Help With KH

[Madreefer]

Originally Posted by Myka

Why do you want your KH at 10 dKH? In order to have a balanced calcium and alkalinity you would need to keep your calcium close to 430 ppm.

Balanced Calcium and Alkalinity: (as per Randy Holmes-Farley)

360 ppm to 0 dKH
370 ppm to 1.4 dKH
380 ppm to 2.8 dKH
390 ppm to 4.2 dKH
400 ppm to 5.6 dKH
410 ppm to 7 dKH (natural seawater)
420 ppm to 8.4 dKH
430 ppm to 9.8 dKH
440 ppm to 11.2 dKH
450 ppm to 12.6 dKH
460 ppm to 14 dKH

Calcium and Alkalinity need to be kept in balance for optimal absorption by corals and inverts. Keeping the levels elevated (in comparison to NSW values) the only thing you will accomplish is a greater rate of calcium precipitation in such places as powerheads, pumps, heaters, etc where heat is added to the equation. Elevated levels will not increase the rate of absorption by corals, that's an old reefer's tale. The balance of calcium and alkalinity to build corals is similar to the balance of calcium and phosphorus to build human bones - insufficient balance will lead to osteoporosis.

Calcium and kalk reactors for the primary dosing of calcium and alkalinity, but they are not perfect. They will not provide calcium and alkalinity in perfect balance, and reefs will not absorb in perfect balance. The balance will get misaligned over time with one of the elements getting either too high or too low. This is why testing on a regular basis is required...technology (dosers, reactors, drips, etc) has not been able to take the place of test kits yet. Reactors are not set and forget, neither are dosing pumps, neither are any sort of calcium and alkalinity supplementation. Is that more clear?

Thanks. I'm ok with calcium at 440. I'm not new at this as I've had a tank for 9 years but just struggle a bit with the chemistry of things. I just wanted to know if I could up my calcium by putting my kalk reactor online again and a little tweeking with my calcium reactor or if I have to does with something else manually. If it cant be done with the equipment I have than I might as well take them both off line.