69-ls1 October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 hey, i seem to be having a hard time keeping my DKH high enough. I am not sure what the problem is and need some help or suggestions. My water parameters are: Ph 8.1 Temp 80-81 Ca 440 DKH 5-6 Nitrate 0 Nirite 0 Amonia 0 Magnesium 1000-1200 I think all parameters are pretty good except for the DKH. I use part b for the buffer and a calcium additive for that. No calcuim reactor. Use a kalk drip and have RO top off. Do i need to be doing something else or are some of my parameters need to change to help? Thanks for any help. Thanks, Jody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 First question have you indepentantly verified your alk? I.e. with another test kit/another person doing test? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69-ls1 October 6, 2006 Author Share October 6, 2006 I have not had someone else verify the test. It is a new test kit, but the results are the same as the old kit. It is a hagan kit. jody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatortailale October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 Your salinity level is ? (1.02_ ) tank is stocked with ... sps will use a lot of alk / calcium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 Get a salifert test and re-test Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69-ls1 October 6, 2006 Author Share October 6, 2006 Salinity is 1.023 checked with refractometer. Jody Tank is stocked with a few sps frags and a few xenia. Fish consist of diamond goby and black percula. Jody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatortailale October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 If you can make meeting next week, bring water. We will have volunteers testing water for free. Or look at profiles and see if anyone is close to you and pm to see if they have salifert kit or other testing to verify your results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 That is a pretty big swing on Mg as well. What salt are you using? Do the same test on fresh made salt water. How big is your tank? # of lb of liverock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69-ls1 October 6, 2006 Author Share October 6, 2006 Typo on the mg. it is usually between 1100-1200 when tested. i have a 120g tank with approx. 130 lbs of live rock. jody. I am currentely using Oceanic salt, but i recently bought Sea Chem reef salt to try. Jody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 I would be pretty hesitant to make a recomendation without having a second check done on your water. If your kits were of better quality then it would help. As a referance point though mix up a batch of Seachem to 1.025 and do the test on the new salt. Then go to RC and ask on the Seachem sponser forum what there salt should mix to for Alk, Ca, Mg and Ph at 1.025. This will at least give a good guess to the accuracy of your test kits. Just so you know some people have had crashes when switching brands of salt. There are also a whole lot of people that buy whatever is on sale and have never had a problem. If you are set on switching try and do it slow (mix 50-50 oceanic and seachem for the first few changes and observe carefully). Also when you say "part b" are you refering to B-Ionic? If not what brand additives do you use? Another question: do you have a sump/fuge if so can you estimate the total WATER volume that is in those please. Edit: Just to be sure you are positive the kit is reading in DKH and not Meq/l? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69-ls1 October 6, 2006 Author Share October 6, 2006 thanks for the tip. I do have a 35g fuge with a 25g sump. the hagan test kit for kh is in meg/l. I then use the formula meg/l divided by 50, then times 2.8. Is this the correct may to convert? jody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 October 6, 2006 Share October 6, 2006 I don't know it off the top of my head (the conversion) what is your meq/l ? Are the sump/fuge filled to the top? I am trying to figure out your actual water volume not tank size etc. This is crucial to knowing how much of what to dose if and when you need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69-ls1 October 7, 2006 Author Share October 7, 2006 The best guess i can take as far as total water volume would be about 160 gallons. Jody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 October 7, 2006 Share October 7, 2006 Your conversion is wrong. Alk in meq/l x 2.8 = alk in dKH So your alk is....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69-ls1 October 7, 2006 Author Share October 7, 2006 ok, i thing i have stated the formula wrong. Using the hagen test kit it says to multiply the # of drops to change the color to lime color by 10. In my test it took 9 drops, so that is 90. 90 would actually be in mg/l(ppm). So the conversion i use is 90ppm(mg/l) divided by 50, then multiply that by 2.8. If i am converting this right that only works out to be a little over 5 DKH. I was mistaken early when i said about the conversion being in meg/l, it is actually in ppm(mg/l). I believe you was right about trying another test kit. It may be the kit or it may be something i am doing. Jody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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