Water Chemistry

I finally bought GH and KH test kits last night and started testing. I
figured I should at least have some idea of how much CO2 my DIY
generator is putting into the system (not much as it turns out, but
mostly because it has slowed down over the past day or so). I was
suprised by the results. I knew my water would probably have a low
reading since it comes out of the tap around 6.8 but my tests show less
than 35ppm for KH and between 70 and 90 for GH. I didn't expect the two
to be so far apart or for KH to be so low. I was sort of expecting
something between 50 and 100 for both and for the two values to be the
same. Oh well.

Anyway it got me thinking. I usually use sodium bicarbonate to buffer
my tap water before I put it in the aquarium. Now the bicarbonate I'm
ok with - but where is all that sodium going? Is it ok to keep using
this stuff on a regular basis? I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon per five
gallon bucket every water change. Occasionally I do a water change
without adding any buffer when the water starts getting close to pH 7.

I'd like to use something else but all of the pH adjusting chemicals
they sell at the LFS don't list their ingredients and I have a long
standing rule that no chemical goes in my aquarium unless I know what
it is. There are too many products on the LFS shelf that say "helps
produce slime coat!" for me to trust anything that doesn't list exactly
what's in it. When a slogan that essentially reduces to "will irritate
the hell out of your fish!" is a selling point I worry about the
product!

-Daniel

dfreas wrote:
I finally bought GH and KH test kits last night and started testing. I
figured I should at least have some idea of how much CO2 my DIY
generator is putting into the system (not much as it turns out, but
mostly because it has slowed down over the past day or so). I was
suprised by the results. I knew my water would probably have a low
reading since it comes out of the tap around 6.8 but my tests show less
than 35ppm for KH and between 70 and 90 for GH. I didn't expect the two
to be so far apart or for KH to be so low. I was sort of expecting
something between 50 and 100 for both and for the two values to be the
same. Oh well.

Anyway it got me thinking. I usually use sodium bicarbonate to buffer
my tap water before I put it in the aquarium. Now the bicarbonate I'm
ok with - but where is all that sodium going? Is it ok to keep using
this stuff on a regular basis? I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon per five
gallon bucket every water change. Occasionally I do a water change
without adding any buffer when the water starts getting close to pH 7.

I'd like to use something else but all of the pH adjusting chemicals
they sell at the LFS don't list their ingredients and I have a long
standing rule that no chemical goes in my aquarium unless I know what
it is. There are too many products on the LFS shelf that say "helps
produce slime coat!" for me to trust anything that doesn't list exactly
what's in it. When a slogan that essentially reduces to "will irritate
the hell out of your fish!" is a selling point I worry about the
product!

-Daniel

I believe if you're only adding sodium bicarb at water changes, the
amount of sodium in your aquarium is staying constant. You siphon out 5
gallons with 1/4 tsp worth of sodium and add it back. To keep the
sodium (or any salt or mineral) constant, you need to be doing any
evaporative top-off with distilled or RO water.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

Thusly "dfreas" Spake Unto All:

suprised by the results. I knew my water would probably have a low
reading since it comes out of the tap around 6.8 but my tests show less
than 35ppm for KH and between 70 and 90 for GH. I didn't expect the two
to be so far apart or for KH to be so low. I was sort of expecting
something between 50 and 100 for both and for the two values to be the
same. Oh well.

Normally you can happily ignore GH. It's of little interest to
aquarists.
Low KH, however, means you may get fluctuating pH, and that's bad.
Bicarbonate is an excellent way of adding KH quickly, a slower and
simpler method is to put a couple of limestones (or sea shells) in the
aquarium.

Anyway it got me thinking. I usually use sodium bicarbonate to buffer
my tap water before I put it in the aquarium. Now the bicarbonate I'm
ok with - but where is all that sodium going?

It's in the water. It will likely slowly build up, but big water
changes will bring it back down again.

I'd like to use something else but all of the pH adjusting chemicals
they sell at the LFS don't list their ingredients

It's usually bicarbonate or a phosphate buffer. They don't list
content because, well, would you pay $5 for 100 grams of bicarbonate?
Some, like oak bark extract, functions mainly through organic acids
(tannins).

what's in it. When a slogan that essentially reduces to "will irritate
the hell out of your fish!" is a selling point I worry about the
product!

You are completely right to be skeptical, IMO.

-Daniel

If you add sodium bicarbonate for hardness, the buffering capacity wont last
as long as adding organic lime to buffer....
"dfreas" wrote in message
oups.com...
I finally bought GH and KH test kits last night and started testing. I
figured I should at least have some idea of how much CO2 my DIY
generator is putting into the system (not much as it turns out, but
mostly because it has slowed down over the past day or so). I was
suprised by the results. I knew my water would probably have a low
reading since it comes out of the tap around 6.8 but my tests show less
than 35ppm for KH and between 70 and 90 for GH. I didn't expect the two
to be so far apart or for KH to be so low. I was sort of expecting
something between 50 and 100 for both and for the two values to be the
same. Oh well.

Anyway it got me thinking. I usually use sodium bicarbonate to buffer
my tap water before I put it in the aquarium. Now the bicarbonate I'm
ok with - but where is all that sodium going? Is it ok to keep using
this stuff on a regular basis? I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon per five
gallon bucket every water change. Occasionally I do a water change
without adding any buffer when the water starts getting close to pH 7.

I'd like to use something else but all of the pH adjusting chemicals
they sell at the LFS don't list their ingredients and I have a long
standing rule that no chemical goes in my aquarium unless I know what
it is. There are too many products on the LFS shelf that say "helps
produce slime coat!" for me to trust anything that doesn't list exactly
what's in it. When a slogan that essentially reduces to "will irritate
the hell out of your fish!" is a selling point I worry about the
product!

-Daniel

Thusly "Squeek" Spake Unto All:

If you add sodium bicarbonate for hardness, the buffering capacity wont last
as long as adding organic lime to buffer....

What is "organic lime"? I don't know of any such substance.

"Mean_Chlorine" wrote in message
...

What is "organic lime"? I don't know of any such substance.




calcium carbonate

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/200302152...qs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

Thusly "Margolis" Spake Unto All:

What is "organic lime"? I don't know of any such substance.

calcium carbonate

Ah. Better known as 'limestone'.

In article ,
Mean_Chlorine wrote:
Thusly "Margolis" Spake Unto All:

What is "organic lime"? I don't know of any such substance.

I have no problem getting organic lime. They're right next to the
organic lemons in the health food store.


--
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633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
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I have no problem getting organic lime. They're right next to the
organic lemons in the health food store.





lol

;o)

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/200302152...qs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

Thusly (Richard Sexton) Spake Unto All:

What is "organic lime"? I don't know of any such substance.

I have no problem getting organic lime. They're right next to the
organic lemons in the health food store.

I *knew* I should've added "...unless we're talking fruit".... :-)