GardenBanter.co.uk - water testing, and a chemistry lesson

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- - water testing, and a chemistry lesson (https://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/freshwater-aquaria-plants/2843-re-water-testing-chemistry-lesson.html)

David Lloyd

20-04-2003 06:23 AM

water testing, and a chemistry lesson

) wrote in message . com...
CO2 + H2O --- H^+ HCO3^-

Adding CO2(acid) will never form the KH (-HCO3), a buffer in this
case.

Boboo. Not right. Some is formed, but _extremely little_ will be
formed in pure water. Enough to ignore it's contribution in any
practical case in a plant tank.

Okay, understood.

[email protected]

20-04-2003 06:23 AM

water testing, and a chemistry lesson

(David Lloyd) wrote in message . com...
) wrote in message . com...
CO2 + H2O --- H^+ HCO3^-

Adding CO2(acid) will never form the KH (-HCO3), a buffer in this
case.

Boboo. Not right. Some is formed, but _extremely little_ will be
formed in pure water. Enough to ignore it's contribution in any
practical case in a plant tank.

Okay, understood.

KH/CO2/Total Carbon is a complicated ball of wax depending on what you
are specifically talking about and which environment it is in.
The theory is fairly well dealt with in chemistry class.

But the practical matter and applying it to plant tanks is another
matter.
Test the KH, go to the pH/KH/CO2 table and follow it down till you
find the pH you need to have a CO2 level between 20-30ppm. Add enough
CO2 gas ONLY(no acids/"buffers" etc) to get this pH.

That's it.

Regards,
Tom Barr

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