Randy Holmes-Farley
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Reef Chemistry Question of the Day [HASHTAG]#137[/HASHTAG]
OK, we'll take a short break from the gas diffusion questions to ask a different sort of question.
Corals get carbonate to make their calcium carbonate skeletons in two ways. Some is obtained from CO2 that is present from metabolic processes, and the coral spits out a couple of protons to make carbonate:
CO2 + H2O --> H2CO3 --> 2H+ + CO3-- (carbonate)
The other process involves direct uptake of either carbonate or bicarbonate from the water, and bicarbonate is believed to be the form used.
Many aquarists are very focused on maintaining a particular alkalinity, but not many think of what this means in terms of what corals really use: bicarbonate.
Which of the following aquarium situations has the highest bicarbonate concentration?
A. pH 7.6; alkalinity 6.3 dKH
B. pH 7.9; alkalinity 6.8 dKH
C. pH 8.3; alkalinity 7.9 dKH
D. pH 8.5; alkalinity 9.0 dKH
E. pH 8.6; alkalinity 9.9 dKH
Good luck!
.
OK, we'll take a short break from the gas diffusion questions to ask a different sort of question.
Corals get carbonate to make their calcium carbonate skeletons in two ways. Some is obtained from CO2 that is present from metabolic processes, and the coral spits out a couple of protons to make carbonate:
CO2 + H2O --> H2CO3 --> 2H+ + CO3-- (carbonate)
The other process involves direct uptake of either carbonate or bicarbonate from the water, and bicarbonate is believed to be the form used.
Many aquarists are very focused on maintaining a particular alkalinity, but not many think of what this means in terms of what corals really use: bicarbonate.
Which of the following aquarium situations has the highest bicarbonate concentration?
A. pH 7.6; alkalinity 6.3 dKH
B. pH 7.9; alkalinity 6.8 dKH
C. pH 8.3; alkalinity 7.9 dKH
D. pH 8.5; alkalinity 9.0 dKH
E. pH 8.6; alkalinity 9.9 dKH
Good luck!
.