Calcium + KH help?

aquatechy · #1 05-26-2012, 06:11 PM

Im running a Korallin 1502 calcium reactor on my tank right now, and the current KH is 9, but the calcium is around 520/540... I want to bring my KH to 10, but calcium seems a bit high... Is this a bad thing? If so, how can I fix it?? The media in the reactor is about 9-10 months old.

Snaz · #2 05-26-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquatechy

Im running a Korallin 1502 calcium reactor on my tank right now, and the current KH is 9, but the calcium is around 520/540... I want to bring my KH to 10, but calcium seems a bit high... Is this a bad thing? If so, how can I fix it?? The media in the reactor is about 9-10 months old.

dKH of 9 is fine I think... Anyone with sps back me up here? I have been reading a lot about dKH, cal, mg and pH and how they all fit together and your numbers seem ok to me.

Lampshade · #3 05-26-2012, 09:45 PM

Both are ok, i used to keep mine at 10 thinking it would help. some people are even higher with everything ok, the swings are what cause problems. Biggest thing is that the higher you are the more you are on a fine line of balance with your calc/alk/magnesium. I run my tank at 9 now since i had a kalk dosing issue one day that spiked my tank. no difference from 9-10 in the corals, stuff's recovering from brown/white skeletons everywhere.

Also.. 9 in one persons tank is probaly 10 in others, our KH tests SUCK. My API test kit showed 8-9 the whole time my tank spiked to 17. salifert said 17, red sea 16. so i dropped it down, and the death stopped in my tank. I did all 3 beside eachother a couple days and was blown away.

daplatapus · #4 05-27-2012, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquatechy

Im running a Korallin 1502 calcium reactor on my tank right now, and the current KH is 9, but the calcium is around 520/540... I want to bring my KH to 10, but calcium seems a bit high... Is this a bad thing? If so, how can I fix it?? The media in the reactor is about 9-10 months old.

Because of the KH/Ca/Mg relationship, I'm curious what your Mg is at.

vanreefer · #5 05-27-2012, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquatechy

Im running a Korallin 1502 calcium reactor on my tank right now, and the current KH is 9, but the calcium is around 520/540... I want to bring my KH to 10, but calcium seems a bit high... Is this a bad thing? If so, how can I fix it?? The media in the reactor is about 9-10 months old.

I would say a DKH of 9 is perfect... ca of 520 is a bit high... I don't think it will do any harm... just end up clogging your pumps... if you slow the flow through your reactor a touch and leave the CO2 bubble count the same your Ca will drop a bit and Alk will rise...

aquatechy · #6 06-01-2012, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanreefer

I would say a DKH of 9 is perfect... ca of 520 is a bit high... I don't think it will do any harm... just end up clogging your pumps... if you slow the flow through your reactor a touch and leave the CO2 bubble count the same your Ca will drop a bit and Alk will rise...

This is what i've done, and the condition seems to be improving, thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by daplatapus

Because of the KH/Ca/Mg relationship, I'm curious what your Mg is at.

I don't test Magnesium... should I?