What do YOU keep your Alkalinity at?

[Tom R]

Mine is fairly steady with buffering and baking soda at around 7-8 dKH.

Tom R

[Myka]

What do you guys use to test/monitor your Alkalinity?

[surgeonfish]

You should keep a proper balance between your ca and alk. I think your alk should depend on your calcium. Somewhere I found a calculator to determine the proper alk depending on your calcium level. I made this table. Sorry I can't find the website with the calculator anymore. Therefore, I aim for a calcium of 420 and alk of 8.4

Calcium/Alkalinity Balance
Ca (ppm) - Alkalinity (dKH)
360 ---- 0
370 ---- 1.4
380 ---- 2.8
390 ---- 4.2
400 ---- 5.6
405 ---- 6.3
410 ---- 7.0
415 ---- 7.7
420 ---- 8.4
425 ---- 9.1
430 ---- 9.8
435 ---- 10.5
440 ---- 11.2
445 ---- 11.9
450 ---- 12.6
460 ---- 14.0
470 ---- 15.4
480 ---- 16.8

[christyf5]

I keep mine between 8 and 9 dKH. I used to keep it higher but the tank seems to be happy at these levels.

[Myka]

So do you guys all use test kits to test it? I use a Salifert test kit, and I just find it's such a pain in the butt.

[christyf5]

Yep I use salifert. Its a bit of a pain but heck, you should try those ones with 8 drops of this and a spoon of powder. The alk test is the easiest one IMO. After awhile you get used to it.

[untamed]

Don't forget that there is a relationship between Alk and pH. As everyone's tank does a daily pH cycle, you get varied Alk readings depending on where you are in that cycle.

I get about a full dKH difference depending on what time of day I measure the Alk.

If you think you are a bit low...try measuring again right before the lights go off.