NetMax
February 5th 06, 05:52 PM
I regret I didn't make this a more controlled test, as I didn't expect
the Profile to make much difference, but the numbers are conclusive. For
those unfamiliar with Profile, this is a reddish sand sold for irrigation
control on golf courses. It has some useful properties for aquarium
usage (plant growth), so I got a 50 lb bag to test and use. The results
of the test (details below) are that the Profile causes the pH to drop,
apparently settling around 7.4pH in my case. This is not completely
unusual as I have had sandstone which settled water at 7.4pH as well.
The Profile also reduced the kH of the water (to lower the pH). How much
affect it will have in your application will vary according to your
native conditions, so ymmv.
Test procedure:
I half-filled a jar with Profile and added its volume again in tap water
(softened well water, so the gH measurements are low and irrelevant).
The very cloudy water took about a week to clear. I left the jar on the
counter evaporating for several weeks (longer than I should have, but
life gets in the way of aquarium fun ;~). At the same time, I had poured
a glass of water and left it to age beside the Profile (my control).
However after several weeks, almost half had evaporated. Using kH, I can
extrapolate the results a bit, as my kH is quite stable at 13-16dkH
(seasons and the water softener have no effect on kH).
Control sample: 8.4pH (normal), 36dkH (ok, more than half the water had
evaporated *blush*).
Profile: 7.4pH and 5dkH (!).
Instead of the kH going up due to evaporation, as in my 'control', it
actually dropped from 13dkH to 5dkH, taking the pH down by a factor of
ten (7.4pH is ten times more acidic than 8.4pH).
As a further test, a Profile sample should be dropped into a glass of RO
water, to see if the pH goes up.
I'll be using Profile in one of my tanks, to see if it has any effect in
a real aquarium environment.
Profile's specs, if anyone is interested are:
porosity 74%, 39% capillary, 35% non-capillary
pore size .1 to >50 micron
pH 6-6.5
chemical analysis
SiO2 74%
Al2O3 11%
Fe2O3 5%
and the following, each under 5%, CaO, MgO, K2), TiO2 (in the event all
these symbols are meaningful to anyone ;~).
cheers
--
www.NetMax.tk
the Profile to make much difference, but the numbers are conclusive. For
those unfamiliar with Profile, this is a reddish sand sold for irrigation
control on golf courses. It has some useful properties for aquarium
usage (plant growth), so I got a 50 lb bag to test and use. The results
of the test (details below) are that the Profile causes the pH to drop,
apparently settling around 7.4pH in my case. This is not completely
unusual as I have had sandstone which settled water at 7.4pH as well.
The Profile also reduced the kH of the water (to lower the pH). How much
affect it will have in your application will vary according to your
native conditions, so ymmv.
Test procedure:
I half-filled a jar with Profile and added its volume again in tap water
(softened well water, so the gH measurements are low and irrelevant).
The very cloudy water took about a week to clear. I left the jar on the
counter evaporating for several weeks (longer than I should have, but
life gets in the way of aquarium fun ;~). At the same time, I had poured
a glass of water and left it to age beside the Profile (my control).
However after several weeks, almost half had evaporated. Using kH, I can
extrapolate the results a bit, as my kH is quite stable at 13-16dkH
(seasons and the water softener have no effect on kH).
Control sample: 8.4pH (normal), 36dkH (ok, more than half the water had
evaporated *blush*).
Profile: 7.4pH and 5dkH (!).
Instead of the kH going up due to evaporation, as in my 'control', it
actually dropped from 13dkH to 5dkH, taking the pH down by a factor of
ten (7.4pH is ten times more acidic than 8.4pH).
As a further test, a Profile sample should be dropped into a glass of RO
water, to see if the pH goes up.
I'll be using Profile in one of my tanks, to see if it has any effect in
a real aquarium environment.
Profile's specs, if anyone is interested are:
porosity 74%, 39% capillary, 35% non-capillary
pore size .1 to >50 micron
pH 6-6.5
chemical analysis
SiO2 74%
Al2O3 11%
Fe2O3 5%
and the following, each under 5%, CaO, MgO, K2), TiO2 (in the event all
these symbols are meaningful to anyone ;~).
cheers
--
www.NetMax.tk