High PH

[Meyer Jordan]

Thank you - so the concrete was not allowed anywhere near long enough to cure.
How do I get myself out of this mess?

First, I would notify the people that built this pond for you.
A proper bonding of the sealant to the concrete can initially be determined visually. Look for bubbling, blistering and/or peeling of the coating. Any of these will indicate a poor bond.

 

[budgenator]

"The carbonation process requires the presence of water because CO2 dissolves in water forming H2CO3. If the concrete is too dry (RH <40%) CO2 cannot dissolve and no carbonation occurs. If on the other hand it is too wet (RH >90%) CO2 cannot enter the concrete and the concrete will not carbonate. Optimal conditions for carbonation occur at a RH of 50% (range 40-90%)."http://www.concrete-experts.com/pages/carb.htm Carbonation of Concrete

"At a relative humidity in excess of 90%, when pores are filled with water, carbonic acid is unable to penetrate the saturated pores and diffuse throughout the concrete, again preventing carbonation." http://precast.org/2015/07/understanding-carbonation/ Understanding Carbonation

@Waterbug neither of these sources support your position (underwater would be 100% humidity), yet it is plausible that in a submerged environment the carbonic acid could still diffuse into the concrete pores, It would seem that research into specific aquaculture application would be definitive.

 

[sissy]

My ph is almost always high 8's and my fish don't seem to mind as long as it is stable

 

[bagsmom]

My ph is almost always high 8's and my fish don't seem to mind as long as it is stable

Sissy -- if I can piggyback on this post -- are your plants happy? Mine seem puny and I was wondering if high pH was part of it. But it's just right at 8. Not above.

 

[cas]

@bagsmom , my pH runs about 8.4 and the flag iris and water lilies are doing fine. However, I can not grow water hyacinths like I use to - they do not grow larger or multiply very much like when the pH was lower.

 

[sissy]

some plants don't get enough nutrients from the ponds fish and need a little help .PH has nothing to do with plant health or growth .I take my hyacinth out and give them a miracle grow bath