Checked ph and it is way up, so added some ph reducer. Also checked the
Nitrate, Ammonia and nitrite they are all very low.
What causes the ph to rise? And how should I control it? I also put
the WH in a pail of water / miracle grow. How long should I leave them in
there?
Thanks for all the help !
"



~ janj JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 07:16:22 -0600, "G & K Meyer"
wrote:

Hi, Ponders
Well the EE is at least starting to look like a plant now. I hope it
takes off and gives me some shade yet this summer.
Took a few shots and posted them for you to see of the plants and
fish,
and please give me some feed back. Maybe you got some ideas to help these
small EE move to the larger stag faster.
Thanks and have a great day.
Here is the site.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...i&x=0&y=mfi7fn

The EE looks like it has some new bigger leaves coming, so looks good. I
don't think it will take long to take off.

The WH looks a little anemic, you might want to check you pH. If that is
under 8.5 you might want to give it some time in a sunny tub with miracle
grow.... especially if the fish have been eating the roots.

Water Lilies, and this is for everyone to whom it applies, remove pads
with
tears, they don't help the plant and can actually attract pests. Pinching
them off will keep your plant producing new pads more often and the
appearance of your lily will always look fresh. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~


--
Greg &/or Kellie Meyer / GEM STAR Enterprises, Inc.

Checked ph and it is way up, ...

To what?

What causes the ph to rise?

Is your pond made from concrete? The usual cause of high
ph in ponds is high ph source water or limaceous cement used
in the construction of the pond

C//

"G & K Meyer" wrote in message
...
Checked ph and it is way up, so added some ph reducer. Also checked the
Nitrate, Ammonia and nitrite they are all very low.
What causes the ph to rise? And how should I control it? I also put
the WH in a pail of water / miracle grow. How long should I leave them
in
there?
Thanks for all the help !
=========================
If the fish are adapted to the high HP it's safer to leave it alone - unless
it's through the roof. How are the fish acting? You should get zero
readings on Ammonia and Nitrates.

I leave plants in the tubs of fertilizer (when needed) for about 48 hours,
or until they are obvious "greener."
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Courageous" wrote in message
...

Checked ph and it is way up, ...

To what?

What causes the ph to rise?

Is your pond made from concrete? The usual cause of high
ph in ponds is high ph source water or limaceous cement used
in the construction of the pond

C//
===============
This is true. Some people think limestone rocks raise the PH. That hasn't
been our experience.

The liner of the 2000 gp will cover the cement berm so there will be no
contact between the water and berm. My water tends to run alkaline here.
Straight from the tap it was 7.2 a few years ago. It hasn't been tested
since. I just bought new test kits today. The price sure has gone up.
Tomorrow I'll do tests I never did before. This should be interesting.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 22:06:12 -0600, "G & K Meyer"
wrote:

Checked ph and it is way up, so added some ph reducer. Also checked the
Nitrate, Ammonia and nitrite they are all very low.
What causes the ph to rise? And how should I control it?

pH of 6 to 9 is acceptable to keep fish. pH is not a thing, but a
relationship of hydrogen ions that is used to determine the acidity of
the water. It will vary overnight because the plants produce carbon
dioxide and use oxygen during the hours of darkness. The carbon
dioxide produces carbonic acid in the water and the pH drops slightly.
Mine varies about .4 from a pH of 7.8 early morning to 8.2 later in
the day. The fish accept this as normal.

pH reducers are acids that directly effect/reduce the KH (carbonate
hardness/total alkalinity), which stabilizes the pH. Before adding
these acids it is a good idea to check the KH.

The best temporary control for pH is baking soda, or bicarbonate of
soda. A more lasting remedy would be calcium carbonate. I use
ground garden limestone which stops dissolving at about a pH of 7.8
and won't raise the pH higher. I think sea shells stop at about the
same pH, but ground garden limestone is available at local garden
centers.

Regards,

Hal

1200 gal pond, rubber liner with stone.
Reason we checked was from response to question about plants.
I bought pool test strips that go from 6.8 to 8.4 ph and test last
night it was at least 8.4 ph so added 8oz of ph reducer, Checked this AM
still 8.4 so added 8oz more.
Fish seem to be doing ok. I read that best ph is 7.0 for fish?
Any ideas on control of ph? What would cause this, besides concrete?
Could this be why some of our plants just don't look as good this year?
We have never really tested water before. What is the best way to test and
how do you know when to test?
Thank again.


"Courageous" wrote in message
...

Checked ph and it is way up, ...

To what?

What causes the ph to rise?

Is your pond made from concrete? The usual cause of high
ph in ponds is high ph source water or limaceous cement used
in the construction of the pond

C//

I bought pool test strips that go from 6.8 to 8.4 ph and test last
night it was at least 8.4 ph

Koi prefer 7-7.6 ph.

I read that best ph is 7.0 for fish?

There is no universal ph for fish. A ph of 7 is approximately neutral.
Marine fishes prefer a ph of 8.2-8.4 or so. Koi can tolerate higher ph
than the listed range.

What would cause this, besides concrete?

Your tap water is the most likely cause. Test your ph right out of the tap.

How old is your pond? How many fish do you have, and how young are they?

C//

"Hal" wrote in message
...
The best temporary control for pH is baking soda, or bicarbonate of
soda. A more lasting remedy would be calcium carbonate. I use
ground garden limestone which stops dissolving at about a pH of 7.8
and won't raise the pH higher. I think sea shells stop at about the
same pH, but ground garden limestone is available at local garden
centers.
=======================
Or get it for free if you know someone with a little property in a limestone
area. I get it clean and free from the woods behind my house. The PH of my
ponds never dropped below 7.2 in the days I checked it regularly.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

G & K Meyer wrote:

1200 gal pond, rubber liner with stone.
Reason we checked was from response to question about plants.
I bought pool test strips that go from 6.8 to 8.4 ph and test last
night it was at least 8.4 ph so added 8oz of ph reducer, Checked this AM
still 8.4 so added 8oz more.
Fish seem to be doing ok. I read that best ph is 7.0 for fish?

A _stable_ pH is best for your fish. Which means a good buffer (like
limestone).
Any ideas on control of ph?

Absolutely no commercial "ph reducer", for a start.

What would cause this, besides concrete?
Could this be why some of our plants just don't look as good this
year?

Definitely. Your plants are more likely to be affected by high pH than your
fish.

We have never really tested water before. What is the best way to test
and how do you know when to test?

Try not to test for pH - it just causes headaches :-)

--
derek

The use of pH reducers to get the pH down to a theoretically ideal number is
problematic. They reduce the carbonate hardness that stabilizes the pH.
The pH will increase during the day when plants are producing O2 and
decrease overnight when the plants and fish produce CO2, which becomes
carbonic acid. If the KH, carbonate hardness drops, the filter bacteria
shut down, the pH swings wildly, and pH crashes will kill fish. I use
baking soda to keep my KH over 100, up to 300 ppm, and that assures me of a
constant 8.4 pH. Koi will tolerate pH ranges from about 6 to over 9, but
they don't tolerate large pH swings.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html

"G & K Meyer" wrote in message
...
Checked ph and it is way up, so added some ph reducer. Also checked the
Nitrate, Ammonia and nitrite they are all very low.
What causes the ph to rise? And how should I control it? I also put
the WH in a pail of water / miracle grow. How long should I leave them
in
there?
Thanks for all the help !
"



~ janj JJsPond.us" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 07:16:22 -0600, "G & K Meyer"
wrote:

Hi, Ponders
Well the EE is at least starting to look like a plant now. I hope it
takes off and gives me some shade yet this summer.
Took a few shots and posted them for you to see of the plants and
fish,
and please give me some feed back. Maybe you got some ideas to help these
small EE move to the larger stag faster.
Thanks and have a great day.
Here is the site.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...i&x=0&y=mfi7fn

The EE looks like it has some new bigger leaves coming, so looks good. I
don't think it will take long to take off.

The WH looks a little anemic, you might want to check you pH. If that is
under 8.5 you might want to give it some time in a sunny tub with miracle
grow.... especially if the fish have been eating the roots.

Water Lilies, and this is for everyone to whom it applies, remove pads
with
tears, they don't help the plant and can actually attract pests. Pinching
them off will keep your plant producing new pads more often and the
appearance of your lily will always look fresh. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~


--
Greg &/or Kellie Meyer / GEM STAR Enterprises, Inc.

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
G & K Meyer wrote:

1200 gal pond, rubber liner with stone.
Reason we checked was from response to question about plants.
I bought pool test strips that go from 6.8 to 8.4 ph and test last
night it was at least 8.4 ph so added 8oz of ph reducer, Checked this
AM
still 8.4 so added 8oz more.
Fish seem to be doing ok. I read that best ph is 7.0 for fish?

A _stable_ pH is best for your fish. Which means a good buffer (like
limestone).
Any ideas on control of ph?

Absolutely no commercial "ph reducer", for a start.

What would cause this, besides concrete?
Could this be why some of our plants just don't look as good this
year?

Definitely. Your plants are more likely to be affected by high pH than
your
fish.

We have never really tested water before. What is the best way to test
and how do you know when to test?

Try not to test for pH - it just causes headaches :-)
===============================
After several years I finally bought a test kit that checks several things.
I was just curious. The only kit I usually have on hand is an Ammonia test
kit. As long as my fish are healthy and reproducing, I wouldn't change
anything anyway.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

pond 4 years old at least. ph out of tap is 6.3. fish about a dozen.
fish about as old as pond with some new off spring. Fish seem to be fine.
but plants not doing so good.


"Courageous" wrote in message
news

I bought pool test strips that go from 6.8 to 8.4 ph and test last
night it was at least 8.4 ph

Koi prefer 7-7.6 ph.

I read that best ph is 7.0 for fish?

There is no universal ph for fish. A ph of 7 is approximately neutral.
Marine fishes prefer a ph of 8.2-8.4 or so. Koi can tolerate higher ph
than the listed range.

What would cause this, besides concrete?

Your tap water is the most likely cause. Test your ph right out of the
tap.

How old is your pond? How many fish do you have, and how young are they?

C//

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 17:54:39 -0600, "G & K Meyer" wrote:

pond 4 years old at least. ph out of tap is 6.3. fish about a dozen.
fish about as old as pond with some new off spring. Fish seem to be fine.
but plants not doing so good.

Strips are only good to show a problem, and thus get the big guns out, the
liquid test kits. I highly recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, if buying in
local store, check the lot no. for the date of manufacture.

Since your strip only goes to 8.4 you don't know if your pond is 8.4 or
much higher. Get a wide range pH testor that goes to at least 9.0 and get a
KH tester.... in the meantime, gives us your pH in the AM and PM. If it is
swinging widely, that is more reason to be concerned.

The only acceptable numbers for ammonia & nitrite are zeros. Anything else
treat them. Ammonia with an ammonia locking (chloramine remover) chemical
and salt for nitrite. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

pond 4 years old at least. ph out of tap is 6.3. fish about a dozen.
fish about as old as pond with some new off spring. Fish seem to be fine.
but plants not doing so good.

Wierd. You have any white rocks in there?

C//

I should add that our pond is on a every third day fill cycle, it gets new
water with I tested and is a very low ph so that should bring it down every
third day right?
Also What is this KH ? What does it do?
The strips I have test for Hardness, Chlorine, Bromine, ph, Alkalinity and
Stabilizer.
I can start to check AM and PM but like I mentioned with my pond filling
to day will that make difference?
It has been in the 90's for awhile here could temp have anything to do
with ph ?
Thanks again, this group is great.

pond 4 years old at least. ph out of tap is 6.3. fish about a dozen.
fish about as old as pond with some new off spring. Fish seem to be fine.
but plants not doing so good.

Strips are only good to show a problem, and thus get the big guns out, the
liquid test kits. I highly recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, if buying
in
local store, check the lot no. for the date of manufacture.

Since your strip only goes to 8.4 you don't know if your pond is 8.4 or
much higher. Get a wide range pH testor that goes to at least 9.0 and get
a
KH tester.... in the meantime, gives us your pH in the AM and PM. If it is
swinging widely, that is more reason to be concerned.

The only acceptable numbers for ammonia & nitrite are zeros. Anything else
treat them. Ammonia with an ammonia locking (chloramine remover) chemical
and salt for nitrite. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~