generator is putting into the system (not much as it turns out, but
> mostly because it has slowed down over the past day or so). I was
> suprised by the results. I knew my water would probably have a low
> reading since it comes out of the tap around 6.8 but my tests show less
> than 35ppm for KH and between 70 and 90 for GH. I didn't expect the two
> to be so far apart or for KH to be so low. I was sort of expecting
> something between 50 and 100 for both and for the two values to be the
> same. Oh well.
>
> Anyway it got me thinking. I usually use sodium bicarbonate to buffer
> my tap water before I put it in the aquarium. Now the bicarbonate I'm
> ok with - but where is all that sodium going? Is it ok to keep using
> this stuff on a regular basis? I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon per five
> gallon bucket every water change. Occasionally I do a water change
> without adding any buffer when the water starts getting close to pH 7.
>
> I'd like to use something else but all of the pH adjusting chemicals
> they sell at the LFS don't list their ingredients and I have a long
> standing rule that no chemical goes in my aquarium unless I know what
> it is. There are too many products on the LFS shelf that say "helps
> produce slime coat!" for me to trust anything that doesn't list exactly
> what's in it. When a slogan that essentially reduces to "will irritate
> the hell out of your fish!" is a selling point I worry about the
> product!
>
> -Daniel
>