Help With KH

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

I'm using a Salifert test kit and my KH is at 15. It came with a 7.5 check test and it tests at 8.0.

Salifert is notoriously inaccurate with their KH kits regardless of that little bottle of calibration solution. They seem fairly reliable for calcium, and their magnesium kits are pretty good. The Salifert KH kits generally test 2 dKH higher than actual KH level (compared to using a colorimeter, or Elos kit which is quite reliable for KH). So your KH is probably closer to 13 dKH than 15 dKH. Have you double checked your techniques? A friend of mine thought he was at 15 dKH, but it turned out he was at 7.5 dKH because he was using the quick method of the test where you use half the drops.

Originally Posted by Madreefer

My KH has always been at this level. Everything else that I have tested for is good. Cal 420/MG1440/PH8.3/ sal 1.025 My parameters have been like this for 2 years. How is this possible without a meltdown?

It sounds like you just purchased this Salifert kit, how do you know that your KH has always been at this level? Have you been testing it using other methods? Are you simply assuming that alkalinity has been at 15 (or 13?) dKH this whole time? If so, it is possible to not have a meltdown simply because it has always been at that level. Critters are resilient, and steady numbers are less detrimental than abstract numbers.

Originally Posted by Madreefer

I'm running a calcium reactor with a bubble every 2 seconds and the effluent is a steady drip at 6.51. But according to the test kit it is at 7.3 Also a Kalk reactor that runs with my ATO. What do I do to bring it down? I also think my colors should be alot brighter, I think they are a little on the brownish side.

Turn off both calcium and kalk reactors, manually dose just calcium to keep it at your normal level until the alkalinity drops to be in the 7's (in the 9's by the salifert kit). As alkalinity drops the calcium will go up (although your tank may use it up before you notice this, but be aware it may not take as much dosing of calcium as you may think). Once the calcium and alkalinity are balanced turn the reactors back on. You should be testing calcium and alkalinity at least on a bi-weekly basis to make sure the numbers aren't getting skewed as reactors aren't perfect. You should always have some powered calcium and alkalinity supplements on hand to supplement when the numbers have gone out of balance.

[Madreefer]

Thanks Myka! Can you look at my last post as things have changed for the better and now just looking to tweek the calcium reactor and if I should put the kalk reactor back on line. Sorry, forgot to mention. Since my first post I have switched new test kits. Elos now for KH