Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

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  • dbfzurowski
    Registered Member
    • Nov 2009
    • 794
    • Chicago, IL

    #16
    Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

    Any material containing Carbonate or Bicarbonate will increase the alkalinity of your water over time. Dolomite and Calcite rock are good choices for long term use. You can buy limestone (calcite) and try that, but I'd recommend getting a small piece of reef rock without any algae to avoid impurities. Seachem's Gray Coast Calcite is good as well.
    Like the bagged reef rock at LFS would be good?
    I do what I must do, to do what I wish to do!
    dominik

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    • ChloroPhil
      Registered Member
      • Nov 2002
      • 1445

      #17
      Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

      Yes, it is.

      Regards,
      Phil
      I'm not sure what Im looking at, but its huge and I think its going to be cool!

      Aquatic Gardeners Association
      www.aquatic-gardeners.org

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      • Spike Cover
        Registered Member
        • Jan 2008
        • 75
        • Mission Viejo, CA
        • Spike Cover

        #18
        Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

        All,

        This may help. It's the carbonate cycle.

        Spike
        Attached Files
        Last edited by Spike Cover; 04-29-2010, 02:37 AM.
        No matter how hard you try,
        You can't beat fun!

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        • JasPR
          Registered Member
          • May 2010
          • 1

          #19
          Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

          Good post Spike. JR

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          • khaled
            Registered Member
            • Oct 2010
            • 46
            • Cairo

            #20
            Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

            I have some questions plz about adding diy CO2,
            my tank is 50 galon, planted with 6 juvinel discus only, and 2 * 25 watt lamps one of them is growlux
            1- should I turn of the gas injection when i turn of the light, the planets do not need it ?
            2- I use Eheim Torf peat pellets in my cainster, will it effect KH, here in Egypt the water is about 6 KH.
            3- PH measurments was 6.5 before I use CO2, now it is almost 6, will it continue dropping ?
            Please help me, sorry for my bad english, I need a simple advise in simple words , thank you very much

            Comment

            • plecocicho
              Registered Member
              • Aug 2007
              • 1146

              #21
              Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

              Hello, welcome here!
              1. Plants use up co2 only at day, at night they breath like us, so its useless, even dangerous to inject co2 at night. Best to couple lights with a co2 supplement, so when lights are out co2 is also stopped pumping into the tank.
              2. 6 kh is soft water so yes, pleat will lower your kh and ph a little.
              3.Probably not, but you should consder, that diy co2 yeast method doesnt prodoce co2 evenly, at the begginnig more, at the end less. You should add bacon powder to the mix, so the co2 will be produced for longer time with more constant output.

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              • khaled
                Registered Member
                • Oct 2010
                • 46
                • Cairo

                #22
                Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                Originally posted by plecocicho
                Hello, welcome here!
                1. Plants use up co2 only at day, at night they breath like us, so its useless, even dangerous to inject co2 at night. Best to couple lights with a co2 supplement, so when lights are out co2 is also stopped pumping into the tank.
                2. 6 kh is soft water so yes, pleat will lower your kh and ph a little.
                3.Probably not, but you should consder, that diy co2 yeast method doesnt prodoce co2 evenly, at the begginnig more, at the end less. You should add bacon powder to the mix, so the co2 will be produced for longer time with more constant output.
                thank you very much, but I want to ask another question plz, I use a tap for the CO2 pottle to close it in night, will it kill the yeast and stop producing CO2 ?
                and in case not, this will not cause vacillation to ph values (up and down) and then cause stress to discuss ?
                shoud I stop using the peat for not getting heigh drop in ph level (under 6 or even under 5.8) ?
                thank you again for your reply and for your help

                Comment

                • plecocicho
                  Registered Member
                  • Aug 2007
                  • 1146

                  #23
                  Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                  Ph naturally fluctuates for o,5 between night and day, courtusy of the co2 consumption by day and co2 production from plants and animals by night. Your yeast will not be killed, if you shut it donw at night. Paet is a niissance only b that taht it distorts the relantionship between co2, ph and kh. Its always better to undenourish your plants little with a co2, tahn have toom much co2

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                  • khaled
                    Registered Member
                    • Oct 2010
                    • 46
                    • Cairo

                    #24
                    Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                    Originally posted by plecocicho
                    Ph naturally fluctuates for o,5 between night and day, courtusy of the co2 consumption by day and co2 production from plants and animals by night. Your yeast will not be killed, if you shut it donw at night. Paet is a niissance only b that taht it distorts the relantionship between co2, ph and kh. Its always better to undenourish your plants little with a co2, tahn have toom much co2
                    what is niissance mean ? and so I stop using peat or not ? I still cant understand, I m sorry brother

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                    • plecocicho
                      Registered Member
                      • Aug 2007
                      • 1146

                      #25
                      Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                      Sorry, i am sometimes a little dyslexic when i write on the internet. I meant that peat can distort a little relationship between co2, kh and ph. As peat lowers ph and also lowers your kh. It is better to have less co2 than more co2 as it is recommended by the famous ph/kh chart.

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                      • khaled
                        Registered Member
                        • Oct 2010
                        • 46
                        • Cairo

                        #26
                        Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                        I C , thank you very much

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                        • lilsky
                          Registered Member
                          • Feb 2015
                          • 9

                          #27
                          Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                          If I am looking to add a presurised CO2 system do i need to be keeping an eye on KH? Do you think an inline diffuser is the best method of infection rather than the seperate bubble diffuser. I will get a CO2 measurer thing that you put in the tank with the liquid, is there anything else you suggest?

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                          • relliott
                            Registered Member
                            • Aug 2015
                            • 54
                            • Marin County
                            • Rick

                            #28
                            Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                            Originally posted by khaled
                            I C , thank you very much
                            I would consider adding some driftwood rather than peat moss in the canister.
                            I also have ph crash mainly due to lack of Carbonate Hardness. After adding Ph regulator to the water I maintain plants with a bare bottom tank arrangement. I use bio matrix in plastic plant containers to weight things down.

                            The drift wood aids in adding organic matter and slight a acidity. Plants thrive! Fish thrive! The discus create enough co2 if your tanks are stocked appropriately. Great advice to turn things off at lights out if you use co2, use it sparingly.

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                            • NeptuneNomad
                              Registered Member
                              • Sep 2023
                              • 16
                              • Jason

                              #29
                              Re: Relationship between CO2, KH, and pH

                              This thread is very informative. Thanks for sharing!

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