Thank you all for joining my group, I hope to do a lot with all anyone interested. Please
tell me any event suggestions you would like us to do.
Started by Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. Mar 21, 2019. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. Jan 4, 2018. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. Jan 4, 2018. 0 Replies 0 Likes
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@Matt, would you be willing to purchase a Carbonate Hardness (kH) test kit from the pet store? It's only a couple of dollars and it's just as easy (if not easier) to use than a pH test kit (just like the pH kit, it only has one bottle of reagent to deal with).
If you are willing...test your top up water, and then test your system water. (You'll probably want to pick up some potassium bicarbonate from your local wine making supply store...or online as well. I'm pretty sure I can help, but it would be wise and much more meaningful to do the kH tests first...to have a baseline reading and all)...
@Vlad the brand is: Botanicare pH Up. consists of a 29% concentrated Potassium Hydroxide solution that has an extremely low level of phytotoxicity and does not contain salts or chlorides.
Thanks for the kind words John
Matt, what is in that pH Up product exactly?
Hello Matt,
Chasing the 'perfect' pH is a game that you don't really want to play, mostly because there's really no such thing. pH will fluctuate given a whole bunch of variables, which others on this forum (i.e.Vlad - take his recommendations as gospel!) are far better informed about.
Us chemistry-challenged beginners should follow the well-trodden path of those who have done this before.
Here's a couple of forum threads that discuss the topic in detail:
Anything written by TCLynx, Sylvia Bernstein, Vlad Jovanovic or Murray Hallam should be considered as expert opinion.
Having said that, I aim for a pH of 6.8.
During summer, when the fish were eating their heads off and the bacteria had loads of ammonia to process, the pH dropped consistently to the point that I had to add some sort of buffer every couple of weeks, to keep it away from my personal danger zone of below 6.4. It is very convenient that my top-up water has a pH of mid 8s, as that does the job nicely most of the time. If I have to raise the pH more than what the top-up water does, I dose with a few tablespoons of potassium bicarbonate. This has the added benefit of adding potassium to the system which, I'm told, will help with setting fruit on a range of plants, a problem I had last summer.
This past winter, I've noticed the opposite effect. The fish didn't eat for more than 2 months. They just huddled on the bottom of the tank and glared at me for trying to keep sub-tropical fish in a freezing zone, but they survived. Due to adding top-up water occasionally, the pH in the system has risen to 7.4. That's not where I want it, but with the weather warming up and the fish starting to eat again, I'm confident that the pH will start to fall again as a result of the nitrification process. This weekend I did dose my top-up water with muriatic (pool) acid to offset the high pH, but that was more to prevent the pH from going any higher than to try and drop it to the 'ideal' value.
A personal opinion: I prefer to use 'pure' chemical additives, rather than commercial products such as PH up/down. I'm more comfortable knowing exactly what I'm putting in to my food-producing system.
Oh - something that experienced people tend to forget to remind the beginners. Once you adjust the pH chemically, it can take several hours for the system to settle down to the final pH level. i.e. If you add acid to drop the pH and test immediately, it'll test as having dropped nicely, but come back in a few hours or overnight and it'll read a completely different result. This is chemistry at work and can be super confusing if you're not ready for it.
Thanks for the replies, my grow bed is media based 80/20 of lava rock/hydroton. On Saturday I tested the water it was at 6.2 I put 20 mg of PH up in, then tested it the next day on Sunday and it went up to 6.4. I then tested this morning and the PH is back down to 6.2, I also tested my nitrites from the night before and it's down from 2ppm to .25ppm. So at least the bacteria is converting, though be it somewhat slower when my PH was higher at a 7.6 range. IT just seems to boggle my mind that PH always wants to return to its 6.2 range and it only takes a day or two. I seriously don't want to have to keep adding PH up every day as #1 it will get expensive over time and #2 when I add my fish I really don't want to be playing with PH all that much if I can help it.
Like Bob explained, the system "goes acidic" after a while. if your running a media system, you could add some river rock. I use a granite and river rock blend to the tone of 70/30. pH is steady for a couple years now. it only takes a few days to start to raise it... warmer temps will help too. keep us posted.
@Matt - Nitrification produces an acidic pH. When oxidation occurs, an electron is lost, releasing energy that is used by the bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria do not generally like low pH, but fortunately other bacteria called denitrifying bacteria convert nitrogen created by the nitrification process back into nitrogen N2 which returns to the atmosphere. The roots take up negatively charged anions (H+) exchanging hydroxy (OH-) anions. This also helps to return the pH to a higher level.
Hey Everyone, I still haven't heard back from our "local" Tilapia breeders, so I'm still on hold right now, but did have a newbie question if you don't mind? Long story short my PH has been holding at 6.4, which I find funny because when I first started cycling I couldn't get it to budge under 7.6. Anyway, I had to top off my sump which I do about every week now, I tested my water after topping off and bang it was back up to 7.6 range - cool, I expected this, now I also tested my Nitrites and Nitrates which in the 6.4 range where almost always zero. When I tested them again with my water being 7.6 bam! Nitrates showed up at like 2ppm and nitrates between 5-ppm. I was actually happy to see this. now it's the next day - PH is back down to 6.4 nitrites/nitrates zero. To me it seems the bacteria goes into high gear when the PH is higher, is that the case? I've tried adding PH up twice today and it is still at the 6.4 level, I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually want my system on the higher PH side now!!? I do have plants in the system too just an fyi. Am I correct in wanting a higher PH now for the bacteria to be in higher gear? Thanks, and I appreciate the input, and I thought this would be easy....
Thanks guys, I'm going to the Ren Faire tomorrow so I plan to try and get the fish on Sunday. I'll see if Sheri gets a hold of me if not I'll try Dennis. I don't think I'll tr Craigslist after reading what John had to say. You know how it goes when you get the "I want my fish" jitters.....
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