Kh Level

[goldfish]

I have been running my tank for 2 years now. 5 ft x 1.5ft x 2.5 ft with a sum two thirds the size of the main tank. Running chiller at 26C and skimmer. I have no problems with algae, calcium, magnesium but Kh drops very low and hence Ph is also affected.

As as result, my corals die off after 6-9 months. I read that they need Carbonates and calsium to do well.

I have been using Oceanic salt these 2 years but have been advised that Oceanic has very low KH. Have since changed to Tropic Marin.

Can someone advise how to boost up Kh permanently vs temporarily dosing carbonates ?

[kareen]

KH can't be permanently fixed..... if dosing of cabonate is too troublesome, I believe Ca reactor is your answer.

[angelfishlover]

Use coral sand it works for me maintaining same KH and pH for quite sometime.Do you have a lot of fishes inside???Do you have a lot of corals inside???Use Tropic Marin,Marine Environment and coralife salt.These salts got a lot of KH and pH.

[klim]

Sorry bro Goldfish to tap on your thread.

I am using Coralife and my KH is low too...and the PH is at 8.0 when lights on.

Dun know what to do and how to boost the KH and PH.

Calcium is high, I think got 500+, measure using Salifert.

What can I do? Please advise, anyone

[angelfish]

bro Goldfish,

you nvr mention that how low was the dKH. KH buffering should be done frequently, and it's normal for reef tank especially with stony coral & coraline algae growing. too high of Ca will pull down the dKH, try to maintain it below 450

boosting the KH with any buffering agent will also bring up the pH if there's no other issue affecting it

[kareen]

Sorry bro Goldfish to tap on your thread.

I am using Coralife and my KH is low too...and the PH is at 8.0 when lights on.

Dun know what to do and how to boost the KH and PH.

Calcium is high, I think got 500+, measure using Salifert.

What can I do? Please advise, anyone

Mg is the middleman between Ca and KH....

[goldfish]

Took er advice and started dosing buffer. After one week, kH is up at 8 dKH. Will monitor to see if its stable.

Corals look like they are happier and PH has also improved. Question now is whether it'll hold. I'll see in a week if it does hold.

I never knew that high calcium levels will trigger low KH !

[goldfish]

klim, looks like you and I have same problem. Suggest you change salt. I've dosed carbonates to increase KH to 8 and have switched to Tropic Marin. Hopefully, this will work. Will keep you updated. Doing water change next week and then we'll see how it goes by end of month !

[klim]

Hi goldfish,

Hopes that yours will improve and than I will follow your steps.

Currently, my most headache is getting rid of brown algae.

Sianz.....

[Salty_Creature]

For Calcium and Alkalinity relationship, See THIS LINK will help.

Mine also Ca=500+ and dKH=10. don't know how to reduce them. Buy more hard coral?