CO2 and pH

[Jen]

I don't have coral gravel, and im not quite sure where you guys got that idea from... i just added a shell.

Simon.. you said it took a while to get the readings accurate? It's been just under 2 weeks since I added it, so maybe I sould give it a while and see what happens. Did you notice any cloudiness after you added it? My water looks aweful right now, and it's normally crystal clear

I have slowed the rate of the co2. I put in an air line controller - you turn a little knob thing and the flow slows down.

I think I will keep doing what im doing with water changes and whatnot, and give it a few more weeks and see if it evens out.

 

[Nospherith]

adding calcium or magnesium carbonate will raise *both* GH and KH. Depending on the type of fish you have, this can either be a good or a bad thing.

oh, right. so kH, or alkalinity, is a measurement of the capacity for water to neutralize an acid, or the amount of bi/carbonate ions in solution.

anyway, I think adding some limestone might raise buffering capacity as well, being that it's made from calcite.

 

[simonbrown403]

I don't have coral gravel, and im not quite sure where you guys got that idea from... i just added a shell.

Simon.. you said it took a while to get the readings accurate? It's been just under 2 weeks since I added it, so maybe I sould give it a while and see what happens. Did you notice any cloudiness after you added it? My water looks aweful right now, and it's normally crystal clear

I have slowed the rate of the co2. I put in an air line controller - you turn a little knob thing and the flow slows down.

I think I will keep doing what im doing with water changes and whatnot, and give it a few more weeks and see if it evens out.

yes it did cloud up at first, but cleared, i got a white skum on the surface, i did a water change, added a air stone, soon cleared.

 

[Jen]

Wouldnt adding the airstone defeat the purpose of the CO2? Doesnt' it drive away the gas created?

 

[simonbrown403]

Wouldnt adding the airstone defeat the purpose of the CO2? Doesnt' it drive away the gas created?

it was to create surface movement to help disperse the skum, it seamed to help clear it, plus i was thinking bacterail bloom at first so it was just in case. it dosnt drive away that much according to PH KH and CO2 calculator

this is the link i downloaded it from, adds it to your desktop
http/www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_aquacalc.htm