pH buffers?

[kevy]

Can anyone explain to me exactly how pH buffers work? Or maybe a site (not too complex)?


All I know about them is that they basically work by combining with the H+ in basic solutions, but I'd like to know more.

I'm not planning on using any kind of unnatural pH buffer, I was just wondering.

 

[Lithril]

Ok in really basic terms: pH is dictated by the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the water. By adjusting the concentration of H+ you adjust the pH. Buffers have 2 compounds in them one that donates H+ when the pH gets too high and others that "mop up" H+ when the pH drops, by adjusting the compounds and quantitites you can create a buffer solution that will attempt to maintain a specific pH by adding or substracting H+.

Hope that helps can go more complicated if you need it but thats a rough guide

 

[Wasserpest]

Using drops and powder to adjust pH stresses your fish much more than a particular but stable pH. Most fishes will be very happy with whatever flows out of your tap. Even if they originally come from an area with different water chemistry, many generations of breeding them made them more suitable to various water conditions.