Re: Cacatuoides EGGS!!! Yiippee,, I'm a eg

[schmidt@mailhost1.csusm.edu (Michael Schmidt)]

>It is probably the sodium bicarbonate which is increasing
>the pH.  AFAIK this does not increase the hardness (i.e.
>the buffering capacity) but increases the pH.  If you leave
>this out them the pH should probably drop as you require.

Sodium bicarbonate does not increase the "total hardness," which is a goofy
term for the total amount of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba ions in solution. It does
increase the "carbonate hardness," or alkalinity, and does increase the
buffering capacity of the water, but this buffering is not permanent. The
bicarbonate can be converted to CO2 by acids such as the peat acids.

Michael Schmidt
California State University, San Marcos
San Marcos, CA