new topic of Cal And KH test to high

[imdaring]

OK I'm the one that is using the Reef crystals from fosters so I tested my RO water and Cal and KH came back 0, then I mixed up some of my salt and tested again CAl came back 520, KH came back 16 drops! WOW!! so now what is a good kind of salt mix? I'm going to the LFS in the morning and see what they have..

 

[fishbait]

WOW! that's some high alk! what brand test kit are you using?

 

[imdaring]

API aquarium pharmaceuticals also from Fosters

 

[Piggy]

That's strange because I switched to Reef Crystal and my readings were
Alkalinity 3.5 meq/l
Calcium 400
Also did you have the LFS test your water?
The calcium ATI test are way off. They always test higher then what it really is. That's why most use a better test.
KH is hardness of the water. No one here ever mentioned testing for that.

 

[Piggy]

WOW! that's some high alk! what brand test kit are you using?

KH is water hardness unless I'm having a brain fart.

 

[dustin_P74]

kent and instant ocean are good brands

 

[imdaring]

so what is a good test kit?

 

[dustin_P74]

KH is water hardness unless I'm having a brain fart.

alk= dkh

see

 

[Piggy]

alk= dkh

see

There was no d in front of the kh they do sell test that test Alk and KH.

 

[Piggy]

Okay I got it. It's the same thing. I told you my brain is not thinking tonight.

 

[Piggy]

so what is a good test kit?

I use Seachem for calcium and magnesium. Salifert for alklinity.

 

[JAG107]

For salt, reef crystals gave me fairly consistent levels of calc & alk, I liked it, but I recently switched to oceanic for the elevated mag & calc so I don't have to dose as often. RC should be just fine unless you were unlucky in getting a bad batch.

 

[Piggy]

For salt, reef crystals gave me fairly consistent levels of calc & alk, I liked it, but I recently switched to oceanic for the elevated mag & calc so I don't have to dose as often. RC should be just fine unless you were unlucky in getting a bad batch.

That's why I test my water change water. I like to get my readings where I want them before I add it to my tank.

 

[imdaring]

well Iv'e had high cal and KH for al long time now so I mixed up a small amount of the RO and reef crystals and did test the salt water B/4 I placed it in the tank and cal was 520 KH was 16 drops? I'm going to the LFS today and I think I will have them do a test 4 me also to see if they get any thing Dif, if not I'm going to call fosters and see about a refund I have almost 3/4 of 10 gal bucket of salt that I won't be able to use..

 

[imdaring]

how many of you think that 520 is high for the CAL?

 

[ccCapt]

I mixed up some of my salt and tested again CAl came back 520, KH came back 16 drops!

That does not seem right. I've heard of RC having bad batches with low calcium, but I haven't heard of anyone reporting ca that high. What does 16 drops equal?

That's strange because I switched to Reef Crystal and my readings were
Alkalinity 3.5 meq/l
Calcium 400

These levels sound more typical of RC.

FWIW...KH is karbonate hardness (German) and dKH is degrees of karbonate hardness. Meq/l is milliequivalents per litre. PPM is part per million. They are all just different ways to measure alkalinity.

As far as the best brand of salt, you can ask 50 people and you can get 50 different answers. That being said, I use Red Sea Coral Pro.

520 ppm calcium is high. It won't hurt anything, but it won't help anything either.

 

[imdaring]

16 drops = 286.4

 

[imdaring]

thats ppm

 

[yote]

16 drops=16DKH

I like Oceanic salt myself.

 

[dustin_P74]

520 is salt is very high, natural sea water calcium equals 400, and the highest i think that would be recommended for home aquariums would be 450