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Re: Live Foods Digest V2 #218

Helo Stephan,

I agree with you completely, that addition of sodium bicarbonate, will
slowly raise the pH to about 8.2, but not higher. This is because 0.1
Normal NaHCO3 solution has a pH of 8.4. Thus if one wants to go higher,
to pH 9+, only sodium carbonate (or another strong base like trisodium
phosphate) will do it in reasonably low concentrations.

It is axiomatic, that the change of pH in an *inhabited* tank must be
done *very* slowly because, as you say, rapid change in pH will damage
or even kill the inhabitants. 

If I were doing such a "pH adjustment", I wouldn't change the pH of an
inhabited tank by more than 0.2 pH units/day. A *good* electronic pH
meter would come in handy here!

Best,

George


> From: spflume at gwdg_de (Stephan Pflume)
> Subject: Na2CO3 and NaHCO3
> 
> On Thu, 8 Oct 1998 03:58:03 -0400 (EDT), Owner-Live-Foods at actwin_com
> (Live Foods Digest) wrote:
> 
> >Hello Charles,
> >
> >Addition of sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, *not* bicarbonate NaHCO3, will
> >raise the pH that high and keep it there for a while. Eventually, CO2
> >from the air will convert the carbonate to bicarbonate and the pH will
> >drop slightly.
> >
> >What fish do you keep that you need a pH of 9?
> >
> Additionally Na2CO3 will KILLl or at least DAMAGE your fish! Please,
> please use NaHCO3. You could add about 1/7 part Na2CO3 to this but not
> more! Anyway after few days the result should be the same, because of
> CO2 will leave the water. With poor NaHCO3 (about 1 spoon per 100L)
> your pH will start at about 7 an increase slowly, together with 1/7
> part NaCO3 you will get about 8.2.soon.
> I tried it. (Actually I use Sea salt (one spoon per 100L) for my
> Tanganyika-fishes, because it contains valuable minerals).
> 
> Stephan
> - --
> Stephan Pflume
> Abt. Vegetationskunde und Populationsbiologie
> Wihlelm-Weber-Str 2. 37075 Goettingen
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> End of Live Foods Digest V2 #218
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