Carbonate hardness

[CrayolaViolence]

I was wondering what other felt the optimal level for Carbonate Hardness. My LFS guy keeps his at 10-12 while others have suggest no higher than 9. LFS guy says the LPS do better at 10 to 12.

I'm just wondering if there is a happy medium where SPS and LPS can get along with softies.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Natural seawater is 7dKH. So even keeping the tank at 8 or 9dKH is higher than normal. IMHO 10dKH is an upper limit for a long term level. Most inverts can tolerate higher, but I don't think there is any benefit to it.

 

[downbeach]

I ran a mixed reef for many years, and kept my numbers near NSW, so my dKH was ~7.5.

 

[NS Mike D]

Red Sea in their reef foundation program recommends 8.2 for soft coral, 12.1 for LPS, 12.6 for accelerated SPS growth and 8.2 for SPS low nutrient/enhanced color tanks,

fwiw

 

[mcgyvr]

Just some good generic information here too about many reef parameters..
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[Ron Reefman]

Red Sea in their reef foundation program recommends 8.2 for soft coral, 12.1 for LPS, 12.6 for accelerated SPS growth and 8.2 for SPS low nutrient/enhanced color tanks,

I'm a little surprised that anybody, let alone a commercial company Red Sea, would recommend 12.1dKH or 12.6dKH.

I knew those levels are not really harmful, but recommending them as good for LPS or SPS isn't what I would have suspected. Do other 'experts' make similar recommendations?

 

[Timfish]

Reefs in nature can be as low as 5.5 dKH (1.9 meq/l). My mixed reefs fluctuate between 6 and 10.