Hi All,
A small dispute has erupted over carbonate hardness and weather it is necessary at all.
To avoid any further hijack of http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/6825-gH-very-low, I started this thread.
Our friend Jonny contends that carbonate hardness is unnecessary as long as carbon dioxide is not injected, no fluctuations in KH can occur, because the water Discus live in as well as other tropical waters have low carbonate hardness, http://www.versaquatics.com/testingthewater.htm.
I on the other hand think there are a couple of small differences between our closed aquatic systems and the open tropical waters Discus and such reside. I would also note that because of the lack of carbonate hardness the pH in many of those waters is very low, in some cases below five.
One of the problems people used to have with raising Discus in the olden days was the requirement for stable, very soft, low ph water. The modern domesticated Discus is popular precisely because the modern Discus is not nearly so demanding.
Of my favorite sites that talk about buffering, perhaps my favorite, http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/, http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/water/alkaline.shtml and http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/water/watbas.shtml.
An oldie but goodie http://koiclubsandiego.org/library/alkalinity.php.
http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/water/hardness.htm
Buffering has been an interest of mine, cannot say I can explain it, but I have seen the effects.
Any serious thoughts, explanations I would appreciate.
Biollante
A small dispute has erupted over carbonate hardness and weather it is necessary at all.
To avoid any further hijack of http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/6825-gH-very-low, I started this thread.
Our friend Jonny contends that carbonate hardness is unnecessary as long as carbon dioxide is not injected, no fluctuations in KH can occur, because the water Discus live in as well as other tropical waters have low carbonate hardness, http://www.versaquatics.com/testingthewater.htm.
I on the other hand think there are a couple of small differences between our closed aquatic systems and the open tropical waters Discus and such reside. I would also note that because of the lack of carbonate hardness the pH in many of those waters is very low, in some cases below five.
One of the problems people used to have with raising Discus in the olden days was the requirement for stable, very soft, low ph water. The modern domesticated Discus is popular precisely because the modern Discus is not nearly so demanding.
Of my favorite sites that talk about buffering, perhaps my favorite, http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/, http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/water/alkaline.shtml and http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/water/watbas.shtml.
An oldie but goodie http://koiclubsandiego.org/library/alkalinity.php.
http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/water/hardness.htm
Buffering has been an interest of mine, cannot say I can explain it, but I have seen the effects.
Any serious thoughts, explanations I would appreciate.
Biollante