Low pH, co2 injection

[jwmachon]

Due to iving in a hard water area I use 25% tap water and 75% RO water

My degassed tank pH is 6.6 due to aquasoil also buffering pH

My concern is lowering pH to 5.6 with co2

GH - 6
KH - 3-4
Should I be concerned or not

Thanks

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

My degassed tank pH is 6.6 due to aquasoil also buffering pH

My concern is lowering pH to 5.6 with co2

GH - 6
KH - 3-4
Should I be concerned or not

I'm <"not a CO2 user">, but I wouldn't be too concerned. Have a look at @Roland 's tank and water parameters <"Soft water tank"> & <"What's the deal with kH/Alkalinity?">.

In terms of your livestock, if you don't keep <"Lake Tanganyikan fish">? I think <"the same applies">.

The pH changes due to the addition of CO2 don't change the alkalinity, they just increase the amount of <"Total (Dissolved) Inorganic Carbon (T(D)IC)">. Have a look at @Andy Pierce's posts in <"CO2 relationship to KH">.

The aquasoil ("active substrate") buffering is slightly different. In this case <"you are swapping a cation"> (usually calcium (Ca++)) in the water column for a proton (hydrogen ion H+) held by the substrate.

This is "ion exchange" so eventually your substrate <"will have swapped all of its H+ ions"> and it will no longer be active.

cheers Darrel

 

[_Maq_]

My degassed tank pH is 6.6 due to aquasoil also buffering pH
KH - 3-4

Doesn't fit together. You can get these parameters if CO2 content is between 25 to 35 mg/L.
That is what Tillman's chart says. My experience says that with > 1 °dKH you can't get acidic water (unless enriched with CO2).