ph and hardness
- Thread starter js007
- Start date
Hi js007----
KH is the concentration of carbonates.
Alkalinty is disolved calcium and magnesium.
GH is these two together(general hardness)
Co2 is related to KH, which effects your Ph.
Minerals and other calciums make up aklinity(more minerals you have=hard water, less=soft)
You could have high alkalinty(hard water) and low KH(carbonate acids) and have a high PH, because your KH is low. alkalinty and KH make up GH(general hardness)
Your disolved calciums also help to buffer your carbonate acids. If you have low alkalinty , your PH will swing more up and down, because you lack a buffer, with the increase or decrease of KH.
So you want to measure GH(a combination of KH and alkalinty) to determine "hard water".
Your water has low Carbonate acids, which makes the PH higher, then the alkality may push it up more.
There are many other factors as well, but this is more general.
HTH
KH is the concentration of carbonates.
Alkalinty is disolved calcium and magnesium.
GH is these two together(general hardness)
Co2 is related to KH, which effects your Ph.
Minerals and other calciums make up aklinity(more minerals you have=hard water, less=soft)
You could have high alkalinty(hard water) and low KH(carbonate acids) and have a high PH, because your KH is low. alkalinty and KH make up GH(general hardness)
Your disolved calciums also help to buffer your carbonate acids. If you have low alkalinty , your PH will swing more up and down, because you lack a buffer, with the increase or decrease of KH.
So you want to measure GH(a combination of KH and alkalinty) to determine "hard water".
Your water has low Carbonate acids, which makes the PH higher, then the alkality may push it up more.
There are many other factors as well, but this is more general.
HTH
MRB my water is exactly the same. How do you increase KH without increasing PH?
I am adding Co2 to my tank - when the plants grow vigorously, the KH will be used up correct? because of the relationship between Co2/lighting/carbonate consumption? (I might be completely wrong here)
My PH is 7.8 KH 2 GH 5.
I am adding Co2 to my tank - when the plants grow vigorously, the KH will be used up correct? because of the relationship between Co2/lighting/carbonate consumption? (I might be completely wrong here)
My PH is 7.8 KH 2 GH 5.
Somonas--- By increasing KH , your PH will go down.You would have more disolved Carbonate, but the carbonate acids will lower your PH.
By adding Co2, your PH should go down , not up.
Plants will use it, but the key is to keep it constant, so they never use it up. This is where the discussion of turning it (Co2) off at night, when the plant actually give off Co2, and use O2 would come in.
Take a PH test before the lights come on..bet it is a lot lower than during the day from all the extra Co2. Now if you have a nice Alkaline buffer, from hardwater, you don't have to worry as much.
By adding Co2, your PH should go down , not up.
Plants will use it, but the key is to keep it constant, so they never use it up. This is where the discussion of turning it (Co2) off at night, when the plant actually give off Co2, and use O2 would come in.
Take a PH test before the lights come on..bet it is a lot lower than during the day from all the extra Co2. Now if you have a nice Alkaline buffer, from hardwater, you don't have to worry as much.
MRB that's what I am saying. I don't have enough alkalinity (KH) in my water. I suppose, if I throw in some baking soda or aragonite, the PH will rise, but it will lower again and it SHOULD even out around 7. I'll try it and see how it goes... I just don't want to add too much baking soda at once, which would cause a PH spike around 8.2.
as I said before I am going to give it a shot when I actually put plants in it; fast growers (water sprite, hygrophelia, camboba, etc) if the PH does strange things, and if I need more buffering, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.