| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Scott B 
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote  Reply
 Topic: Low kh
Posted: November 09 2013 at 11:33am |
|
So i am about 4 to 5 weeks into setting up my 150 g. About a week and a half ago i had a small spike in my ammonia (about .25) nothing really noticeable in my nitrate or nitrite. Today ammonia back to 0 and nothing in nitrate/ nitrites. Mg 1200, calcium 420, ph 7.8, but kh is 5.6. I know its low. Is that normal for being this early? Do i just raise it slowly? Or is that just still part of my cycle? I have about 50 lbs of LR, and seeded about 3 cups of LS from my other tank. I do have a handful of cheato growing in my ref. also. I would like to add a couple fish this coming week, what are your thoughts??
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
 |
ReefdUp
Guest
Joined: March 20 2011
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 4166
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 11:43am |
|
That's low. What's your salinity?
|
|
www.reefdup.com
Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
|
|
Scott B
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 11:57am |
|
Oh sorry,1.026
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
|
Mark Peterson
Paid Member
Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 12:10pm |
That is much lower than I would expect for a newly set up tank. Alkalinity is not affected by N pollution (nitrate cycle). What salt mix is used  Most salt mixes are about 10 dKH. What test kit and what is the Alk reading of the other tank What sand was used for this tank Sand has an influence on Alk and Ca levels Aloha, Mark 
|
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
|
|
Scott B
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 12:15pm |
|
Reef crystals, aragonite special grade caribsea, other tank is usually about 11 dkh.. red sea test kit, i just barely got it from brs.
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
|
Scott B
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 12:20pm |
|
I just did another test with an api test and got 7 dkh...
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
|
Scott B
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 1:41pm |
|
Anyone?
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
|
bbeck4x4
Guest
Joined: June 22 2005
Location: Spanish Fork
Status: Offline
Points: 2378
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 1:51pm |
|
If you trust the test kit you do need to raise that level up slowly, I'd suspect that batch of salt, but correct me if I am wrong, the low Kh would not prevent you from adding a few fish though.
|
|
Family Portraits /Google trusted Photographer for Google Maps for Businesses
|
|
ReefdUp
Guest
Joined: March 20 2011
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 4166
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 2:40pm |
|
I'd take a sample of your water to a LFS or friend to test. It should be high initially and settle out. Unless the tank was packed with SPS corals and clams, you shouldn't have a problem this early.
|
|
www.reefdup.com
Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
|
|
Mark Peterson
Paid Member
Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 09 2013 at 10:59pm |
Thanks for the answers to my questions. It looks like you are doing it correctly and getting the correct Alk reading. I would not add any animals if my Alk was not where I like it to be which is 9-10 dKH. Alk is a serious thing and has everything to do with the health of the tank. In case you have not heard, IO Reef Crystals has had some problem batches. I would mix up a cup of new salt water and test the Alkalinity to see if it is as low as the tank water. If it is, I would wonder what else is wrong with that batch of salt. If the newly mixed cup of salt water is not reading an Alk of 13 and Ca of 490 then something is wrong with it. I would call Instant Ocean customer service. If the salt is good then something is definitely wrong with the new tank. Come back here and we will help go to the next step - finding the cause. Aloha, Mark 808-345-1049
|
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
|
phys
Guest
Joined: March 04 2011
Location: Capitol Hill
Status: Offline
Points: 1982
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 10 2013 at 3:24am |
|
He got a different reading on a second go. Make sure you're following procedure precisely and that you rinse out the test vials with RO. Residues in the vials can cause misreadings and also if you accidently put less/more of the part 2 and 3 chemicals in the mix or if you don't keep count (haha yes, I do this), it'll throw you off.
|
|
Scott B
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 10 2013 at 8:46am |
|
My second reading was with a different test kit. But i did test again with the red sea kit and put a few more drops in to bring it to "red" color instead of a "purple" color which i did the previous times (i just barely got the red sea kit, never tested with red sea before) so im hoping it was my fault. The reading when i took it to a true red was 9 dkh. I will test again this afternoon and see
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
|
ReefdUp
Guest
Joined: March 20 2011
Location: South Weber
Status: Offline
Points: 4166
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 10 2013 at 9:34am |
|
You should be able to swirl for 20 seconds with a stable color to know that's where to take the reading. If the color fades, add another drop and swirl for 20 seconds.
|
|
www.reefdup.com
Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
|
|
Scott B
Guest
Joined: March 03 2011
Location: Harrisville
Status: Offline
Points: 343
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: November 10 2013 at 11:27am |
 ReefdUp wrote:
You should be able to swirl for 20 seconds with a stable color to know that's where to take the reading. If the color fades, add another drop and swirl for 20 seconds. |
Ok, thanks. I guess i just should have read the directions better, lol
|
|
28g jbj led nano, 150 g mixed reef, skimz skimmer, AI blue sol's, Reef Angel controller, wp40's, aquamedic reef doser
|
|
