tuesday8877 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I tested for carbonate hardness today using an API test kit and the result was off the scale - 18dKh. Ph was normal at around 8.0. I know this is probably a bad thing but everything I can find on this topic is on how to raise alkalinity/carbonate hardness and lower ph. Is this something I should worry about and if so what can I do to lower it and keep it stable? Also, I'm having a hell of a time keeping my calcium levels anywhere near normal (it was at 60ppm today)...could this be related? Thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpb Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Those tests sound incredibly screwy. I'm far from the expert here but some things that will help others here help you... Are you using ROdi water? What brand of salt? What salinity are you mixing it at and how are you testing that? How old are the tests? Any current dosing regiment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogdan Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 It is hard to believe that the alkalinity is >18dKH. No wonder your Ca is down. I use the same API kit and yesterday measured Ca 420ppm, alk. 9dKh. Under this address http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/ you will find all necessary info and more. Good luck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Normally if KH gets much higher than 10 dKH you'll have a snowstorm (abiotic precipitation). Especially if your magnesium is low. I guess if there's no calcium to react with, it can't precipitate out. Did you have a big snowstorm or have pumps die or heaters coated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesday8877 Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Thanks for the replies. I have never seen any perticipation. I use water from Aqua Dome for water changes...the last time was 2 weeks ago and it was 20 gallons on my 75 gal + sump. I use RO to top off between changes. The test kit is relatively new...maybe a couple of months old. I have been dosing...first tried a liquid which did nothing now I'm using a powder which raised the calcium level but I was having to dose every other day or so to make a difference and it still wasn't high enough. Last time I tested the carbon hardness was months ago and it was on the high end but not this extreme. I'm going to test again tomorrow and also test the RO water. I was planning on doing a water change on Tuesday so ill test that water too. Everything in the tank..which isn't much...seems to be ok. I'm just stumped on what could be causing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesday8877 Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Thanks for the link Bogdan. Very good information. I feel like I need a degree in chemistry to figure all this out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 (edited) if you are dosing and using API kits i would lest your water everyday or everyother day for at least two or three weeks until the exact dose is is found, espeacially if you don't have a lot of corals using the kh, and calcium( SPS mostly), i made this mistake using a two part dosing system but only tested everyday for a week thinking i had the exact dose down, and then stopped testing and kept using the same dose everyday and then about two weeks later everthing looked like ****, tested and my params were way to high, i guess since all my sps were frags they were not using the kh and calc, like i thought, takes alot of patience and getting that exact dose down and checking parameter alot more often like once or twice a week Edited April 8, 2013 by kingjames420 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 and everytime i have had my kh spike i get rtn in my sps and almost no polyp extension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesday8877 Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 Ok so I just tested again and the alk is 9dKh....so I must have counted wrong the last time? Not sure how that happened but yeah. Calcium is still really low...luckily I won a large SeaChem Reef Fusion two part dosing kit at the Capital City Coral Corral conference last weekend! Thanks for all the replies y'all...at least I learned something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+etannert Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Keep an eye on your mag as well - it has to be at a high enough level for the molecules to bond and stay in solution (or something like that - I teach music, not chemistry...). I always have an easier time keeping alk/calc up when mag is at appropriate levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Randy Holmes-Farley probably has some of the best articles on the relationship between pH, Alk and calcium. Besides the excelent article Bogdan provided a link to, this article by Randy discusses troubleshooting alk, pH and calcium problems: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry API test kits hold up well against other more expensive test kits but always make sure reagents aren't old or stored places where they may get hot and it's always a good idea to verify test results against other kits occasionally whatever brand you use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Here are my go-to articles: A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH Chemistry And The Aquarium: The Relationship Between Alkalinity And pH Comment by Randy Holmes-Farley on Reef Central When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance? Chemistry And The Aquarium: How To Select A Calcium And Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme Chemistry And The Aquarium: Solving Calcium And Alkalinity Problems What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime A Simple DIY Kalk DripperAll about kalkwasser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogdan Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Randy Holmes-Farley probably has some of the best articles on the relationship between pH, Alk and calcium. Besides the excelent article Bogdan provided a link to, this article by Randy discusses troubleshooting alk, pH and calcium problems: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry API test kits hold up well against other more expensive test kits but always make sure reagents aren't old or stored places where they may get hot and it's always a good idea to verify test results against other kits occasionally whatever brand you use. Hi Timfish, the link you provided doesn't work, is says : This page does not seem to exist… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Randy Holmes-Farley probably has some of the best articles on the relationship between pH, Alk and calcium. Besides the excelent article Bogdan provided a link to, this article by Randy discusses troubleshooting alk, pH and calcium problems: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry API test kits hold up well against other more expensive test kits but always make sure reagents aren't old or stored places where they may get hot and it's always a good idea to verify test results against other kits occasionally whatever brand you use. Hi Timfish, the link you provided doesn't work, is says :This page does not seem to exist… See my post above as many of those are from Dr. Holmes-Farley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Randy Holmes-Farley probably has some of the best articles on the relationship between pH, Alk and calcium. Besides the excelent article Bogdan provided a link to, this article by Randy discusses troubleshooting alk, pH and calcium problems: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry API test kits hold up well against other more expensive test kits but always make sure reagents aren't old or stored places where they may get hot and it's always a good idea to verify test results against other kits occasionally whatever brand you use. Hi Timfish, the link you provided doesn't work, is says :This page does not seem to exist… Bogden, I don't know why the link doesn't work. This one will get you a index of November 2002 articles, the one by Randy Farley-Holmes is the fifth article: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11 The articles George Monnat listed are excellent articles by Randy as well and I would reccommend bookmarking the one on solving calcium and alkalinity problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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