# ADAs Amazonia and kH/pH



## Nevermore (Mar 26, 2007)

ADA advertises its substrate Amazonia as capable of lowering kH and pH. To what extent can it do that? If you have a kH of 15 can it bring it down to 4? Will this be sustained water change after water change? It seems pretty incredible to me it could effect the water chemistry like that; hard to soft. Soft to hard, I understand.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

It will only drop those values for few days, and which they highly recommend you to make daily water changes to offset this change. It is mentioned in the packet insert when you open the bag.

Logically(and fortunately), this change is not permanent because as you make water changes, you are replacing all that is within the tank water with the water from tap or other sources. So no, this buffering capability will not last forever. 

The new Amazonia II is supposedly made more stable, but I guess only time will tell. Whoever will try it out can share that experience with us later


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

Nevermore said:


> ADA advertises its substrate Amazonia as capable of lowering kH and pH. To what extent can it do that? If you have a kH of 15 can it bring it down to 4? Will this be sustained water change after water change? It seems pretty incredible to me it could effect the water chemistry like that; hard to soft. Soft to hard, I understand.


KH is how much carbonate is in the water. Carbonate provides hydroxide (OH) which neutralizes hydrogen ion. pH is the H/OH ballance in the water, so if the substrate binds up OH from Carbonate dissolved in the water, it will lower pH and kH.

However, the previous poster is correct in saying that this will be temporary. Once all the surface are of the substrate has grabbed onto all the OH it can from the water, it will stop affecting pH and kH, since it has become totally saturated.


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## Nevermore (Mar 26, 2007)

ruki said:


> However, the previous poster is correct in saying that this will be temporary. Once all the surface are of the substrate has grabbed onto all the OH it can from the water, it will stop affecting pH and kH, since it has become totally saturated.


Paul says that Amazonia II is supposed to be more stable. Regardless, it's going to have the same problem of once its saturated, it can't continue to bind OH from the water when water is replaced.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

N, actually it is not a problem, haha The changing of pH and KH, on the other hand, were the reasons why ADA went and developed Aquasoil II. Because apparently, this was a phenomenon experienced mainly by us Americans. So ADA R&Ded the N.American market and churned out this new product for us. Personally, I welcomed the change of those values, but I guess to some, it was more of a bother than a blessing. And again, I can understand why some people would not like this change of pH and KH values. 


So yeah, ASII was made to cater to the American market. It just goes to show how much ADA value its clients and how far they are willing to go with regard to being in their service. Definitely, if someone is going to try ASII, please let us know how much more stable it is than AS. I have enough AS to last me in the mean time so I don't see the need to use it now.


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