when to use this : seachem Reef Builder?

[chercm]

when u will add this ?

[iantoh]

hi there bro chercm,

reefbuilder is used to raise alkalinity. calcifying corals utilize calcium and alkalinity at roughly a ratio of 10ppm of calcium to 2dkh of alkalinity.

optimum levels to maintain ca and alk are 380-480ppm of ca, and 8-12dkh of alk. reefbuilder is used to raise the alk portion of these two parameters.

cheers,

ian

[chercm]

if my ph is ok , do i need to add this ?

[iantoh]

bro chercm,

PH and KH are different parameters, even if there is an influencing relationship between the two.

your PH levels should be maintained between 7.9 to 8.4, with 8.3 being the recommended level.

your KH levels should be maintained between 8 to 12 dkh, with 10dkh being the middle recommended level.

your calcium should be maintained between 380ppm to 480ppm.

if you keep any calcifying corals, that is, corals with a hard skeleton, like LPS and SPS, you will need to maintain the appropriate levels for these three parameters because otherwise, your corals will not be able to obtain the necessary calcium and alkalinity to grow their aragonite skeletons.

with regards to the relationship between kh and ph, a high kh tends to raise ph slightly and allow it more buffering capability. that is, with a high kh, your ph should swing less. with a low kh, your ph will slowly decline and drop.

well, hope that helps.

for extra reading, you can check out these following articles ya. if you dont wish to read all, try to look through the first one at least as it establishes all the important ideas and the how and why you need to maintain ca and alk.

calcium and alkalinity-

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/...ature/index.php

about calcium- http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2002/chem.htm

about alkalinity-

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2002/chemistry.htm

when ca and alk do not balance-

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.php

choosing a ca and alk supplementation scheme-

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

cheers,

ian