Re: [AGA Member] CO2 concentration in Hard water

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

Thanks, Erik,
You've put it well.

sh
--- Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com> wrote:
> 
> If you start from the concept that KH and CO2 are
> independent of each
> other, but help determine pH of the water, you can get
> everywhere else
> from there, including Red Sea's somewhat misleading
> statements.
> 
> Lower KH  -> lower pH
> Higher KH -> higher pH 
> Lower CO2 -> higher pH
> Higher CO2-> lower pH
> 
> But as Roger noted, increasing KH doesn't really induce
> an "ability to
> absorb more CO2", just means that if you're shooting for
> a particular
> desired pH, it will take more CO2 to do so than at a
> lower KH.  But you
> would have to physically crank up the injection rate to
> keep the same pH.
> 
> Now, if the KH is ridiculously low (like < 1 degree
> sometimes in our water
> here in Seattle), then there is so little buffering
> capacity that the pH
> tends to swing kinda wildly with the amount of CO2 (as
> well as other acids
> and bases from the fish waste).  But of course, at that
> KH, the water is
> already below 7.0 when it comes out of the tap, not
> particularly good for 
> plants.  I *have* to add calcium and mag carbonate just
> to keep things 
> stable.


=====
See you in Dallas at the Aquatic Gardeners Associaton
2003 Annual Convention
Nov 14-16
S. Hieber

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