Mr Burns
Aquarium Advice FINatic
what is the difference between pH and acidity/alkalinity of water? i was reading an article last (quoted below), and the biggest line that threw me was "if you want to lower pH, be prepared to lower alkalinity as well." that confused me because i thought pH was a measure of acidity/alkalinity in the water (H+ and OH- ions.) so i read it again today during class and it seemed like it was referring to alkalinity as the buffering capacity of water (mineral content like gH and kH), and that if you don't lower that buffering capacity first, you won't be able to effectively lower your pH.
so what's going on here?
am i making a mountain out of a mole hill?
i'm all mixed up!
so what's going on here?
am i making a mountain out of a mole hill?
i'm all mixed up!
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/aq_articles/data/103/page0.php?page=0&cat_id=3&article_id=103I would like to strongly suggest, however, that you not do lower pH by putting something into the water, with the exceptions of peat extract and CO2. And if you use CO2, be very careful and be prepared for fish losses if your CO2 injection breaks down. The reason for this is simple; by lowering pH without simultaneously buffering the water to the lower value, you are depressing pH below its natural level. This creates an inherently unstable pH. When the pH (inevitably) returns to its natural level, your fish will be stressed by the changes in water chemistry.
So if you want to lower pH, be prepared to lower alkalinity as well. But be forewarned that this is not without its own potential dangers. The lower water’s alkalinity is, the less stable its pH becomes. This is because fish produce acidic wastes that can dangerously lower pH in low-alkalinity tanks if these wastes are allowed to build up. You must monitor pH more closely and water changes become extremely important if you lower your tank’s alkalinity. If you find that the pH of your water drops continuously, you must reduce the fish load, do more or larger water changes, clean the filters more often, and consider raising the alkalinity to a somewhat higher level