New miracle water treatment?

[amanichen]

briggs said:

Ah ok i see, thank you.

So does all that CO2 disolving make the alkalin (sp) value go up in water?

CO2 dissolved in water will temporarily form carbonic acid due to a chemical reaction. A certain portion of the CO2 that goes into the water just doesn't react, and it'll start outgasing from the water back into the atmosphere. Since this is an equilibrium reaction, it is highly reversible, and as more CO2 leaves, it causes more of the carbonic acid to turn back into CO2 and water.

Generally, if you draw tap water, then within 24-48 hours the pH will have stabilized. Sometimes the change is quite large because there's lots of CO2 that needs to outgas, but other times the pH change won't even be readable using a color-bar test kit.

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If you're confused about alkalinity...

Think of it like this:
pH Scale:

Acidic <--------------> Basic*
Low pH <----------> High pH

*Some people mistakenly use "Alkaline" in terms of basic. Alkalinity is the carbonate/bicarbonate concentration in a water sample, also known as KH. Water with a higher alkalinity will have a higher pH, but alkalinity and pH are not the same thing.

The aquarium hobby and water quality industries tend to slap their own terminology on things, and often it ends up being different or contradictory to what actual chemists and chemical engineers use. Scientific terminology is designed not to cause confusion, while the colloquial use of many of these terms doesn't line up with what scientists use.

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Water chemistry in fish tanks is all about equilibrium chemistry which is something you generally have to be taught in school -- so lots of this makes no sense to the layman.

[briggs]

Here are my options.

Kent Ammo Detox + a ph 7.0 balancer (Not sure whos good wtih that stuff, anyone have any suggestions?)

OR

Sechem Prime 3 in 1. (chlorines, chloramines, ammonia and ph balancer)

I'm thinking the first option because that kent product seems to be impressive. But I've also heard good things about Prime on these forums.

Price is not a issue either, I need to get some of this within the next week or so as I'm almost out of my old stuff.

Thanks

[abm]

I use Proper pH 7.0 with good results. Wish I'd used it before Max died

[briggs]

hm.. I read the description on the proper ph on big als online store..

"Not for use in planted aquariums"

Does that mean its gona hurt my java moss?

[abm]

I haven't had a problem w/java moss....but to be honest, I care much more how the bettas do than whether the moss survives. My bettas are doing much better with the Proper pH 7.0, so I use it.