Ullalaaqua
Member
Can’t keep this in anymore so here you go:
If you’ve read the journal about my nanotank you’ll know I got my rotalas to pearl without adding CO2. So I started to dig around after a friend of mine gave me some useful tips.
At this point I knew the reaktion behind those bubbles had something to do with bicarbonates (HCO − 3) and more spesifically the carbon (C) inside those carbonates.
Now I’m not a scientist and not really good understanding the complexity of waterchemistry and aquatic plant nutrition so I continued with a hunch here.
My hunch was that since I had no pressurized CO2 in the tank, no hardscape affecting the kh levels, the reaktion had to have something to do with the potassium (K) fertilizers - and watercare products that increase kh value.
So I made an experiment with ADA Brighty K which, if I have understood correctly, is potassiumcarbonate (K2CO3). After couple of hours I got bubbles again.
Today I tried the same with ARKA Microbelift Plants K that should be potassiumcarbonate too, but still no reaktion. So I read a bit more of
the study from Kaj Sand-Jensen (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/fwb.12812). Turns out, the ph has to be 7 or more. Yesterday I added some tapwater (ph 8) to the tank to replase the evaporated water at the same time I dosed K...
So, if there is no bubbles when I get out of work, I’ll add some tapwater in it 😁
Would love to hear your thoughts about this! Especially from the ones who know a bit more about aquaticplants and waterchemistry. Am I even close with my hunch?
If you’ve read the journal about my nanotank you’ll know I got my rotalas to pearl without adding CO2. So I started to dig around after a friend of mine gave me some useful tips.
At this point I knew the reaktion behind those bubbles had something to do with bicarbonates (HCO − 3) and more spesifically the carbon (C) inside those carbonates.
Now I’m not a scientist and not really good understanding the complexity of waterchemistry and aquatic plant nutrition so I continued with a hunch here.
My hunch was that since I had no pressurized CO2 in the tank, no hardscape affecting the kh levels, the reaktion had to have something to do with the potassium (K) fertilizers - and watercare products that increase kh value.
So I made an experiment with ADA Brighty K which, if I have understood correctly, is potassiumcarbonate (K2CO3). After couple of hours I got bubbles again.
Today I tried the same with ARKA Microbelift Plants K that should be potassiumcarbonate too, but still no reaktion. So I read a bit more of
the study from Kaj Sand-Jensen (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/fwb.12812). Turns out, the ph has to be 7 or more. Yesterday I added some tapwater (ph 8) to the tank to replase the evaporated water at the same time I dosed K...
So, if there is no bubbles when I get out of work, I’ll add some tapwater in it 😁
Would love to hear your thoughts about this! Especially from the ones who know a bit more about aquaticplants and waterchemistry. Am I even close with my hunch?