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Acid Vs. AlkalineWater can be either acid, alkaline or neutral. This aspect of water quality can be expressed on a pH scale. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 being extremely acidic, 14 being extremely alkaline and 7 being neutral. Most plants and fishes thrive in waters of pH values from 6.6 to 7.4 and it is suggested that beginners keep within this range. It is also very important to note that the pH scale is a logarithmic scale. This means that the difference in value between pH 7 and 8 is not just doubled but ten-fold between pH 7 and 9, and hundred- fold between 7 and 10. This means that it gets more dangerous as values move further away from the neutral point. The most common way of regulating pH values is by first testing it by the use of test kits, available from pet stores. Whether the actual value is higher or lower than the desired value, this can be modified by pH buffers. Another way of regulating pH is through aeration and CO2 injection, but this is not recommended for beginners. Drastic variations in pH are to be avoided, and it is better off to keep a fish at a wrong pH value rather than making some instant 0.5 pH variation to the fish’s preferred value.
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