PH question

[Julio1983]

phew ok well thats great :)
at the aquarium they told me to try and have it at 7

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Originally Posted by AyalaCookiejar

Thanks - I'm not exactly sure what kH is and I don't have a test kit for it.

KH is alkaline buffering. Buffers resist a change in pH when a small amount of acid (or a small amount of base) is added.

Alkaline buffers attempt to maintain the pH within a basic (alkaline) range, which is the higher end of the pH scale. (On the pH scale, 0-7 is acidic. 7-14 is basic/alkaline.)

For example, blood is able to maintain a constant pH of 7.35 to 7.45 (just slightly alkaline) via the bicarbonate buffer system.

Likewise, you could create a buffer in a fish tank by adding a small amount of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). The bicarbonate will counter any acid that is produced by the fish waste, and will keep the pH stable.

If a small amount of acid is added to plain water, the pH will drop quickly. Result: the fish is swimming in acid..... But if the small amount of acid is added to a buffer, the buffer will keep the pH from changing. Result: the fish is happy.

The ocean has a natural buffering system because of the presence of calcium carbonate. (Also found in sea shells and corals.) The carbonate acts as a buffer, keeping the ocean's pH stable.

When you test for KH, you're measuring the concentration of carbonates and bicarbonates. A higher number indicates you have more of these, which means you have better buffering capability. A lower number indicates that your pH can start to drop quickly, as wastes build up in the tank.

More info:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts....riumKH.html#kh

[Myates]

Certain pH is best for certain fish - some are very sensitive to the numbers.. luckily, bettas aren't as much. So honestly, check the numbers here and there so you know what is going on with your tank, but don't stress about it having to be exactly 7.
In time you'll learn to take a lot of things store employees tell you with a grain of salt. Always best to research (not on Yahoo answers :P) what you are told prior to believing for face value. Not all pet store employees are morons, but you'll see a fair amount gives general advice, but nothing specific for your fish's needs.

[AyalaCookiejar]

Originally Posted by LittleBlueFishlets

KH is alkaline buffering. Buffers resist a change in pH when a small amount of acid (or a small amount of base) is added.

Alkaline buffers attempt to maintain the pH within a basic (alkaline) range, which is the higher end of the pH scale. (On the pH scale, 0-7 is acidic. 7-14 is basic/alkaline.)

For example, blood is able to maintain a constant pH of 7.35 to 7.45 (just slightly alkaline) via the bicarbonate buffer system.

Likewise, you could create a buffer in a fish tank by adding a small amount of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). The bicarbonate will counter any acid that is produced by the fish waste, and will keep the pH stable.

If a small amount of acid is added to plain water, the pH will drop quickly. Result: the fish is swimming in acid..... But if the small amount of acid is added to a buffer, the buffer will keep the pH from changing. Result: the fish is happy.

The ocean has a natural buffering system because of the presence of calcium carbonate. (Also found in sea shells and corals.) The carbonate acts as a buffer, keeping the ocean's pH stable.

When you test for KH, you're measuring the concentration of carbonates and bicarbonates. A higher number indicates you have more of these, which means you have better buffering capability. A lower number indicates that your pH can start to drop quickly, as wastes build up in the tank.

More info:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts....riumKH.html#kh

Would that mean ammonia would affect the pH? Because my tank I'm fishless cycling dosed at 4ppm ammonia is still the same pH as my other tanks.

[Julio1983]

oh yes i almost learnt that the hard way when they gave me melafix for holes in his fins... luckily i checked on here before i ever used it :)

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Originally Posted by AyalaCookiejar

Would that mean ammonia would affect the pH? Because my tank I'm fishless cycling dosed at 4ppm ammonia is still the same pH as my other tanks.

It would depend on the KH.

The higher the KH, the better the buffering capacity. So if your KH was sufficiently high, then the addition of ammonia wouldn't significantly change the pH.

Eventually, if you keep adding ammonia, though, you will eventually overload the buffering system. The exact amount of ammonia that could be added before this happens is dependent on your KH.

If the KH is 0, there is no buffer system. Even a small amount of ammonia will cause the pH to change.

If KH is low, there is poor buffering capacity. Only a very small amount of ammonia could be added before pH changes.

If KH is high, there is better buffering capacity. A small amount of ammonia would not significantly affect pH.