High alkalinity..

BanditMan15

Member
Yea I have 2 PH and PH run from my Fluval canister filter up from bottom of tank ... Well I finally got my lighting situation corrected and was just checking on next step. I am going to change from instant ocean to Kent reef salt or IO Reef one. Isn't the higher your KH your salt is either bad or not enough calcium?
 

Connorer

Member
When I started my tank, I only have one power head, now I have three, Finally I have a stable tank.
So you can't really have too high? I don't have any as such, but I have my internal filter output, which is quite high, and my external filter has a massive spray bar which runs across most of the tank, and is from a filter which is made for a tank 5X the size of mine, meaning the flow is really high. That always worried me.
Yea I have 2 PH and PH run from my Fluval canister filter up from bottom of tank ... Well I finally got my lighting situation corrected and was just checking on next step. I am going to change from instant ocean to Kent reef salt or IO Reef one. Isn't the higher your KH your salt is either bad or not enough calcium?
I don't think it's good (I don't really know about salt, i don't make my own, i buy it), but i don't think KH and salt are directly related. You should be dosing with Calcium supplements weekly anyway if you have any Shrimp, starfish or corals in your tank, as they will die when they molt if it is too low.
I think the dosing of calcium in turn raises the KH unfortunately, as anything added to your tank does (which i found out recently, and it's really annoying me!)
But i think that there isn't too much wrong with a high KH, so long as it's not too high, it won't have many adverse affects. In fact, some people have said that it increases growth in corals
 
I have Hydor 600 Canister, My water flow is 3 times of my tank side, higher is better, unless you have problem with the sands, now I have 18 fish, 5 corals, 1 shrimp, and few snails.
 

Connorer

Member
I have Hydor 600 Canister, My water flow is 3 times of my tank side, higher is better, unless you have problem with the sands, now I have 18 fish, 5 corals, 1 shrimp, and few snails.
I love Hydor, they are the shizzle. I have their Slimskim in my tank, and it is brilliant. So much that when I get a tank with a sump, i won't want to hide it in there!
I went with All Pond solutions for my ext. filter, purely because of price, but that's quite good too! Will upgrade to a better brand when i get my next tank though, or maybe buy two.
 

BanditMan15

Member
Can you rephrase this question please. I am not sure what you are really asking.
Let's try the real question.... I am not dosing with anything just feeding once a day 2 times on weekends 7 weeks in lots algae should I be dosing with something anything?
 

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
Water changes will replace things that have been used up. You shouldn't dose anything unless you can test the levels. If something is low you dose to bring it up to the correct level but you have to be able to measure it before and a while after you dose. If something is off a lot you don't want to change it too fast. Spread it over a few days. I dose calcium, alkalinity and magnesium but only if it is needed. I don't have a lot of coral yet so my levels are pretty stable, I don't have to dose very often.
 

bang guy

Moderator
Water changes will replace things that have been used up. You shouldn't dose anything unless you can test the levels. If something is low you dose to bring it up to the correct level but you have to be able to measure it before and a while after you dose. If something is off a lot you don't want to change it too fast. Spread it over a few days. I dose calcium, alkalinity and magnesium but only if it is needed. I don't have a lot of coral yet so my levels are pretty stable, I don't have to dose very often.
+1
 

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
What are the units for Ca and Mg (ppm, mol/L, mg/mL, or something else)? The test kit should say what units it is using to measure these values.
 

bang guy

Moderator
CA = 390 ppm
MG = 1240 PPM

What is normal lever numbers?
"normal" has many factors so the ideal range varies based on stocking list, temperature, even salinity.

Your water is in the normal range but all could be a little higher, but it is adequate. Does your freshly mixed (after 24 hours) saltwater have similar values?
 
"normal" has many factors so the ideal range varies based on stocking list, temperature, even salinity.

Your water is in the normal range but all could be a little higher, but it is adequate. Does your freshly mixed (after 24 hours) saltwater have similar values?
I will check that this Saturday, Correction on the KH = 10.60
 
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