Page 24 - Water and the Aquarium

GARGAS: Water and the Aquarium Page 24

Ok . . . let’s review again: by Mike Jacobs
1) HARDNESS . . . measuring hardness in your aquarium measures
the Calcium & Magnesium. END OF THE STORY!!!!!
2) pH is the measure the acidity or basicity (yes . . . that’s a word)
of a solution by measuring the Hydrogen (H ) ion. The scale goes
+
from 0-14 with 7 as the break between acidity and basicity (not
alkalinity). On a scale of 1-10 the pH is important to a ‘3’. How
ever, pH is the most important factor in Water Chemistry . . . not
fish keeping . . . later!
3) ALKALINITY . . . the measure of the buffering capacity
that is in water to KEEP the pH STABLE. Some water doesn’t
have much of the chemical and the pH can vary all over the
place (and does in nature) . . . some have it and are very stable.
Since the pH is only a ‘3’ in importance the Alkalinity is equally as
unimportant . . . generally (more later).
NEW NEW NEW NEW

CARBONATE HARDNESS (KH . . . I don’t know why not CH) . . .
KH and Alkalinity are one and the same. The difference in KH measurements
and Alkalinity is how the number is reported. It’s like Fahrenheit and Celsius
temperature . . . 80 degrees F is the SAME TEMPERATURE as 26.7 C . . . just
different scales . . . you know that!!! Alkalinity is measured in ‘parts/thousand’
(ppm or mg/l) and Carbonate Hardness is measured in DEGREES . . . but they
are of the same measure just like F & C measure the same temperature but give
0
0
different numbers!
OK . . . now here’s the biggiey!!!!! Now that I’ve told you about CAR-
BONATE HARDNESS (KH) . . . FORGET IT!!!!!!!! Well, remember it enough
to remember that it is EXACTLY THE SAME AS ALKALINITY . . . that’s what
is important in this lesson! Ok say it 3 times . . . CARBONATE HARDNESS is
the same as ALKALINITY! . . . 3 times . . . 3 times . . . 3 times!!!!!
To Table of Contents