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Alkalinity

Aquarium AlkalineAlligator Gar

Alkalinity vs. KH
Contents:
CO2/KH/PH Ratio
by cb77-at-namaste.cc.columbia.edu (Craig Bingman) (30 Jan 1994)
newbie chemistry 2nd try
by Wilson Angerson (Fri, 24 Feb 1995)
CO2 Tables
by booth-at-lvld.hp.

 


Alkalinity, often referred to as "carbonate hardness," or German carbonate hardness, is the measure of carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations in your aquarium water.

Alkalinity is a measure of the concentration of bases in the water and the capacity of the water to accept acidity (I.e. it's buffering capacity).

Alkalinity
Why is alkalinity important? Well, alkalinity is basically a measurement of how well the water in your aquarium can buffer against a drop in pH.

Alkalinity - Sometimes called Carbonate Hardness. The amount of your aquarium water's
ability to resist changes in pH. The alkalinity can be raised by using a buffer such as
baking soda.

Alkalinity
As the capacity to buffer against pH drops,the greater the alkalinity. The more stable the pH will be and the less likely that there will pH swings or ups and downs. Alkalinity can be raised by adding any type of carbonate buffer material.

Alkalinity-The alkalinity affects, and is affected by the buffering system of the marine system. A high alkalinity reading often gives way to a more stable pH measure.

Alkalinity - The ability of water to maintain a stable pH. Controlled by the amount of carbonate ions present in the water. Also called Buffering Capacity. See KH.

Alkalinity 2.9 meq/L. Need to keep raising this.
Alkalinity 3.0 meq/L. Calcium 774 ppm. Need to continue raising alkalinity while not adding calcium. Main sump pump (Rio 1200 froze up. Soaking in vinegar to remove calcium deposits.

Low-alkalinity or low-KH water: One very embarrassing pitfall was completely unforeseen. We all knew that nitrification uses up KH, alkalinity, a.k.a. carbonate hardness.

Calcium and alkalinity are slowly removed from the water as corals use these to build their hard skeletons, and this has to be replaced.

The acidity/alkalinity of a system is a large determinant in the availability of nutrients for plant growth.

pH (acidity/alkalinity)
Ideal value = whatever it usually is
Acceptable range = typically 6.5 to 7.5 in freshwater, 7.8 to 8.5 in saltwater.

Hardness and Alkalinity
The hardness of water refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water.

Hardness (GH) & Alkalinity (KH) / Magnesium (Mg) & Calcium (Ca)
MgSO4.7H2O
Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate
(Epsom Salt) ...

Some test kits (Alkalinity, Calcium, etc) should be owned by all aquarists, but there are numerous other kits available as well.

pH -Acidity and Alkalinity
Pure water is said to be neutral and is given a pH value of 7 Lower figures represent progressively higher degrees of acidity while higher figures represent higher degrees of alkalinity.

Carbonate Hardness (Alkalinity) - An alkalinity test determines your water’s ability to maintain pH. It is an indicator of how “stable' your water quality is.

Alkalinity is the measure of the total acid binding capacity (all the anions which can bind with free H+) but is comprised mostly of carbonate hardness in freshwater systems.

Parameters like temperature, pH, alkalinity, the concentration of the "N" compounds (ammonia, nitrites and nitrates), calcium and salinity are closely observed and notes are taken on a regular basis.

The pH measure water`s acidity or alkalinity. 7 means neutrality; under this value this water is acid and, up from this, basic.

Modifying Water Chemistry - A technical article about modifying hardness, alkalinity and pH.
Optimizing Growth of Fishes - The factors affecting fish growth - some may be manipulated, others not.

There isn't really any such thing as alkalinity. The term alkalinity is an academic crutch for describing a substance that is less acidic than pure water. Everything should really be considered in terms of acidity.

They will not tolerate copper based medications, high nitrate levels, or fluctuations in alkalinity. Poor water quality can cause an urchin to lose its spines and die.

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. pH is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 7 being neutral. Something with a pH lower than 7 is acidic. Something with a pH higher than 7 is basic.

pH: A numerical measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water. The pH scale ranges from 1 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline). A pH of 7 is neutral.

Coralline Algae: adding kalkwasser to your tank to increase the calcium content and adjusting the alkalinity to the range of 8-12 dKH will promote the growth of coralline algae.

In order of importance, they are pH, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, nitrite, ammonia and Calcium (for reef tanks, the calcium test kit is more important than nitrite and ammonia).

The pH scale is a scale which is used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance.
 
The scale ranges from 0-14, with 0 being the most acidic, and 14 being the most alkaline.
 
Water with a neutral pH of 7.

Aim to provide water that resembles the chemistry of natural seawater: a calcium level of 400-420 ppm; alkalinity 7-10 KH (2.5-3.5 meq/l); magnesium 1200-1300 ppm, pH 8.2-8.2 and a salinity of 35-36 ppt.

More sophisticated aquarists may make other modifications to their base water source to modify the water's alkalinity, hardness, or dissolved content of organics and gases, before adding it to their aquaria.

Aquarium additives are available to adjust the pH, hardness and alkalinity of any type of aquarium in situations where it is necessary or desirable to match these water quality parameters to the native habitat of certain tropical fish and ...

I was first introduced to the concept of pH back in high school chemistry when we dipped little blue and pink strips of paper that changed color depending on the acidity or alkalinity of the solution.

On the other hand, CO2 concentrations can be calculated measuring the carbonate hardness/alkalinity, or KH and the pH of the water.

Some swear by it, some believe that aside from biological advantages there are also calcium and alkalinity benefits, as well as potential food benefits for the fish and coral inhabitants of the aquarium.

- Conditioned water - free of chlorine, dirt, excess hardness, excess acidity, or excess alkalinity. Hard, acidic, dirty water is not suitable for aquarium. It will make life uncomfortable for fish and leads to constant fish death.

They prefer hard water with an alkalinity of 10 to 20 dKH and a pH of 8.0 to 9.0. In order to maintain these conditions, it is best to provide a substrate consisting of aragonite.

Scientific Name: Pterophyllum scalare
Family: Cichlidae
Size: 8 inches
Temperature: 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity: soft, slightly acidic
pH: 5.8 to 6.2
Origin: Amazon Basin northward into the coastal rivers of the Guianas ...

The ideal aquarium set-up will consist of many pieces of stacked rock with a sandy aragonite-based substrate, which is needed to maintain the necessary alkalinity.

There needs to be at least one hiding area for each fish. Lace rock, Texas holey rock, and petrified wood are all desirable as they buffer the alkalinity. The ideal substrate is crushed coral as it also buffers the pH, and the fish love to dig in it.

Incorporate plenty of rocks, shells and African driftwood in order to build caves. Provide a sandy bottom of white aragonite to maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity, and to maintain their bright coloration.

at least 50 gallons with other Tanganyikan or Malawian cichlids of similar size. Incorporate plenty of rocks, shells and African driftwood in order to build caves. Provide a sandy bottom of aragonite to maintain the necessary high pH and alkalinity.

It is sometimes referred to as total hardness. The carbonate hardness is determined by the amount of carbonates and bicarbonates in the water. It is sometimes referred to as total alkalinity or buffering capacity.

Good housekeeping helps maintain a more stable pH. Your fish will appreciate that.
Again, research may help you avoid tragedy. Some species require a particular range of acidity or alkalinity. They won't thrive outside that range.

See also: Fish, Water, Aquarium, Species, Temperature