Why is my kh so high?

[bjj_junkie]

I tested today and was shocked to find my calcium low and my kh too high. What causes kh to go up and what are the affects of it in a reef tank?

Parameters

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Phosphate 0ppm
Calcium 300
Kh 214.8
Salinity 1.024
Ph last 24 hours 8.04 - 8.35
Temp stays between 78.5 and 81.2

 

[Liberty]

Buffers? Do you use them? And is that dkh? Might need a.new test kit

 

[Ingy]

Standard measurement for Carbonate hardness is dKh, not ppm. so your 214 = 12 dKh. yes its high, but still in the acceptible range. As said, buffers and water changes will cause it to go up. Having a low calcium level like you do will allow it to stay up as well.

 

[jeffaquarius]

I had similar problem before and the reason is messing up the PH with buffers. Yes pwc is the solution as Ingy suggested.

 

[bjj_junkie]

I'm sorry, I'm still understanding the whole supplementation thing. don't I need to dose to get my calcium up? But is I keep dosing the kh stays high right?.. Pwc, are we talking 10%?

 

[Liberty]

I'm sorry, I'm still understanding the whole supplementation thing. don't I need to dose to get my calcium up? But is I keep dosing the kh stays high right?.. Pwc, are we talking 10%?

Dosing is a two part if you have the demand for it. Like hard corals. I would stop the kh or alkalinity dosing and just do pwc water changes 10% a weeks good. Still it drops to 10
I keep mine around 8.5 to 9 dkh calcium 430 and don't forget magnesium 1350
Look up bulk reef supply on You tube

 

[bjj_junkie]

Dosing is a two part if you have the demand for it. Like hard corals. I would stop the kh or alkalinity dosing and just do pwc water changes 10% a weeks good. Still it drops to 10
I keep mine around 8.5 to 9 dkh calcium 430 and don't forget magnesium 1350
Look up bulk reef supply on You tube

I do have hard corals that's why it's alarming to find it so low. I supplement magnesium weekly

 

[Ingy]

Yup, 10% weekly pwc will help stabalize levels. But having a low calcium will allow carbonates to climb. they have 2 different additives and if in a 2 part system like Liberty says, they will both go up together. But you really need your calc to go up, which means only 1 part needed.
Of course, if you don't have any corals you shouldn't need to dose at all.

 

[Gregcoyote]

It's a balancing act between calcium and alkalinity. Reefs have several chemical/biological balances that need maintaining and if you grow hard corals, this is a major one. Only two or three chemicals are involved here, adding calcium with a reactor or chemically to keep the value high as hard corals will deplete it. If you only have a few hard corals, supplementing isn't needed as modern salt mixes generally have all the calcium you need. Alkalinity can burn corals and allow ph to swing wildly if allowed to get too low. I shoot for a dkh of 9-12 and a calcium above 500ppm. Test and add supplements as needed over at least a week, no sudden changes, if calcium is okay, just add alkalinity until it gets where you want it. BRS has excellent info on this and sells the components for the solutions for far less than the packaged solutions at the LFS. My best guess is that a bit of properly prepared baking soda would set your alkalinity right.

Last thing, when you start growing concrete hard pink algae everywhere and are cursing it while trying to get it off...you have created optimum conditions for hard corals to grow.

 

[Liberty]

I do have hard corals that's why it's alarming to find it so low. I supplement magnesium weekly

So you only used a buffer to keep the kh up?
And didn't dose calcium

 

[Animal-Chin]

Check this out, it should help you understand the chemistry...

http://youtu.be/vjFWU-TUII4

 

[bjj_junkie]

So you only used a buffer to keep the kh up?
And didn't dose calcium

Yes, I use kent tech cb but always the same amount of both never one more than the other. Should I dose one more than the other to get the calcium up?

 

[Liberty]

Yes, I use kent tech cb but always the same amount of both never one more than the other. Should I dose one more than the other to get the calcium up?

Yes some times you have growth spurts and they use more of one. Test and adjust the dose.
I dose more cal then alk. The key is to test weekly ones to low add a LITTLI bit more daily, over time slowly bring it back up. Same if its to high little less.

 

[Reefer4eva]

This is what i been using for my sps dominant tank with great success Brightwell Aquatics - Kalk+2

 

[bjj_junkie]

This is what i been using for my sps dominant tank with great success Brightwell Aquatics - Kalk+2

I might give that a try, do you just does that or would I have to use the current supplements I'm on now as well?

 

[Sniperhank]

My biggest question is why are you dosing your tank to begin with? Even some heavy SPS dominate tanks do not require dosing, it is hard to believe most of the time that our tanks require it at all when a good salt mix will keep the levels where we want them to be with weekly water changes. A new type of salt with higher calcium, alk, and mag might solve your concern without accidentally elevating one level too high.
Kent salt is one that has higher calcium and alk, I use it and love it. Some research into it will find what is best for you, or you can simply ask of course. Hope this helps.

 

[Ingy]

I'd just keep using what you've got for now. I use the same stuff but I also add more Calcium part than Carbonate part. Over a 5 day period I add 60mL Calcium to 40mL Carbonate. I recently even skipped the Alk part (I dose Alk thru my ATO every 5 days) as my alk was getting high.

 

[bjj_junkie]

My biggest question is why are you dosing your tank to begin with? Even some heavy SPS dominate tanks do not require dosing, it is hard to believe most of the time that our tanks require it at all when a good salt mix will keep the levels where we want them to be with weekly water changes. A new type of salt with higher calcium, alk, and mag might solve your concern without accidentally elevating one level too high.
Kent salt is one that has higher calcium and alk, I use it and love it. Some research into it will find what is best for you, or you can simply ask of course. Hope this helps.

Because I find water changes to be a huge pain in the a$$. I gotta make ro water, mix salt, measure it and so on... I rather supplement the water

 

[Gregcoyote]

That won't replace occasional water changes. Supplements will help (if you truly need them) but water changes export other organics your filtration may not get. Also replenishes other minerals. I don't do a lot of water changing as I test all the time, but I certainly wouldn't eliminate them.

 

[bjj_junkie]

That won't replace occasional water changes. Supplements will help (if you truly need them) but water changes export other organics your filtration may not get. Also replenishes other minerals. I don't do a lot of water changing as I test all the time, but I certainly wouldn't eliminate them.

I'll try a 10% wc this weekend and see how the calcium looks after