best kh range?

[nicksgirl]

What is the ideal kh range for a reef tank? I am at 5.5 meg/l (which is 15.4 dkh, I believe)

The LFS guy said to shoot for 8 to 12 dkh.
How can I bring the reading down? and do I really need to?... don't tell me, let me guess.... another water change?... aar-rrgh!

TIA

 

[Tomd]

8 to 12 sounds right. Why is it so low is important to figure out. Have you dosed your tank with anything? Remember that CA has a relationship with ALk so you should check both. One may be very high while the other is low.

Here is an article to help:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

 

[nicksgirl]

Thanks fr the article I will check it out. I did dose the tank (on the advice of the LFS). I put in a round of "Kalkwasser". This is supposed to balance the calcium and alklinity. (I think). It was recommended to me because my water was so hard.

As for the numbers: I am at 15.4 on the scale you are using. But I will do a water change today in order to dilute the nitrites. Maybe that will help?

 

[melosu58]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php#2

 

[Tomd]

Kalk does not rise the levels. It mainatains them.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Thanks fr the article I will check it out. I did dose the tank (on the advice of the LFS). I put in a round of "Kalkwasser". This is supposed to balance the calcium and alklinity. (I think). It was recommended to me because my water was so hard.

As for the numbers: I am at 15.4 on the scale you are using. But I will do a water change today in order to dilute the nitrites. Maybe that will help?

Personally, I'd stop dosing until you understand why you're dosing with whatever it is you're dosing with. LFS recommendations can be good, and they can be really really bad, depending on the store. You need to weed out the good info from the bad.

Also... 15.4 on the dKH scale is NOT low. It is high.

Nitrates (I think that's what you meant... hopefully you don't have nitrItes in your tank?) won't really make much of a difference on your alkalinity... which is what the 15.4 measures.

Your original question summed it up right... 8-12 dKH is the good range. Time, and water changes, will get you there.

 

[Tomd]

Opps thanks for catching that! I was explaing the low-to high ration and mixed um!

And that advice about not listening to everything an LFS tells you is probably the most important lesson to learn while new to the hobby.

And about the high level, do not add anything and do some good PWC's and see if it levels out.

 

[melosu58]

And about the high level, do not add anything and do some good PWC's and see if it levels out.