Ok J. Thanks for the info. I did look it up and read the article too. First time I've been exposed to the co2 factor. I was just beginning to understand about the KH part, lol. So now I know one tank is in the green and the other is in the gray. But I don't understand what to do with that info. To help stabilize the KH and pH. I have an air stone I can turn on. Earlier I did a I/3 pwc, and it raised the pH up to 7.4, so I moved the 2 fish. Keeping fingers crossed they do well. Any other advice? Thanks. Sally
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Hi Sally,
Glad to have helped, cheers
.
(It's Jamie, I'm beginning to regret j.mcpeak here, it's like a name on a door but the world has an army of Jamie mcpeaks! So that's that.)
It depends how well planted up you are.
Light to normal planting, just an airline on a segment timer (counter to photoperiod)
(Plants produce co2 after lights out and use 02, reverse this for lights on)
(Lights on, plants produce O2 and use co2)
That's why you get day/night pH swings. The Kh helps to reduce the scale of change.
(Lights on 02 off, but it is not exactly at the same time, plants need to warm up a bit and they need to cool down at the end, so the O2 is overlapping lights on in the morning and there is a little break before it starts after lights out)
I mean O2/c02 needs to rise or fall as appropriate.
All systems are different, it depends on bio load etc. so test it on yours and see how it works out. I've used this technique almost forever. It's a good trick to help get desired Kh levels and correct? pH.
Once you're dialled in, it's almost plain sailing!
Those charts are co2 levels for plants, not enough for good plant growth is ok/good for the fish. Too much co2 is bad for everything.
In most situations I've dealt with, a few clicks extra or less on the airline timer will balance the pH, or/and just increase/decrease air volume using airline valves in the set up. There is plenty enough co2 in the atmosphere for most except very demanding set ups.
If you have too much co2, increase 02.
Kh is important to help with pH swings but it is one piece of the puzzle. Yes it's the major factor but only one piece of the puzzle.
I'm always learning and just like you, I think I've mastered things, then something else pops up, square one. I think fish keeping is just like snakes and ladders, just somebody stole some ladders.
It's still the best game I've played so far!
((This part is new to me this year, hence lots of thinks and maybes, in any case, the above is stable enough in practical use, this is more of a sideline experiment that I may not even use, maybe I will if I get to fully understand it)
You can use carbonate (acid) buffers but that effects bicarbonate Kh, and for me, here's where it gets complicated. I understand the principle but I'm no scientist!
I can't do the chemical equation for this!
I mean, it's way out of my skill set!
Basically the carbonate reacts with the bicarbonate and release Co2.
(I think) You get the same results (but I'm currently still learning this)
It's common enough but it's new to me at this point. I think you still need the above knowledge to make this work properly but I'm not confident enough to say for sure just yet, after the live test I'll be confident!)
Phew!
Hope the fishes make it ok!
