KH levels - advice needed

russbooger

russbooger

Member
Hi all

I've just tested my calcium hardness (KH) with an API kit, and my reading has come back at 125ppm. Are my levels too low?

Calcium level using an API calcium test is 420ppm.

I carry out my 20% water change religiously every friday, and add Microbe Lift master supplement, which contains calcium, every week.

Can't give you a pH reading yet as when I went to use my new API kit the bottle was empty!

Thanks all

Russ
 
B

BobBursek

Active Member
Trust the 8 at this moment. 125 is imposible at DKH measuring levels. What salt do you use and do you dose anything for Alk? 420 for Ca is perfect for a reef tank and higher then needed for a FOWLR tank.
 
russbooger

russbooger

Member
Hi Bob

not sure how KH is measured, just looked at the same reading in dKH (not ppm equivalent) on the API kit and its 7 or 8
 
B

BobBursek

Active Member
Russ,
You are golden, when Alk in Dkh measurment is 7-11 for a reef tank. Most times it is measured in Dkh or mg/ltr. I am glad you are okay.
 
russbooger

russbooger

Member
oh, sorry Bob, I use Tropic Marin salt, don't know if its available in the States, but it what the main UK importer and breeder, TMC, use in their tanks. My LFS use it too, so it kind of made sense to stick to the same brand.

I don't dose anything for alkalinity, as I thought regular water changes kept the pH stable. I don't have large amounts of stony coral corals yet, so they are not stripping calcium out of the water, this should be enough to keep the pH stable? If I'm wrong any suggestions for dosing alkalinity?

Cheers Bob, I'm bit of a geek when it comes to stuff like this so any information or advice is well received.

Russ
 
B

BobBursek

Active Member
A test and a qoute from a very good source
data gathered by member Billybeau1. on 9-30-09 Thanks!

Here is a list of what I measured for the big three in a number of the salt mixes we use today. This is intended as a guideline and I, in no way, guarantee these figures. All I can say is they were all tested under the same conditions, with a number of different brand test kits, using the same methods for each test. I believe these numbers are reasonably what you can expect from these salts mixed at 35 ppt or SG 1.0264 @ 25 C.

Calcium
Alkalinity
Magnesium

Aquatic Gardens
430
8
1240

Brightwell Neomarine
370
11
1140

CoraLife
560
9
1380

Crystal Sea Marinemix
340
9
1050

Crystal Sea Marinemix Bio-Assay
340
9
1050

D-D H2Ocean
450
10
1380

Instant Ocean (new)
400
11
1350

Kent
540
11
1200

Marine Environment
480
7.5
1450

Oceanic
580
8.5
1650

OceanPure
510
10
1320

Red Sea
400
8
1300

Red Sea Coral Pro
490
7
1300

Reef Crystals (new)
490
13
1440

Reefer's Best
420
11
1200

SeaChem Marine Salt
500
10
1400

SeaChem Reef Salt
540
10
1450

Tropic Marin
375
10
1230

Tropic Marin Pro Reef
450
8.5
1380

Tunze Reef Salt
420
9.5
1350
Those are nice numbers for TMP, Even though you do not have stonies yet you should still test the water occasionaly depending on how often and how much your wc are.
 
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