water quality queries...

[sophie]

I got this info (and a lot more) from my water board's website. I was
quite impressed to find a short document on "tap water and fish-keeping"
there! But I'm too much of a novice to make sense of this bit - could
anyone enlighten me as to what the following info on my tap water
actually means?

Hardness is listed as soft (I knew that. My kettle is pristine after
three years), but I also have:

hardness Clarkes 3.6
hardness 19mgC/l
BUT
calcium 18mgC/l

this bit baffles me. If hardness as a measure of mg of Calcium per litre
is 19, how can there be 18mg of calcium per litre? or is this variation
so small as to be irrelevant?

I also have 5mgNa/l, which I'm assuming is probably insignificant.

but I'm puzzled by the "hardness Clarkes" and the calcium! do I have
enough calcium to keep the snails healthy?

many thanks for any help,
--
sophie

[NetMax]

"sophie" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> I got this info (and a lot more) from my water board's website. I was
> quite impressed to find a short document on "tap water and
fish-keeping"
> there! But I'm too much of a novice to make sense of this bit - could
> anyone enlighten me as to what the following info on my tap water
> actually means?
>
> Hardness is listed as soft (I knew that. My kettle is pristine after
> three years), but I also have:
>
> hardness Clarkes 3.6
> hardness 19mgC/l
> BUT
> calcium 18mgC/l
>
> this bit baffles me. If hardness as a measure of mg of Calcium per
litre
> is 19, how can there be 18mg of calcium per litre? or is this variation
> so small as to be irrelevant?
>
> I also have 5mgNa/l, which I'm assuming is probably insignificant.
>
> but I'm puzzled by the "hardness Clarkes" and the calcium! do I have
> enough calcium to keep the snails healthy?
>
> many thanks for any help,
> --
> sophie

I'm no expert, but I think the difference between your calcium 18ppm and
your hardness of 19ppm is 1ppm of magnesium. Clarke is another
measurement method, as is degrees (divide ppm by 17.8 for dgH). I would
be worried about the snails, but I can't say for certain. I would
definitely be worried about your alkalinity (kH) at this levels.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[sophie]

In message >, NetMax
> writes
>"sophie" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>
>> I got this info (and a lot more) from my water board's website. I was
>> quite impressed to find a short document on "tap water and
>fish-keeping"
>> there! But I'm too much of a novice to make sense of this bit - could
>> anyone enlighten me as to what the following info on my tap water
>> actually means?
>>
>> Hardness is listed as soft (I knew that. My kettle is pristine after
>> three years), but I also have:
>>
>> hardness Clarkes 3.6
>> hardness 19mgC/l
>> BUT
>> calcium 18mgC/l
>>
>> this bit baffles me. If hardness as a measure of mg of Calcium per
>litre
>> is 19, how can there be 18mg of calcium per litre? or is this variation
>> so small as to be irrelevant?
>>
>> I also have 5mgNa/l, which I'm assuming is probably insignificant.
>>
>> but I'm puzzled by the "hardness Clarkes" and the calcium! do I have
>> enough calcium to keep the snails healthy?
>>
>> many thanks for any help,
>> --
>> sophie
>
>I'm no expert, but I think the difference between your calcium 18ppm and
>your hardness of 19ppm is 1ppm of magnesium. Clarke is another
>measurement method, as is degrees (divide ppm by 17.8 for dgH). I would
>be worried about the snails, but I can't say for certain. I would
>definitely be worried about your alkalinity (kH) at this levels.

it doesn't give the kH on the site, though I could find out; the pH of
the water is about 7.5 out of the tap; it stays pretty stable in the
tank unless I have to go a long time without a water change then it
drops a little. Further research (if you can call it that!) indicates
that the 19mgC/l is calcium carbonate not calcium if that makes any
difference, but I think I should probably add some calcium to keep the
snails happy, then. apparently the trumpet snails have less of a problem
with this than others, but I'm pretty sure the fish could cope with a
bit more calcium too. now I need to find out the best way to do it...

NM, your help has been, as ever, greatly appreciated - thank you.

--
sophie

[NetMax]

"sophie" > wrote in message
...
> In message >, NetMax
> > writes
> >"sophie" > wrote in
message
> ...
> >>
> >>
> >> I got this info (and a lot more) from my water board's website. I
was
> >> quite impressed to find a short document on "tap water and
> >fish-keeping"
> >> there! But I'm too much of a novice to make sense of this bit -
could
> >> anyone enlighten me as to what the following info on my tap water
> >> actually means?
> >>
> >> Hardness is listed as soft (I knew that. My kettle is pristine after
> >> three years), but I also have:
> >>
> >> hardness Clarkes 3.6
> >> hardness 19mgC/l
> >> BUT
> >> calcium 18mgC/l
> >>
> >> this bit baffles me. If hardness as a measure of mg of Calcium per
> >litre
> >> is 19, how can there be 18mg of calcium per litre? or is this
variation
> >> so small as to be irrelevant?
> >>
> >> I also have 5mgNa/l, which I'm assuming is probably insignificant.
> >>
> >> but I'm puzzled by the "hardness Clarkes" and the calcium! do I have
> >> enough calcium to keep the snails healthy?
> >>
> >> many thanks for any help,
> >> --
> >> sophie
> >
> >I'm no expert, but I think the difference between your calcium 18ppm
and
> >your hardness of 19ppm is 1ppm of magnesium. Clarke is another
> >measurement method, as is degrees (divide ppm by 17.8 for dgH). I
would
> >be worried about the snails, but I can't say for certain. I would
> >definitely be worried about your alkalinity (kH) at this levels.
>
> it doesn't give the kH on the site, though I could find out; the pH of
> the water is about 7.5 out of the tap; it stays pretty stable in the
> tank unless I have to go a long time without a water change then it
> drops a little. Further research (if you can call it that!) indicates
> that the 19mgC/l is calcium carbonate not calcium if that makes any
> difference, but I think I should probably add some calcium to keep the
> snails happy, then. apparently the trumpet snails have less of a
problem
> with this than others, but I'm pretty sure the fish could cope with a
> bit more calcium too. now I need to find out the best way to do it...
>
> NM, your help has been, as ever, greatly appreciated - thank you.
>
> --
> sophie

I usually use crushed coral substrates, coral pieces and dolomite, but
limestone, marble, tufa, seashells, aragonite and petrified wood will all
have the same effect to varying degrees (ie: marble tends to leech very
slowly). There is a white stone known as Utah Ice which increases gH but
not kH (which is somewhat unique and good to know). The city should be
able to give you alkalinity measurements, or you can get them measured
yourself (also known as kH, temporary hardness and buffer, in ppm or dkH,
you want over 3dkH or over 80ppm), and you're very welcome, as always :o)
--
www.NetMax.tk