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RE: Acid Drop
The last issue of the list contained some interesting conjecture on sudden
pH drop in killie fry tanks and the resultant stress placed on the fry
because of it.
I'm a "plant person" and might be able to add a bit to this discussion, as
we deal with pretty much the same issue all the time. The ability of any
system to resist pH swings is a function of the buffering capacity
(Alkalinity) of the water. This is related to, but not identical to the
Hardness of the water. Someone suggested dropping a chunk of Plaster into
the tank, and reported that it had worked for him. Yes, it should work,
beacuse any material containing calcium and/or calcium carbonate is likely
to affect both the Hardness and the Alkalinity fo the water. But if you
don't want to increase the Hardness of your tank's water, there is an easy
solution - Baking Soda. Sodium Bicarbonate affects ONLY the Alkalinity of
the water, not the Hardness, and will buffer the pH against sudden drops.
James Purchase
Toronto