hypnogogia
Member
That’s a virtue in aquarium keeping.I’m a patient man.
That’s a virtue in aquarium keeping.I’m a patient man.
Adding co2 won't lower the kh it will only lower the ph. I'm not going to try and explain it as it's a bit above my head. @dw1305 explains it in this thread.I am adding CO2 which lowers KH anyway? But I understand that zero KH can lead to pH crashes??
I agree with @John q , you don't need any dKH <"Soft water tank">. It is true that pH won't be stable, but that isn't a problem <"and large pH oscillations occur naturally in vegetated soft water">.My kh is between 0.5 ~ 1 and inject co2, i have tanks full of healthy fish, so unless you specifically want 2~3 kh it's not something to worry about.
I'm <"not a fan of buffers">, they are sold by <"unscrupulous companies"> using a mixture of half-truths and implication.It bothers me that the KH is zero so I have started using a buffer to bring it nearer 3 or 4.
........ Carbonate hardness (dKH) is also a measure of a buffered system, but in this case the acid and base are CO3-- (HCO3-) and H2CO3 (from CO2). If you want to add carbonate hardness you can use potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) (or potassium carbonate (K2CO3)), have a look at <"Questions regarding....">, there are amounts to add at <"James' Planted Tank">.......
Is that your present tap water? You can use that to <"add both dGH and dKH">. That is what I do.My hard water had at least 8 degrees KH and a pH of 7. Since the tank was started it has zero KH and a pH of 6.2. I hope this is temporary as some KH wil be needed to buffer pH, especially when the CO2 is turned on - Is this right?
or <"that one">.If it makes you feel better add a bit of potassium bicarbonate and aim for .5 to 1 kh.
cheers Darrel.......... Adding 3.6g Potassium Bicarbonate (KHCO3) to 100 litres of water will raise the alkalinity by 1
I see never answered this and "Yes" is the answer. * I now see that I did, but here is a bit more detail.but I'm admittedly confused on your conclusion - these new bacteria still need ammonia as a food source to proliferate surely?
It does, because,So I don't see how this point impacts the premise of ammonia cycling
Some non-essential conjecture.
First the bit <"we know">, that the nature of that <"microbial assemblage"> is <"fine-tuned over time"> to reflect the levels of ammonia (NH3) and dissolved oxygen in the water.
This would be conjecture, but I visualise the microbial assemblage in a filter in the same way that I think about the <"benthic invertebrate assemblage in a stream">. In clean water (water with a lot of dissolved oxygen and a low Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)) you have a diverse assemblage of invertebrates, including <"Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Stoneflies (Plecoptera), Caseless Caddis (Trichoptera) etc."> with Tubificid worms (Naididae) and "Bloodworms" (Chronomidae) etc present, but as a minor component of the assemblage.
As pollution (BOD) increases dissolved oxygen levels fall and you lose the more sensitive species from the assemblage. At the same time the number of Blood worm and "Tubifex" increases. As pollution continues to increase eventually only the haemoglobin containing Blood worms and Tubifex are left, and these often <"build up to huge numbers">.
The "Tubifex and Blood-worm" scenario is the traditional view of "cycling", with Nitrobacter winogradskyi etc representing Tubifex etc. If you only ever look at sewage treatment works? You never find the Mayflies.
<"Carbonate buffers"> are usually <"sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)"> based, purely because it is a cheaper chemical to buy than potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3).I have a buffer, which is a fine white powder - the label doesn't say which, but I bet it is Potassium of some sort.
I'll be honest it is one of the things that <"really p*sses me off">.blooming ‘ek, my head is blown, 😂 the white powder is indeed staying in the cupboard.
cheers Darrel......... I'll be honest I haven't got a lot of time for the companies that sell <"pH buffers"> and <"fertiliser systems">, they are at <"best disingenuous">, and at worst they are the factor that stands between you and you <"having the tank you want">........
Definitely different to what I normally listen to. I might give it a <"try in the mornings">. This morning I listened to Donny Hathaway, and I'm not sure I've recovered yet. <"Songs from the Man Cave!">Being pissed off equals being stressed, listen to this Darcie Roman - Gauean