Kh

[ncox38]

My alkalinity is dropping like mad from one day to the next. I am dosing Randy' recipe 2. My calcium is doing ok, its in the 440-460 range and i am trying to keep my alk at 11. it keeps dropping to 6-8 dkh every 24 hours, and the calcium barely changes. What is the deal. I am using cheap test kits but i have 2 different brands and they are both show the same thing. My tank doesnt have that much in it, about 40 small corals. 2 good size colonies of zoos, 8-10 smaller frags of zoos, LPS, 8 sps, softies. What is the deal?

 

[wettank]

Check this out it may help



http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

 

[Bebo77]

invest in some better test kits...


http://geocities.com/hans1976/Salifert.html

 

[zt444a]

Better test kits and follow Randy's instructions for dosing his two part. DO not try and only dose alk. Dose both parts together in equal amounts.

 

[JxMetal]

I have a salifert test kit if you need to test with that Nick.

 

[DARKSILENTTYPE]

I keep mine around 7 . Why you trying to stay at 11 ?

John

 

[ncox38]

Because 7 is the minimum, and I CHOOSE to keep it higher. You CHOOSE to keep it lower.....

 

[JxMetal]

I think mines somewhere between 7 and 9 :lol:

 

[chadfarmer]

what is your magnesium?

are you testing 24 hours later

 

[geoxman]

Agreed with Chad check magnesium, I have a kit if you do not. I keep mine at 11 as well-good luck

 

[DrBDC]

I usually run 9-10 myself. My tank uses about 3 dKh per day and it's risky running too close to the 7 because of media loss (kalk or co2 running out). This way if I miss 1 day w/o noticing something wrong I don't crash out the alk and pH.

Def. check the mag though but you may just be laying down a lot of corraline which will show a large drop. Then it should settle down and go back up as the tank becomes filled with lots of corals/clams/inverts. Ca will only drop about 20 ppm for every 2.8 dKh of alk. Ca test kits, even good ones like salifert have an error of margin around 20 so even if it shows no ca drop it can be just deceiving you.