What is alkalinity ?

[ltay]

Hi reefers

1. Is alkalinity same as ph ? I am familiar with PH.
2. How do I control alkalinity without using additives chemicals ?
3. How do I measure alkalinity ?
Thanks in advance.

 

[liquid]

1. Is alkalinity same as ph ? I am familiar with PH.

Alkalinity is different from pH. pH measures the acidity or basic nature of your water. Alkalinity on the other hand, measures the buffering capacity of your water (i.e. the resistance to changing pH).

2. How do I control alkalinity without using additives chemicals ?

You have to use additives to manage your alkalinity. You have a couple of options: use a commercial buffer (I prefer Kent Superbuffer dKH), use a calcium reactor, drip kalkwasser, or dose two part additives (I prefer B-Ionic which is a 2 part calcium/alkalinity product).

3. How do I measure alkalinity ?

You need to get your hands on a test kit to measure alkalinity. Personally I like the Salifert brand of test kits as the color change is pretty straight forward.

If you'd like to learn more about chemistry in your aquarium, I've got a good link for you: http://advancedaquarist.com/index/ Scroll down to the "Chemistry in the Aquarium" link on the left and you'll find a lot of good information there. To give you a quick summary, here's the articles that are currently there:

* Iodine In Reef Aquaria: Part I
* Choosing a Calcium & Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme
* Boron in the Reef Tank
* Solving Calcium & Alkalinity Problems
* Iron in the Reef Aquarium, Part II
* Phosphorus: Algae’s Best Friend
* Iron in the Reef Aquarium
* Calcium Carbonate as a Supplement
* Solutions to pH Problems
* The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH
* The Chemical & Biochemical Mechanisms of Calcification in Corals
* A look at Calcium
* A look at alkalinity, what it is, and why it's important
* Specific Gravity: Oh How Complicated!

hth

Shane

 

[liquid]

By the way...welcome to Reefs.org! You may also want to take a moment to paruse through the following URL to see what all is available on our website: http://www.reefs.org/library/howto.html

Shane