How Aquarium Nitrate drops Aquarium pH ?
Aquarium cycle follow the same course in nature. However in aquarium, nitrogenous waste products (fish waste, uneaten food, dead plant matter) are produced more than can be converted by living aquatic plants, so that nitrogenous compounds inevitably accumulate in the aquarium eventually. In a well-established aquarium with good biological filter, this nitrogenous compounds accumulation takes the form on steadily increasing aquarium nitrate content.
Only small proportion of the Ammonium (NH4) can be utilized as a nutrient by aquatic plants. A far larger proportion is oxidized into aquarium nitrate by nitrifying bacteria which mainly settle in the filter. Enough care should be taken to create conducive environment for bacterial growth. Please see our Aquarium cycle article for further reading.
Nitrification process can have significant influence on the aquarium pH value, which is quite often ignored and underestimated.
Aquarium Nitrate (NO3) as end-product of nitrification process in combination with water is nothing other than Nitric Acid (saltpeter acid=potassium salt), therefore it consumes carbonate hardness!. In aquarium with soft-water environment where carbonate hardness is low, 20-50 mg/l (ppm) aquarium nitrate levels can make the aquarium pH value drop to a dangerous level.
The constantly increasing aquarium nitrate level consumes more and more carbonate hardness until nothing is left, aquarium pH value drastically drop and finally kill your aquatic friends.
That's why it's important to keep your carbonate hardness level at a minimum 4-5°dKH by :
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Doing regular (every 2 weeks) partial water change (max 30%) to reduce aquarium nitrate level. There's no method of nitrate removal can totally replace the regularly water change.
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Healthy vegetation also contribute significantly in reducing aquarium nitrate level or at least can slow down its increase considerably.
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Checking your Carbonate Hardness (KH) level & other water parameters regularly by using aquarium test kits.
Check out our complete article about Methods of Nitrate Reduction for better understanding.
