Hey, sounds like a pretty complex problem. The calculated pH will depend on what acid you use to buffer the solution... you can use any weak acid with its base salt to make a buffer. Sulfuric is a strong acid, so you'd probably have to use sulfate and bisulfate salts instead of the actual acid
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Two problems with ammonia sollutions. Ammonia + fish = dead fish. And there are bacteria in there that feed on ammonia, so the buffer would be consumed by that bacteria in short order. The fish themselves produce ammonia, but bacteria break it down into nitrite. There is then another group of bacteria that feed on the nitrite and reduce it to nitrate. All three chemicals of course reduce ph, and ammonia and nitrite are in quantities less than .25ppm thanks to the bacteria. However Nitrate stays around, and exists usually between 5ppm and 15ppm in a healthy well maintained aquarium, but can get as high as 50ppm before the fish die and algae take over
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Ah, didn't know this was for an aquarium, yeah, ammonia definitely not the greatest ;). The bisulfate salt is probably sodium or potassium bisulfate, just a guess there. Calcium bisulfate isn't very soluble. The alkalinity drop is due to some acid, probably the bisulfate salts which are fairly acidic.
It's possible to calculate pH if you start with RO or distilled water, and use a buffered solution. At least, it's possible to make the solution, check the pH, and then make the same solution again and get the same result. Calculating it accurately is actually pretty tough, because the Hendersen equation I posted is just an approximation (for "ideal" solutions). So, the best you can hope for is approximating the pH, adjusting it as necessary, but then you can repeat the steps and get the same result again.
Controlling the pH of an unbuffered solution is nearly impossible.
Wow, looks beautiful :). I'd really like to get out west and see you again sometime, I'm probably going to be in the Seattle area around June or so. I may or may not have a rental car though :/.
well if the timing is right I can always take the train up to seattle. I'm not sure if you know of the AMTRAK Cascades or not. But it's a daily train service, and portland to seattle round trip is like $50 on the right days of the week.
There is also the coast starlight. So that's an easy way to get from seattle to portland in relative luxury really. The trains have a 120volt socket at every seat, you can just plug a laptop in and watch a movie, or go to the bistro car and get compleatly fucking hammered on local micro brews.
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"If you're lowering carbonate to 10 ppm then it should NOT make a big difference in a buffered solution."
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It's possible to calculate pH if you start with RO or distilled water, and use a buffered solution. At least, it's possible to make the solution, check the pH, and then make the same solution again and get the same result. Calculating it accurately is actually pretty tough, because the Hendersen equation I posted is just an approximation (for "ideal" solutions). So, the best you can hope for is approximating the pH, adjusting it as necessary, but then you can repeat the steps and get the same result again.
Controlling the pH of an unbuffered solution is nearly impossible.
So, cool -- when did you get into aquariums? :)
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http://www.amtrakcascades.com/
There is also the coast starlight. So that's an easy way to get from seattle to portland in relative luxury really. The trains have a 120volt socket at every seat, you can just plug a laptop in and watch a movie, or go to the bistro car and get compleatly fucking hammered on local micro brews.
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