Re: conductivity= water quality explained

[David Sanchez <barbax2@yahoo.com>]

Thanks for the correction Brian. Its important to get
things right. I tend to recall things as they relate
to the fish breeding aspect. But understanding all the
things involved helps us to better understand what it
is we that is successfull. I certainly hope others
with more expertise in chemistry could divulge deeper
into the subject. I think thats what makes this list
great is when we all share information we pool talent
in areas that we may be weaker. Hopefully together we
can really learn something about these facsinating
litle Cichlids.

Dave
--- Brian Ahmer <ahmer.1@osu.edu> wrote:
> 
> That's fine, but the KH measures the total carbonic
> acid and calcium 
> carbonate in the system.  It doesn't only measure
> one form or the 
> other.  So the statement that a "low KH means lots
> of carbonic acid" 
> is incorrect.  Low KH means low levels of buffer
> (buffer being a 
> combination of both species).  High KH means high
> levels of buffer. 
> The form the buffer is currently in (for example,
> 90% of one and 10% 
> of the other) will tell you the pH, but not the KH. 
> I totally 
> believe you that you need low KH for successful
> spawning (you have 
> tons more spawning experience than I do, for sure!)
> but to get a low 
> KH means that you have to remove both components of
> the buffer.
> 
> 
> >Actually Brian the pH buffer system uses only
> carbonic
> >acid and Calcuim Carbonate to pull Carbon from.
> Though
> >there are many forms of Carbon in the water, hey
> >everything alive is carbon based, the actual pH
> >equation pulls Carbon from Carbonic Acid and
> calcuim
> >Carbonate only. If you recall your Basic Biology
> 101
> >there is see saw effect between Carbonic acid and
> >calcuim carbonate. They trade C back and forth. I
> am
> >sure many forms of Carbon are present and
> contribute
> >to the creation of the forementioned coumpounds but
> >the actual C is taken from these two. The pH buffer
> >system is a complicated subject however for the
> sake
> >of our audience we should focus on the meat of it
> as
> >it relates to fish breeding. For me this is a
> reading
> >of 0 KH is essential to successfully spawning
> certain
> >Apisto species.
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Brian Ahmer <ahmer.1@osu.edu> wrote:
> >>
> >>  hey nice post on conductivity.  I just have one
> >>  question, I think you
> >>  made a boo-boo in one sentence.  Correct me if
> I'm
> >>  wrong...
> >>
> >>
> >>  >  KH is a measure of
> >>  >carbonate hardness. It relates to the ability
> of
> >>  the
> >>  >system to maintain equilibrium of Carbon. A low
> KH
> >>  >means lots of Carbonic acid in the system and
> thus
> >>  a
> >>  >tendency to have a low pH and the opposite is
> true
> >>  of
> >>  >a high KH.
> >>  >
> >>
> >>
> >>  I interpret your sentence "A low KH means lots
> of
> >>  carbonic acid..."
> >>  to mean that KH is measuring where the
> carbonates
> >>  are in the
> >>  equilibrium (for instance at the acidic pH
> they'll
> >>  all be carbonic
> >>  acid, so low KH).   Instead, I think KH measures
> >>  total carbonates
> >>  contributing to the equilibrium.  Doesn't matter
> >>  whether they're all
> >>  in the carbonic acid form or the basic form. 
> The
> >>  total amount tells
> >>  you how much buffering capacity you have.
> >>  --
> >>
> >>  Brian Ahmer
> >>  ahmer.1@osu.edu
> >>  http://www.angelfire.com/or/biggestbri
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
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> >
> >
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> -- 
> 
> Brian Ahmer
> ahmer.1@osu.edu
> http://www.angelfire.com/or/biggestbri
> 
> 
>
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