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Re: Using the carbonate ion to adjust KH, GH



Wah provided some info on carbonates:

According to
> what I learnt in Chemistry, only Potassium, Sodium and Ammonium
> carbonates are very soluble in water.(ph=7) 
> 
> The rest of the carbonate salts are partially or very
> insoluble(solubility cannot be observed by our eyes) in water.
> Eg.CaCO3 is very insoluble in water as mentioned by Gregory Morin. 

If you add CaCO3 to your tank, it will cloud the water or coat whitely
what it falls onto or both. . .Until it reacts with the CO2 you are
adding to your tank.  If you are adding the CaCO3 to maintain you pH
because you are adding CO2, which would otherwise lower your pH, then
CaCO3 will work and it's only clouds or coats for a few hours -- length
depending on how much you add.  It will only precipate back out if the
pH rises too high, e.g., if you stop giving it carbonic acid (from CO2
in water) to react.


Scott H.

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