The Planted Tank Forum - View Single Post

anonapersona · 02-15-2003, 08:28 PM

I observe a white haze in my bubble counter. I suspect that it is the baking soda that I add to my DIY mix. At next water change I will break open that bubble counter and test the KH of that water to see if that tells me anything.

I know that something travels from the generator through the line, I had snot forming on my airstone before I set up the bubble counter. If there is no bubble counter, then that might have gone into the tank. I have assumed that it is simply yeast, as yeast is in the air always, and especially so in my yeast generator.

I don't know what the ingredients are in the yeast nutrient that was used here or if they are fish safe. I am asking questions because I want to know if it is possible for the yeast nutrient to get into the tank, or bubble counter, as the case may be. If there are phosphates affecting the KH in this tank, the KH would be meaningless for the CO2 charts.

I understand that gravel can affect KH, but I don't know if that is what happened here, that's why I am curious about the higher KH and if that was a new or old phenomena. I don't know if a pH of 6.0 will suddenly change KH by breaking down gravel, when 6.6 didn't. Maybe it could.

A phosphate test of this tank would tell me something I guess.

I know that the simple answer for what happened here is that the highly efficient reactor plus the very active yeast plus the soft, unbuffered water led to a fishkill from CO2 overdose. And that the KH was simply from the gravel. The very unlikely answer is that there was any phosphate and yeast nutrient traveling into the tank affecting the KH at the same time. I'm just wondering.

02-15-2003, 08:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
anonapersona Moderator (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,614	I observe a white haze in my bubble counter. I suspect that it is the baking soda that I add to my DIY mix. At next water change I will break open that bubble counter and test the KH of that water to see if that tells me anything. I know that something travels from the generator through the line, I had snot forming on my airstone before I set up the bubble counter. If there is no bubble counter, then that might have gone into the tank. I have assumed that it is simply yeast, as yeast is in the air always, and especially so in my yeast generator. I don't know what the ingredients are in the yeast nutrient that was used here or if they are fish safe. I am asking questions because I want to know if it is possible for the yeast nutrient to get into the tank, or bubble counter, as the case may be. If there are phosphates affecting the KH in this tank, the KH would be meaningless for the CO2 charts. I understand that gravel can affect KH, but I don't know if that is what happened here, that's why I am curious about the higher KH and if that was a new or old phenomena. I don't know if a pH of 6.0 will suddenly change KH by breaking down gravel, when 6.6 didn't. Maybe it could. A phosphate test of this tank would tell me something I guess. I know that the simple answer for what happened here is that the highly efficient reactor plus the very active yeast plus the soft, unbuffered water led to a fishkill from CO2 overdose. And that the KH was simply from the gravel. The very unlikely answer is that there was any phosphate and yeast nutrient traveling into the tank affecting the KH at the same time. I'm just wondering.