thinking of adding GHO ORGANIC HUMIC ACID SOLUBLE GRANULES 93% humic and fulvic.

[martink]

to lower ph from 6.8 . kh2 gh 3, tds 70. seems like it might be a nice additive along with ground beech bark. anythoughts from someone with better chem experience, im just experimenting. I was thinking of using acetic acid as i soak wood in ascetic acid/cinnamon solution and I think my fish colour up better when the wood is newly added, so thinking it might be better to add some kind of acid. thought this might be better than ascetic acid sol.

 

[MacZ]

The stuff is a fertilizer, designed to chelate micro nutrients in plant soil. It's also hard to dose, as barely anyone has any experience of using that highly concentrated humic acids in Aquaria. What makes me really wary whether this is a good idea is that the package says pH 9.5.

In any case stay away from stronger acids they just raise conductivity, which is the opposite of what you will want. Rather have a higher pH (6-6.5) and low TDS (<50mg/l) than low pH (5) and high TDS (>100).

If you want reliable and save humic substances go for tropical botanicals, local leaf litter, alder cones or peat (the latter can not be sourced sustainably though.). Or take the humic substance powders especially designed for aquaria those can hardly be overdosed.

Edit: In any case, if you really want to try: Start with a small package and experiment first with samples from your tank, a pH-meter and a conductivity meter. And then maybe don't try it immediately on your main tanks. I'm against possibly sacrificing fish for such experiments.

 

[martink]

The stuff is a fertilizer, designed to chelate micro nutrients in plant soil. It's also hard to dose, as barely anyone has any experience of using that highly concentrated humic acids in Aquaria. What makes me really wary whether this is a good idea is that the package says pH 9.5.

In any case stay away from stronger acids they just raise conductivity, which is the opposite of what you will want. Rather have a higher pH (6-6.5) and low TDS (<50mg/l) than low pH (5) and high TDS (>100).

If you want reliable and save humic substances go for tropical botanicals, local leaf litter, alder cones or peat (the latter can not be sourced sustainably though.). Or take the humic substance powders especially designed for aquaria those can hardly be overdosed.

Edit: In any case, if you really want to try: Start with a small package and experiment first with samples from your tank, a pH-meter and a conductivity meter. And then maybe don't try it immediately on your main tanks. I'm against possibly sacrificing fish for such experiments.

thanks macz

 

[Ben Rhau]

What makes me really wary whether this is a good idea is that the package says pH 9.5.

Humic acid isn’t very soluble at acidic pH, so it likely contains sodium hydroxide (a strong base).

 

[MacZ]

Humic acid isn’t very soluble at acidic pH, so it likely contains sodium hydroxide (a strong base).

Well then it's definitely nothing I would pour into an aquarium for softwater fish.

 

[Apistoguy52]

to lower ph from 6.8 . kh2 gh 3, tds 70. seems like it might be a nice additive along with ground beech bark. anythoughts from someone with better chem experience, im just experimenting. I was thinking of using acetic acid as i soak wood in ascetic acid/cinnamon solution and I think my fish colour up better when the wood is newly added, so thinking it might be better to add some kind of acid. thought this might be better than ascetic acid sol.

I use muriatic as it’s pretty easy to get hands on. PH goes from 7.4 to 5.5, and tds go from 30ppm, to 37 with my “usual” dosage.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I use muriatic as it’s pretty easy to get hands on. PH goes from 7.4 to 5.5, and tds go from 30ppm, to 37 with my “usual” dosage.

Muriatic acid is HCl, and a "strong acid", so you need to be very careful with it.

Cheers Darrel

 

[anewbie]

Hi all,

Muriatic acid is HCl, and a "strong acid", so you need to be very careful with it.

Cheers Darrel

I guess you don't recommend using it in a cocktail.

 

[MacZ]

I guess you don't recommend using it in a cocktail.

*enter very dark humored answer here*

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

using it in a cocktail

No, but I only <"drink beer"> (or Espresso Martini).

In terms of acids? I would prefer a "weak acid", like citric acid, but there is no reason you can't use HCl. @regani (a chemist) has some useful "cocktail"comments in: <"https://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threads/700-liter-amazone.13197/#post-71427">.

cheers Darrel