What does an ATS actually do to the water parameters?

[HawkinsStu]

Hi Everyone,

First things first, Im new to this forums and just wanted to say im excited to be here! After keeping freshwater fish for many years im so happy to try something thats a natural process!

From the UK and keep purly freshwater setups.

Future Situation:
Currently building a fish room to hold over 1,200ltrs of water over 3 tanks, all will be plumbed into a central sump (already weighted up the pros and cons in doing this). My aim is to keep wild discus and hopfully breed them (fingures cross). As some of your maybe aware wild discus prefer water with a ph of around 6-6.5 and softwater.

I have built my own srubber based on SM's desgined but slighty larger which i will post pics of soon, to purly help me control nitrates and phosphates. No mechanical filtation what so ever.

Currently my tap water is around 7.5 and hardness is medium.

So my question is what does an ATS do to the water parameters in a freshwater setup? Raise ph? is so what to? softens or hardens the water?

Thanks in advanced and look farward to your replies to my silly questions :D

[NarkyMark]

I would say if anything it slightly lowers PH but not by much, this is due mainly to the release of Amino Acids into the display, I have crap a water supply with totally zilch buffering capacities and a PH of 7.22 but mine always varies between a 7.05 low and 7.15 high through a 24hr period (using a Seneye), I'm of the line of thought that a consistent PH is more important than a correct PH.
Depending on your water supply (mine is very, very soft) will determine whether it increases in hardness overtime as you will only be replacing evaporated water with a scrubber so minerals etc will be left behind to accumulate over time, just keep a check on things to see whether a PWC once every few months is necessary to alter the hardness.
HTH

[SantaMonica]

I believe is will slightly raise pH by .1 or .2.

It will probably also lower the alk a bit.

[NarkyMark]

......Now I'm confused, how can PH increase but Alkalinity decrease :?
Not doubting you Santa, I just can't get my head around it......

[SantaMonica]

Alk does not raise or lower pH directly; it just depends on where on the pH-hydrogen-alkalinity curve you are on. Algae increases pH and shifts the curve a bit. Algae can use some alk if the growth is quick and heavy, but the curve is still shifted.

[NarkyMark]

....I knew I should of listened to my Chemistry teacher.
Thanks anyway! :)