Ph Rising

[nightlite]

Hi all,
I've been checking the PH of my 33liter planted tank over the last few days and the PH seems to be rising from 6.5 to 6.9 now... even when running with 2 bottles of Nutrafin Co2 connected to 1 ladder (with pinned yeast receipe). I get lots and lots of bubbles .. almost 1 per sec.. and the tank is about 80% planted ,,, and I don't know what to do... i've been doing water changes.. and that seems to lower it for a couple of days... any ideas?

I've checked the stones and gravel whether they are the cause.....can;t be my driftwood... ??

 

[Alex_]

test your tap water. My tap water ph change from 6.2 - 7.3 in 2 weeks.

 

[rockerBOO]

Do you know what your water hardness is?

 

[nightlite]

my tap water is about PH6.2 and my water hardness is KH5

 

[Squid]

Hi all,
I've been checking the PH of my 33liter planted tank over the last few days and the PH seems to be rising from 6.5 to 6.9 now... even when running with 2 bottles of Nutrafin Co2 connected to 1 ladder (with pinned yeast receipe). I get lots and lots of bubbles .. almost 1 per sec.. and the tank is about 80% planted ,,, and I don't know what to do... i've been doing water changes.. and that seems to lower it for a couple of days... any ideas?

I've checked the stones and gravel whether they are the cause.....can;t be my driftwood... ??

What substrate are you using, and have you been adding bi-carb in the DIY CO2?

 

[Themuleous]

my tap water is about PH6.2 and my water hardness is KH5

Are you sure about those readings? That would give you a tap water CO2 level of 95ppm, which I doubt very much. It'd save us all a lot of money if tap water came ready mixed with a decent level of co2

Sam

 

[qwikimpss]

Remember Themuleos, that the CO2 chart is useless unles you are injecting CO2. Without injection your CO2 concentrations are around 3-5 ppm despite what it may work out to on the chart.

 

[Themuleous]

Indeed so

 

[JamesC]

Not at all unusual to get high levels of CO2 dissolved in tap water. Reason why I don't really pay too much attention to tap water pH. GH and KH are more important. Leave your tap water for 24 hours to get a more sensible pH reading.

Out of interest I've got a natural spring in my garden. I tested the water a while ago and these are the results I got:
GH = 14
KH = 8
pH = 6.6

That works out at 60ppm CO2 straight out of the ground. Unfortunately it is still too hard for my needs.

James

 

[Themuleous]

Just out of interest, if it can contain CO2 where does it normally come from James?

Sam

 

[JamesC]

Don't know I'm afraid.

James

 

[nightlite]

my tap water is about PH6.2 and my water hardness is KH5

Are you sure about those readings? That would give you a tap water CO2 level of 95ppm, which I doubt very much. It'd save us all a lot of money if tap water came ready mixed with a decent level of co2

Sam

yup pretty sure of the readings... but that's just the tap water...

What substrate are you using, and have you been adding bi-carb in the DIY CO2?

I'm using the JBL AquaBasis substrate and no I've not been adding the bi-carb in the DIY CO2.. shoud I?

 

[Underwurlde]

@qwikimpss

Remember Themuleos, that the CO2 chart is useless unles you are injecting CO2. Without injection your CO2 concentrations are around 3-5 ppm despite what it may work out to on the chart.

@Themuleous

indeed so

Intreagued me now... Can you guys please expand on that please?
I just apply CO2ppm = 3 x dKH x 10^(7.0-pH)

[edit: stupidd keybward]

 

[qwikimpss]

NOTE: If you aren't adding CO2 to your water, and the CO2 level based on the pH and KH indicates more than 5ppm, then it is very likely that some other buffer (such as phosphate) is present in your water. In an inhabited aquarium, the amount of CO2 produced by the fish will not have an effect on CO2 levels in the water. Any excess CO2 created by fish will dissipate into the air, leaving a fairly constant CO2 level of about 3-4ppm. If you test your pH and KH, and without adding any CO2, the chart says you've got 20ppm CO2, don't believe it.

That is copied and pasted from http/www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm that site. I'm still looking for some real, scientific data online about this subject.

This is another pretty good site. http/aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Co2/index.htm

Water that is fresh out of the tap would have a higher concentration of CO2 in it. This is why a lot of pearling happens after a water change (I mean real pearling, not the water's excess O2). But after the water has sat, either in a bowl, test tube or aquarium without CO2 injection, that excess CO2 would dissipate and you'd be left with low concentrations.

 

[Underwurlde]

Gotcha, see where you're coming from now! Thought there was something I was missing for a mo'.

Another site for you (guys over there are very exact in their methods):
http/www.barrreport.com

Cheers,

Andy