Changing Ph
I don’t think it’s the nitrate, per se, that affects the pH level (maybe if the nitrate level got really high.. 300ppm+) but rather the fact that if you have a high nitrate level… 50ppm+, then your N-bacteria (and other bacteria) have been working hard consuming all of the ammonia/nitrite and when they are doing their jobs, they also use a lot of the trace elements and minerals in the water. As these levels (KH, etc.) go down, the pH goes down also. Further, as the bacteria works on the decaying detritus, they put out a lot of carbonic acid, CO2, etc. which further lowers the pH level..
That’s one of the reasons we use the nitrate test level as an indicator of when a PWC is needed but it should not be the only indicator.
If you have hard water with a high KH level, the pH will be less affected by the ecology of the tank whereas soft water with a low KH level will be more affected by the ecology of the tank.
Lenny Vasbinder Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com (Links to articles referenced above listed on the right side under Archives - Year, Month and under Labels)
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
