Kh very high please help
- Thread starter Dannyrb26
- Start date
little_fish
Moderator
Are you sure your test kit is accurate? What is the alk of your newly made saltwater?
Also, what your calcium and magnesium levels? Those all are interconnected, and if one is off, it very hard to get the other two to be correct.
Also, what your calcium and magnesium levels? Those all are interconnected, and if one is off, it very hard to get the other two to be correct.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
What's your current alk reading and what brand salt are you using?
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
I would have to say your test kit is bad.
I'm not sure which salt you are referring to, but typically Red Sea salt mixed to about 8 dKH and Coralife salt mixes to about 9 dKH. There is no salt made that mixes to such a low alk reading of 4.2 dKH.
I'm not sure which salt you are referring to, but typically Red Sea salt mixed to about 8 dKH and Coralife salt mixes to about 9 dKH. There is no salt made that mixes to such a low alk reading of 4.2 dKH.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
The 4.2 on the bucket is meq/l. Did you actually test a fresh mix? What brand test kit are you using?
Alkalinity can be measured in 3 different readings depending on the brand test kit you are using.
dKH - degrees of karbonate hardness
meq/l - milliequivalents per liter
ppm - parts per million
4.2 meq/l = 11.8 dKH = 210 ppm
16 meq/l = 44.8 dKH = 800 ppm
So doing some math.....
your current alk is 16 dKH (which I find hard to believe and still think it's a bad test kit)
you did a 5% water change (10 ltr of 200 ltr total) using water with an alk level of 12 dKH
you dropped your alk from 16 dKH to 15.8 dKH
Taking into account the accuracy of hobby grade test kits, that small change most likely won't even be noticable.
Alkalinity can be measured in 3 different readings depending on the brand test kit you are using.
dKH - degrees of karbonate hardness
meq/l - milliequivalents per liter
ppm - parts per million
4.2 meq/l = 11.8 dKH = 210 ppm
16 meq/l = 44.8 dKH = 800 ppm
So doing some math.....
your current alk is 16 dKH (which I find hard to believe and still think it's a bad test kit)
you did a 5% water change (10 ltr of 200 ltr total) using water with an alk level of 12 dKH
you dropped your alk from 16 dKH to 15.8 dKH
Taking into account the accuracy of hobby grade test kits, that small change most likely won't even be noticable.
Last edited:
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
Are you adding any supplements? If you are using salt that mixes to aprox 12 dKH, it can't go higher without something being added to it.
Doing a quick Google search, there are many places in Australia that sell RO units.
The Water Shop :: Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse Osmosis - PSI Water Filters
Water Filter Housings - Filter Wizard Water Purifiers
erse OsmosisWater Filters Purification – Buy Reverse Osmosis, Fluoride Removal, Ultra Violet Filter, Ionisers – Water Filter World Australia
Doing a quick Google search, there are many places in Australia that sell RO units.
The Water Shop :: Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse Osmosis - PSI Water Filters
Water Filter Housings - Filter Wizard Water Purifiers
erse OsmosisWater Filters Purification – Buy Reverse Osmosis, Fluoride Removal, Ultra Violet Filter, Ionisers – Water Filter World Australia
