Re: [RML] Melanotaenia trifasciata and pH

gfinsen at schneider.com.au
Sun, 15 Aug 1999 20:20:51 +1100

I would agree with Bruce, in the pH is relatively unimportant *chemically*
speaking as it is normally coupled with the actually molarity of the
acid/base involved. Maybe when the molarity of the individual acid
(tannic....whatever) gets high, coupled with low pH, then prehaps the
distress in the fish is noticable as they will be receiving what amounts to
chemical burns.

Have we any chemists out there???????

Many Thanks
or as we fishkeepers say....
Many Tanks

Graeme (driver of the LemonCruiser :-)

"Bruce Hansen" <bruceh at powerup.com.au> on 08/15/99 09:29:15 PM

Please respond to rainbowfish at pcug.org.au

To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
cc: (bcc: Graeme J Finsen/AU/Schneider)

Subject: Re: [RML] Melanotaenia trifasciata and pH

As far as pH is concerned, I remember talking to Ed Fraser (at Pisces
Enterprises) who keeps some fish in his plant tanks. At one stage he tried
continuous monitoring of pH in some of his tanks, and gave up after a
couple
of weeks as the swings in pH associated with photosynthesis were so extreme
and seemed unrelated to any distress in his fish that he deemed it
unimportant .

Perhaps it is not the pH but the chemical nature of the individual acids
that si important.

Regards,
Bruce.

Bruce Hansen, A.N.G.F.A., Advancing Australian Aquatics.

Bruce Hansen, ANGFA, caring for our aquatic ecosystems.

Please visit us at http://www.ozemail.com.au/~fisher/angfa.htm

----- Original Message -----
From: Adrian Tappin <atappin at ecn.net.au>
To: <rainbowfish at pcug.org.au>
Sent: Sunday, 15 August 1999 13:13
Subject: Re: [RML] Melanotaenia trifasciata
>
> My weekly monitoring definitely showed that there are _wild swings_ when
it
> comes to aquarium water. Even between morning and night time.

snip

> In well-buffered aquariums with alkalinity levels above 50 ppm (mg/L),
the
> pH will be more stable. In the morning, carbon dioxide levels are high
and
> pH is low because of respiration during the night (carbon dioxide forms a
> mild acid when dissolved in water). When a suitable light source is
> provided, algae and other aquatic plants will produce carbohydrates and
> oxygen from carbon dioxide and water by photosynthesis. As carbon dioxide
is
> removed from the water, its pH increases. In aquarium systems, the pH
will
> generally drop in relation to the fish load, biological filtration,
feeding,
> and maintenance schedules. Therefore, the pH in an aquarium system is
> biologically different from that found in nature.