Dkh and calcium both high?

[Rambulsh]

I am kinda new to the hobby I have had my tank for around 10 months now. I have a 10 gallon reef tank with about 12 coral and 3 clownfish. I am about to go crazy bc my calcium is around 540 and dKh is 14. I have a Red Sea pro foundation kit and also an API test and have got the same results on both kits. The LFS guy told me to dose magnesium and I have been twice a week and it has not brought my levels down and have been dosing for at least 2 months. I do a 50% water change every week and use the Red Sea pro salt. My salinity is 1.025 and that stays constant. What can I do. My corals all seem to be doing good but could be better if calcium was at useable levels.

 

[Redfoxtang]

Well I do know Red Sea pro to mix high in all 3 categories. I honestly would try and different salt mix if you wanna bring your levels down. I believe the blue bucket mixes a little lower than pro.

 

[Rambulsh]

Well I do know Red Sea pro to mix high in all 3 categories. I honestly would try and different salt mix if you wanna bring your levels down. I believe the blue bucket mixes a little lower than pro.

Ty for response. Do you know of anything I can dose to bring levels down?

 

[MERKEY]

Really the only thing to naturally bring those down is RO/DI water changes.

I am going through the same right now and had to order one on sale from BRS.

It's really frustrating because I live on a well and spent thousands to have a filter for the house that I was told would be sufficient for aquariums. My ALK from tap is over 30ppm. After I mix my salt I'm still at 15. Once in my tank my corals consume it but only to about 13 and that's over 1 week period.

People dose vinegar and other some form of acids. But I dont want to do that yet so I am trying the 7 stage rodi system that is said to work well with "wells".

This is frustrating but stick the course. If your on city water a simple 2 or 3 stage rodi system would work for you and it hooks right up to your sink

 

[Silent]

What is your mag at? The higher your mag the higher you can raise cal and alk so I would say keep it on the lower end until you get those down. Check out this clip for understanding from Lou Ekus

 

[Fishfinder]

Really the only thing to naturally bring those down is RO/DI water changes.

I am going through the same right now and had to order one on sale from BRS.

It's really frustrating because I live on a well and spent thousands to have a filter for the house that I was told would be sufficient for aquariums. My ALK from tap is over 30ppm. After I mix my salt I'm still at 15. Once in my tank my corals consume it but only to about 13 and that's over 1 week period.

People dose vinegar and other some form of acids. But I dont want to do that yet so I am trying the 7 stage rodi system that is said to work well with "wells".

This is frustrating but stick the course. If your on city water a simple 2 or 3 stage rodi system would work for you and it hooks right up to your sink

there is some misinformation here...

@Rambulsh I would switch to Red Sea blue bucket. Dosing May will not lower those other levels. You don’t want to dose mag unless it’s low. Blue bucket will mix with lower levels than pro.

 

[MERKEY]

there is some misinformation here...

@Rambulsh I would switch to Red Sea blue bucket. Dosing May will not lower those other levels. You don’t want to dose mag unless it’s low. Blue bucket will mix with lower levels than pro.

Could you please explain as I just got off the phone with Jason at BRS and zack here through PM.

I just want the right info as all.

And if the people at BRS are selling items due to misinformation that is a huge problem.

I said nothing of dosing mag in my comment

 

[MERKEY]

there is some misinformation here...

@Rambulsh I would switch to Red Sea blue bucket. Dosing May will not lower those other levels. You don’t want to dose mag unless it’s low. Blue bucket will mix with lower levels than pro.

I have read a lot of threads on salt mixes and it won't matter when your TDS in the water from your tap or well is already so high. You have to get a source of clean clear water with no TDS in it to be able to mix any salt to the correct dkh listed. Any high residual dkh or any other element from tap or well will raise the already dkh or element in the salt mix.

If my well water is 30dkh and I mix with 11dkh salt mix it still will be absurdly high and there is nothing natural that will bring it down because my water source is already high. A solid clean water source is best way to know what to is going into your tank and how to approach it.

I do agree with you that blindling dosing anything is a bad idea.

 

[Rambulsh]

Thanks for all comments. I am on city water and was told by LFS that the content of our water is good enough for tanks but I am thinking the RODI system is what I need.

 

[Silent]

I don't know of any city water that is good enough straight from the tap. Zero TDS water is what you want for a reef.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I am kinda new to the hobby I have had my tank for around 10 months now. I have a 10 gallon reef tank with about 12 coral and 3 clownfish. I am about to go crazy bc my calcium is around 540 and dKh is 14. I have a Red Sea pro foundation kit and also an API test and have got the same results on both kits. The LFS guy told me to dose magnesium and I have been twice a week and it has not brought my levels down and have been dosing for at least 2 months. I do a 50% water change every week and use the Red Sea pro salt. My salinity is 1.025 and that stays constant. What can I do. My corals all seem to be doing good but could be better if calcium was at useable levels.

What are you using to measure salinity? If you aren't using a calibrated refractometer using a calibration fluid of 35 ppt, your salinity is probably higher than 1.025. That would cause the black bucket salt to mix higher than the 12 dKh and 480 ppm for calcium that is is suppose to mix to.

 

[ScottB]

What are you using to measure salinity? If you aren't using a calibrated refractometer using a calibration fluid of 35 ppt, your salinity is probably higher than 1.025. That would cause the black bucket salt to mix higher than the 12 dKh and 480 ppm for calcium that is is suppose to mix to.

+1 on triple checking your salinity level.

+1 on RODI not tap water. Ever. Municipal water can be 0 TDS one day, and 300 the next. Chlorine, chloramines, fluoride, lead, copper, benzene, iron etc.

Does your LFS know you are running a reef and not a goldfish bowl?

 

[Fishfinder]

Could you please explain as I just got off the phone with Jason at BRS and zack here through PM.

I just want the right info as all.

And if the people at BRS are selling items due to misinformation that is a huge problem.

I said nothing of dosing mag in my comment

You don’t want to do RO water changes because that will lower the salinity.

your tap water alk is irrelevant. The RODI should remove all of that. But your tap of 30ppm isn’t making your mixed salt alk 15dkh. You have to be using a high alk salt. swapping salts should fix that problem. I would just swap salt mix before dosing acid to new salt.

 

[MERKEY]

You don’t want to do RO water changes because that will lower the salinity.

your tap water alk is irrelevant. The RODI should remove all of that. But your tap of 30ppm isn’t making your mixed salt alk 15dkh. You have to be using a high alk salt. swapping salts should fix that problem. I would just swap salt mix before dosing acid to new salt.

Sorry I miss typed my alk from my well is 30dkh. But I get what your saying.

Unfortunately there are no low salt mix that I know of that will bring my well dkh down low enough from that high.

 

[MERKEY]

You don’t want to do RO water changes because that will lower the salinity.

your tap water alk is irrelevant. The RODI should remove all of that. But your tap of 30ppm isn’t making your mixed salt alk 15dkh. You have to be using a high alk salt. swapping salts should fix that problem. I would just swap salt mix before dosing acid to new salt.

Not Jack a thread but this is confusing.

Hey man I am new to rodi units and only info I get is what I have researched and from so called experts.
So I am confused by your last post. If I use the rodi unit to do my water changes how can I not use the RO part as you stated during my changes.

So your saying to not use the reverse osmosis part during the process and only using the DI part to remove ions?

 

[Redfoxtang]

I think what he is saying is you shouldn’t be using well/tap to begin with. So he probably assumed that OP was using RO/DI water from the start. With that being said using a lower DKH salt mix will lower DKH in tank with a decent size water change.

 

[MERKEY]

I think what he is saying is you shouldn’t be using well/tap to begin with. So he probably assumed that OP was using RO/DI water from the start. With that being said using a lower DKH salt mix will lower DKH in tank with a decent size water change.

Ok got it now it makes complete sense thank you!

 

[Redfoxtang]

Not Jack a thread but this is confusing.

Hey man I am new to rodi units and only info I get is what I have researched and from so called experts.
So I am confused by your last post. If I use the rodi unit to do my water changes how can I not use the RO part as you stated during my changes.

So your saying to not use the reverse osmosis part during the process and only using the DI part to remove ions?

RO/DI units are used to remove contaminates from tap/city/well waters to have clean pure water. Then you use your salt of your choice to mix in with pure water.

 

[MERKEY]

RO/DI units are used to remove contaminates from tap/city/well waters to have clean pure water. Then you use your salt of your choice to mix in with pure water.

Yes this is where it got confused. I use a well and no matter the mix my well dkh will never get in the right zone so I have to use RODI.

OP I hope you get your water on the right track!!

 

[Redfoxtang]

Yes this is where it got confused. I use a well and no matter the mix my well dkh will never get in the right zone so I have to use RODI.

OP I hope you get your water on the right track!!

No matter what size reef tank. I strongly suggest RO/DI is used for topping off tank and mixing new salt for a water change. So for OP I would go to a local LFS and see if that sell RO/DI water and then use a lower salt mix to get your levels where you want them to be then keep them stable!! Good luck!!