Alkalinity, I don't get it...

[noclueman]

I just set up my 55 gallon tank about 3 weeks ago or so. Did a water test and everything was good.

I did a 20% water change a week ago, and a 20% water change yesterday.

Today I did a water test and everything is fine, but Alkalinity was pretty much 0. I don't know that much about the water tests, but on my kit is says alkalinity should be between 120 and 180.

Is there any reason it would drop like that? And what does it mean for the fish?

Thanks,
noclueman

 

[The-Wolf]

what do you mean by alkalinity? do you mean pH?

 

[noclueman]

that's what is confusing.

I thought they were the same thing....but on my test kit I have all these catagories, and the results I got today.

Nitrate - about 0
Nitrite - 0
Total Hardness - 75 (soft)
Total Alkalinity - 0 (low) (it says 120-180 is ideal
pH level - 7.0


It's the "Total Alkalinity" that I'm wondering about

 

[The-Wolf]

Ok i think that is refering to gH
this might help you understand it better
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...=0&#entry494642

 

[pnyklr3]

Are your tests the Mardel 5 in 1? That's what I have.

The total alkalinty is the buffering capacity of the aquarium. It indicates the total ammount of buffers (pH stabilizing compounds) that are present in the water. Adequate buffering capacity protects the environment from sudden changes in pH by absorbing excess acids or bases, which may be added to a solution. An accurate reading of pH cannot be obtained without an adequate buffering capacity, above 120 ppm.

I hope this helps!

 

[noclueman]

Thank you, that link helped a lot.

The Total Alaklinity on my kit is actually referring to the KH...it says next to it in perenthesis.

So if KH is low does that mean I don't have enough oxygen in the water? Also does this affect the amount of algae that is growing? I have a had a lot of algae growing in just the last week.

Thanks again for the link,
thanks for any more info,
noclueman

 

[noclueman]

Also, my water level is all the way up to the top of the filter so when water comes back into the tank there are no air bubbles. Is this an issue?

 

[The-Wolf]

Thank you, that link helped a lot.

The Total Alaklinity on my kit is actually referring to the KH...it says next to it in perenthesis.

So if KH is low does that mean I don't have enough oxygen in the water? Also does this affect the amount of algae that is growing? I have a had a lot of algae growing in just the last week.

Thanks again for the link,
thanks for any more info,
noclueman

kH is only the tempory state of the water hardness, I'd retest in the morning and see if it has altered.

Also, my water level is all the way up to the top of the filter so when water comes back into the tank there are no air bubbles. Is this an issue?

I'd drop the water level so it is at least 1/4" from the top of the filter.

 

[clutterydrawer]

im pretty sure having a very low KH can cause mad swings of pH

but unfortunately i dont know what would cause it to drop or how to fix it, sorry

 

[modernhamlet]

Alkalinity is also known as kH or Carbonate Hardness... or more colloquially as "buffering capacity". It is a measure of the dissolved carbonate ions in your water. Carbonate ions are your tank's defense against large swings in pH. They can combine with newly introduced H+ ions that would normally cause a drop in pH, thus keeping the tank stable.

A tank with a very low kH is prone to drops in pH as nitrate (or other acid) levels increase. Needless to say, large swings in pH aren't the best thing in the world for your fish.

What is the kH of the water out of your tap?

The easiest way to increase the kH of your tank is to add baking soda. There are several good articles on the web about this. Another route is to add a mesh bag of crushed coral or limestone to your filter media. Be careful with either method. You don't need to raise it too much, and you have to watch that the pH doesn't rise too much at the same time.

Either way, continue to monitor your kH and pH before and after water changes.

Good luck!

 

[copeina]

Another route is to add a mesh bag of crushed coral or limestone to your filter media. Be careful with either method. You don't need to raise it too much, and you have to watch that the pH doesn't rise too much at the same time.

A bag of calcium chips or coral gravel in your filter is probably the safest way to buffer your water. In time, it will raise the pH to a stable 8.2 with good kH values. But if you are keeping angelfish, that is not what you want. Better for mexican livebearers or african cichlids.

Good luck,
/Kris

 

[noclueman]

I have one of those calcium chip bags in my filter. It came with the filter.

 

[reg2k2]

What came w/ your filter is more likely zeolite, an ammonia remover...look somewhat similar...