Alkalinity/Units

bacffin

Member
Anyone know the numerical range for alkalinity? I got this red sea test kit and it only gives ranges of low, normal and high. I want to at least finish using it up before I move to another brand and want to know some kind of numbers.
Thanks,
Bruce
 

reefnut

Active Member
Get a salifert kit next time and it will give you numbers... between 8dkh to 12dkh is good... with your calcium balanced 420-450ppm.
 

bacffin

Member
Great, thanks reef.
So what I am going to do as a rough gage with my red sea kit is use the low reading as approximatley 8dkh and use 12dkh as the approximate high reading. Now I need to find out what the optimal range is.
Bruce
 

bacffin

Member
Correct Bang...After I re-read it I got it. My calcium level is 350ppm right now and my alk is reading low to normal on my red sea kit. And because my Ca is low, that is why I am getting low readings on my alk. My live rock is going in today so all of this will change anyway, but I wanted to know the numbers as a baseline to start with.
Thanks,
Bruce
 

bang guy

Moderator
IMO the smaller the tank, the higher Ca/ALK you should try to maintain. On the typical 50 - 100 gallon system I believe 3.5Meq/L Alkalinity and 430 - 450 ppm calcium is a good target.
 

stachy

Member
I tested my bosses tank today and it read as follows.
Nitrate 10
Nitrite 0
Phosphate .5
Ammonia 0
Calcium 500+ ( high???)
PH 8.2
Alkalinity 4.23 ???? tested it twice
KH in DKH 11.8
Is he doing everything OK or should I Help him from now on. ( I THINK HE IS JUST PUTTING CHEMS INTO THE TANK BASED ON THE LABEL, i HAD TO BRING IN MY TEST KIT FROM HM. HE USED TO HAVE A SERVICE, BUT HAS RECIENTLY STOPED)
Thanks for any help in advance.
 

bang guy

Moderator
The problem with high Calcium is that everytime PH gets high it will start to precipitate. Everytime it precipitates it will pull out some Magnesium. Everytime Magnesium is reduced more Calcium will precipitate.
Eventually you'll get a full blown precipitation event.
 

bacffin

Member
I find this interesting and don't know why.
Yesterday's readings...No LR & LS:
SG = 1.024
Ph = 8.4
Alk = low to normal (I know, I know...get a real test kit :D )
Ammonia = <.025
Nitrites = 0.2
Nitrates = 1.0
Calcium = 350
Phosphates = 0.02
Mg = 1230
Sample temp = 25 degrees C
Today's readings, 24 hours after adding Lr, Ls, & 1 jumbo shrimp:
SG = 1.024
Ph = 8.4
Alk = low to normal
Ammonia = <.025
Nitrites = >1.0
Nitrates = 20
Calcium = 350
Phosphates = 0.075
Mg = 1350
Sample temp = 24 degrees C
What concerns me a little is I expected the ammonia to be much higher and the nitrites and nitrates to be lower. Does this mean the ammonia is being chewed up as fast as it is being produced? What causes this effect? I am using a 50 micron filter pad on top of my wet dry just to clear the water from moving all the sand around. Would this be the cause of the low ammonia reading?
Or...does this just need more time. I mean it's only been a day.
Thanks,
Bruce
 

bacffin

Member
Today's readings, 48 hours after adding Lr, Ls, & 1 jumbo shrimp:
SG = 1.024
Ph = 8.4
Alk = low to normal
Ammonia = .025
Nitrites = >1.0
Nitrates = 50
Calcium = 350
Phosphates = 0.075
Mg = 1320
Sample temp = 77 (f)
Tank temp = 82.4 (f)
I am very curious why the ammonia is not builing up as predicted. It is up a little (not reading <.25, but a close call to being at .25ppm. The trites are still at 1.0 but the trates are climbing steadily, now at 50. I am not being pariniod here, I would just like to know if this seems like a normal start to a cycle? :thinking: :notsure:
Thanks,
Bruce
 

bacffin

Member
Any suggestions for what brand of calcium supplement to use to get my levels around 450 mg/L? My levels are low because I use ro/di water.
Last thing I want to do is run off and ask my lfs...Who knows what kind of an answer I'll get.

Thanks,
Bruce
 

bacffin

Member
No, no corals or clams until the tank is very mature. I want to get close as I can to the the ideal ALK level and in order to do that, I need to raise my Ca level.
 
Top