bought some alk buffer bc my dkh is 7

[saltyESQ]

did I buy the right stuff? I purchased alkbuffer by seachem.

it raises PH and buffers btwn 7.2 and 8.5

the problem is that it does not mention saltwater at all and only says planted tanks or where there is very hard water and says it is safe for the freshwater environment.


did I buy the wrong stuff?

 

[Jar*Head]

I had my DKH at 6.5 for 6 months straight without any problem. My DKH now is 7.6 since i swap tank adding 150g of new water.

 

[Bebo77]

what salt are you using? i have the exact opposite problem with my tank...

 

[marcrothschild]

KH of 7 is fine. Buy a buffer formulated for SW... shoot fo 7-9 DKH

 

[Yinger]

mine's a little higher than I'd like it to be. I just tested it at 9. Gabriel, he uses tropic marin.

 

[saltyESQ]

as for water changes I have been using catalina and for top offs I use RO water

 

[Bebo77]

i use Seachem Reef with a dual chamber Ca reactor filled with ARM media and my kh is 9.6. I will have to start manually doosing Ca to bring down my Kh....

 

[saltyESQ]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7864016#post7864016 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
i use Seachem Reef with a dual chamber Ca reactor filled with ARM media and my kh is 9.6. I will have to start manually doosing Ca to bring down my Kh....

ok, that is just way too much for me.

Keep it simple as this is just a 24g aqua pod. and I already have the back of the tank filled up with a hob refuge and an aqua C remora. all my additives must be done by hand.

 

[glaudds]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7864518#post7864518 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltyESQ
ok, that is just way too much for me.

Keep it simple as this is just a 24g aqua pod. and I already have the back of the tank filled up with a hob refuge and an aqua C remora. all my additives must be done by hand.

Hey Mike
Instead of the seachem buffer, I would suggest getting a two part additive, like b-ionic. Just dose the alk portion of the bionic unitl you get the dkh reading you want ( I suggest around 8). When your alk is around 8 and Ca is around 400, then dose both parts equally.
Once your ca and alk are balanced, your pH should fall into line.

 

[glaudds]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7864016#post7864016 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
i use Seachem Reef with a dual chamber Ca reactor filled with ARM media and my kh is 9.6. I will have to start manually doosing Ca to bring down my Kh....

Hey Gabe,
Did you shut your reactor down?

 

[Bebo77]

i have it hooked up to my Aquatronica.. right now it is on for 5 hours and off for 2.. Ca levels are staying the same but dkh is not going down.. i am about to place and order with MD for E.S.V. 2 part Calcium

 

[glaudds]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7865374#post7865374 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
i have it hooked up to my Aquatronica.. right now it is on for 5 hours and off for 2.. Ca levels are staying the same but dkh is not going down.. i am about to place and order with MD for E.S.V. 2 part Calcium

I would shut your reactor down and let your alk come down. The reactor is still providing alk when it is on. You can supplement with Kent's turbo CA to maintain your ca levels in the meantime. I don't think you will need the two part additives.

 

[Bebo77]

how is that Kent Ca stuff? why is it better than the ESV for what i need?

 

[glaudds]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7865597#post7865597 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
how is that Kent Ca stuff? why is it better than the ESV for what i need?

Yes, you don't need the alk portion of the ESV. The Ca portion of the ESV is the same as the turbo CA except it is in liquid form. The turbo ca is in granular powder form and is cheaper.

 

[Bebo77]

What ESV should i get from this list? Chloride or Hydroxide?
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_additives_esv_b-ionic.asp?CartId=


or should i get the Kent stuff?

 

[glaudds]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7865658#post7865658 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
What ESV should i get from this list?
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_additives_esv_b-ionic.asp?CartId=


or should i get the Kent stuff?

You could get the ESV Calcium chloride
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=EV2121

Or the Kent's CaCl..., same stuff...
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=KM3373

 

[Bebo77]

is one better/ more pure than the other?

do you use the Kent stuff?

 

[glaudds]

I don't know if one is more pure than the other....I would think they're pretty similar. I've used the Kent stuff with no issues.

 

[Bebo77]

cool i put it in my "shopping cart" i will order it manana..


gracias...

 

[glaudds]

de nada....make sure you test for ca and alk so you get a feel for how much of the turbo ca to add to maintain your levels. If you add too much, you can trigger a precipation event in your tank, especially if your alk is high.
Here's a handy chemistry calculator to use to estimate how much to dose.....

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Sorry Mike for 'jacking your thread.