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KH Drop. Easier to read - repost



Sorry if you tried to read that last post..I didn't know
it would all get put in the same line like that..This is just a repost..

I recently changed out my old gravel and replaced it with profile in my 40 gal tank.  
The other thing I did was add a piece of driftwood.  Before the change in substrate 
my KH-PH was typically about pH 8.0 and KH 11 degrees (using Aquarium 
Pharmacuticals test kit).  It's been set up for 4 days now and I check the chems 
yesterday and came up with a pH of 7.2 and KH of 4.  I wouldn't even have 
checked the chems this early, but I started a DIY CO2 injection and wanted to see 
what the KH, pH, CO2 relationship looked like.  (looks like I need a better 
reactor, but that's in the works) My question is, could it be the driftwood that is 
causing the KH drop? I soaked it for three weeks in a bucket, but didn't ever check 
if the pH of the bucket water changed.  I have read that profile raises KH if 
anything and there is really nothing else in there that could act as an acid buffer (no 
peat..).. I have read the nitrification could cause a KH drop, but since it is a new 
tank (although I kept the same filter media and a few rocks to help the re-cycle) this 
seems unlikely to me.  Also, I only have three small fish in there and I never saw this 
KH drop before.. In fact, I've been wishing for more naturally softened water (I 
hate using chemicals for pH,KH) for a while, so this is kinda nice, but just a little 
confusing..

Thanks,
 Jason


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