Understanding the role of alkalinity in the fish pond and nitrification process can save a lot of anguish, frustration, and fish! Biological filtration, or the ammonia removal process, in a fish pond requires a level of KH or carbonate alkalinity, sometimes referred to as carbonate hardness. Many test strips often have an indicator for carbonate alkalinity or hardness and often it's ignored. When alkalinity levels drop to low levels pH levels drop and the ammonia removal process, biological filtration, ceases too. This causes abrupt ammonia and nitrite spikes in the water that often result in mysterious fish loss. All to often carbonate hardness levels can be low and the nitrification process is poor causing minor spikes in ammonia and nitrite causing fish stress therefore allowing for disease to set in. Moral of the story: pay attention to the alkalinity indicator or hardness indicator on the test strip. It can save a lot of frustration.
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