dK level - How to

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behaguef

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
29
Location
Florida
my dk is currently at 8 and I can't get it raise to 10. I have been increasing the carbonate quantities but won't work. what are the best options to bring it up to 12? would that accelerate SPS coral growth and calcium consumption?
 
On the reefs in nature, the alk is about 7 dKH. Your 8 is fine. You can raise it to 10, but I wouldn't recommend 12. As Neilan asked, what "carbonates" are you using to raise it? There is nothing better than plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda. ;)

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters
 
I am currently using Reef Carbonate from Seachem at a higher dose than indicated on the bottle and Reef Complete for Calcium supplement.
 
What are your current parameters?
calcium
alkalinity (8?)
magnesium
phosphate
salinity
What brand salt do you use?
Exactly how much of each of those additives are you dosing, how often and how do you dose? Where do you dump the chemicals and do you dump it in dry...assuming they come packaged dry?
How many hard corals are in your tank that would be consuming the carbonates at a rate that water changes can't keep up?
 
Calcium 450
dk 8
magnesium not tested
phosphate not tested but should be close to 0 (I am using Chemipure Elite)
salinity 1.025
Salt Brand: reef crystal with distilled water
All additives are liquids. I dump them in the return pump chamber.
Carbonate dose: 2 full cap every day/ calcium: 2 full cap twice a week/ reef plus everyday 2 cap.I have 2 monti cap/ 1 green bali/ 1 digi/ 1 deep water/ zoo, green trumpet, kenya tree and purple mushrooms, 1 orange gorgonian. I also use purple up once a week and kent iodine supplement once a week. I do evaporate a lot... almost 1 gallon every other day. your thoughts?
 
1st save yourself some $ and after you finish those bottles don't buy anymore. Check out Bulk Reef Supply for your alk, calcium and magnesium supplements. Totally forget about the Purple Up and what's your iodine level? Never dose anything you don't test. When evaporation occurs, only pure water evaporates. Everything else stays.

According to the Reef Chemistry Calculator, assuming you have 40g total water volume, you need 5.7 capfuls to raise your alk from 8 to 10 dKH using Seachem Reef Carbonate.

Using Reef Crystals, your mag should be OK. In fact your parameters are pretty much right in line with what you should get using Reef Crystals. I would suggest not messing around too much with additives. You parameters are fine now and you can easily throw them out of balance.

Chemipure Elite is not an efficient phosphate remover, even if they claim it is. Can you post a few pics of your tank? A pic tells 1000 words. ;)
 
thanks for the info. It's great help. What do you recommend from Bulk Reef Supply? SHould I bring the dK up to 10? Would it help in my coral growth? Should I remove the Chemipure Elite from the filter? I will post some pictures.
 
thanks for the info. It's great help. What do you recommend from Bulk Reef Supply? SHould I bring the dK up to 10? Would it help in my coral growth? Should I remove the Chemipure Elite from the filter? I will post some pictures.
Before you even purchase additives, test your water parameters every day. Don't add anything. Test everyday for 5 days. See how much did your calcium, alk and magnesium drop in that time. When corals form their hard calcium carbonate skeleton, the will use 1 meq/l of alkalinity for every 20 ppm of calcium. If you buy anything, get the calcium chloride (for dosing calcium) and magnesium chloride(for mag). Their magnesium sulfate is plain old Epsom Salt. Their sodium carbonate is just baked Arm & Hammer baking soda and their sodium bicarbonate is regular Arm & Hammer. Buy it yourself from the grocery store. ;)
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
You can raise your alk to 10. There is evidence some corals grow faster at slighty elevated alk levels. But the difference is not alot. If a coral grows 6"/yr at 8 dKH, it might grow 6.5"/yr at 10 dKH.
by the way how do you post pictures on the forum?
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f10/forums-101-posting-accounts-basics-107597.html
 
Last edited:
Here are the pics of my tank... 4 months setup
 

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You mite want to take a sample to the LFS and get your mag tested. if it is low then you can dose all you want but it wont raise..
 
Tank looks good. As I expected, your parameters are right in line with the salt you use. Do lots of testing BEFORE you start any dosing. You can easily throw your parameters out of whack.
 
below are all the test results at the LFS. I have a lot of aptaisa and I had bought 2 perpermint shrimps. They both died after 4 hours. second batch... I can't keep them. I even dripped them this time! nah I will use aptaisa X I guess... any thougths?
 
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