Alkalinity and PH?

[mattyf]

I'm confused about a water test reading I took. The aquarium test strip reported Total Alkalinity as 40, which the reader says is low (target 120-180). But it says the ph was 6.6, which it says is right on target (6.4-6.8). I'm confused though because everything I've read online says raising Alkalinity raises ph.

The readings I took seem to be saying I need to raise alkalinity WITHOUT affecting ph? Is this possible?

Thanks!

 

[Caliban07]

I'm confused about a water test reading I took. The aquarium test strip reported Total Alkalinity as 40, which the reader says is low (target 120-180). But it says the ph was 6.6, which it says is right on target (6.4-6.8). I'm confused though because everything I've read online says raising Alkalinity raises ph.



The readings I took seem to be saying I need to raise alkalinity WITHOUT affecting ph? Is this possible?



Thanks!

I don’t think so no. If you add carbonate or bicarbonate to raise alkalinity you will ultimately raise the pH. I know that in highly buffered waters, the addition of weak acids will not move the pH but in soft water pH becomes I quote ‘a moveable feast’

Having said all that I would ask who is saying the pH is right on target? I don’t think pH is that important, the only thing that is important is why the pH has changed.

To put that in to context, if we add co2 and all our fish die and we check the pH. It is not the low pH that has resulted in fish deaths, it is a direct result of asphyxiation by co2. pH as a number with no context is pretty meaningless.

For example, and I quote ‘pH7" just means you have an equivalent number of H+ ion donors ("acids") and H+ ion acceptors ("bases"). It doesn't matter what that number is it could be 1:1, 10:10, 100,000:100,000 as long as it is a balanced equation’

So even in a balanced equation we are still unsure of the ratio. This is why I prefer the TDS meter and my water quality report