Your setup looks great!
Water pH after mixing fertilizer is very dependent on what is in the water to start. A lot of dissolved minerals act as a buffer, minimizing changes in pH when acid or base are added. So it has to be tested for each municipal water supply or well.
As an example, putting collected rain into a planted, soft-water aquarium intended for fish from very low mineral content water (like South American tetras) gives a tank that rapidly becomes more and more acidic. Within 1-3 weeks the water would become too acid for the fish to live. This is because breakdown products of organic matter in the soil release a lot of acids. When I mix just 10% of my municipal tap water, with TDS 800-1200, with 90% rain, the dissolved minerals buffer the organic acids, and the tank maintains a stable pH.
A more detailed explanation of acid-base buffering is far beyond the scope of Orchid Board, but would make very interesting reading for those so inclined.
|
Threaded Mode
