Q. What is alkalinity?

A. Alkalinity is the acid neutralizing capacity of a solution, In other words, alkalinity is a buffering zone that keeps pH at a stable, safe value. Animal metabolism and waste decomposition form carbonic acid which then forms the two anions bicarbonate and carbonate. The carbonic acid would decrease the pH if it weren’t for that disassociation. The formation of carbonates maintains the balance of Hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-), if the balance is disrupted or the equilibrium reaches full capacity then the pH can fluctuate due to excess or insufficient carbon dioxide (CO2) in the system. Carbonate reacts with calcium to form calcium carbonate which is taken out of the system by skeleton building and shell formation. It is important to maintain calcium levels to avoid depletion. Alkalinity should remain higher than 3.0 meg/liter to ensure pH stability.