Effect on Aquatic Species | A useful chart:
pH levels: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~ajclevel/pHeffects.htm |
Keep in mind, pH is a measurement. Lots of factors influence, pH, not just the addition of acid or base. Hard waters are less influenced by pH change, because of dissolved minerals which act to buffer change, like Rolaids. Keep in mind photosynthesis and respiration can have a measurable impact on pH. I have watched pH, in soft waters, rise during the day, in water with moderate growth of aquatic plants.
-- Bob Lusk | Pond Boss Message Board | http://pondboss.com/wwwboard/ |
pH level: http://www.algone.com/water_parameters.htm |pH is the measurement of hydrogen ions.
Increased hydrogen ions (less bonding) result in
a drop of the pH (more acidic water),
while a decrease results in a pH rise.pH = power of hydrogen.
pH is measured on a scale from 0-14.
The neutral value is 7,
while values below are more acidic (towards a car battery) and
values above 7 more basic (towards dish soap).Changes in pH are a common cause of fish fatalities.
Fish can adapt to most pH levels,
if not broadly out of range, but they can't adapt to bouncing values.This is because pH has a logarithmic function (mathematical - meaning ten-fold).
In other words, a change in pH from 7 to 6 means 10 times more acidic water.
A further drop to a pH of 5 equals 100 times more acidic water.If you have to adjust the pH in your tank, always consider the carbonate hardness.
The pH in harder water more difficult to adjust because it bounces back, while softer water is more easily adjusted. Keep in mind to change it slowly as it causes a lot of stress to your fish. Maintaining a stable pH is generally more the way to go.Some other facts about pH:
Ammonia increases in toxicity with rising pH
Nitrifying bacteria experience a growth and
action reduction starting at a pH value of 6 and lower
Science:
| http://www.ncsu.edu/sciencejunction/depot/experiments/water/lessons/pH/ |The determination of the pH of a substance is the measurement of the H+ ions found in that particular substance.
pH is determined and recorded as a number between 0 and 14.
Pure deionized water has a pH of 7 which is neutral.
This means that the level of H+ and OH- ions in pure water are equal.If the level of H+ ions increases,
the substance is considered an acid and the pH number is below 7.If the level of OH- ions increases,
the substance is considered to be alkaline or base and the pH number is above 7.An acid has a range of 0 to any numerical value below 7.
For example, 6.9 would be a weak acid.
A base has a range of any numerical value above 7 to 14
with 7 being a neutral value.A one-unit change in the pH, from 4 to 3,
is a ten-fold change in how acidic the substance has become.
This means that a pH of 3 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 4.In the United States the pH of most natural water systems
range from 6.5-8.5,but wide variations can occur
due to increases in the atmosphere of nitrogen oxides
and sulfur dioxides from automobile and coal-fired power plant emissions.These oxides are converted to nitric and sulfuric acids in the atmosphere
and fall to earth as acid rain or snow.This acidic precipitation can adversely affect the pH of aquatic ecosystems.
Most organisms are adapted to a specific pH level.
When pH increases or decreases,
the diversity of an ecosystem can be changed appreciably.
