Dkh and calcium both high?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Stop dosing magnesium. It is not causing or helping the problem, but you almost certainly do not need any.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

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.

you can lower alkalinity with mineral acids.

 

[Fishfinder]

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.

You do not need to worry about your well DKH. I’m not sure why you are even testing that.

 

[ScottB]

+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?

Having re-read my post, it sounds kinda snarky. Sorry about that.

 

[Fishfinder]

Having re-read my post, it sounds kinda snarky. Sorry about that.

I feel like LFS employees can give the worst advice

 

[ScottB]

I feel like LFS employees can give the worst advice

Yeah, it is sad to hear these stories over and over. I visit many LFS and work part time in one just running the coral systems and a few select customer tanks. It only works because we have people with specialist knowledge. One for freshwater, one SW fish and systems build, one for coral and water chemistry. Not perfect, but better than what I see here so often.

Another local LFS has solid knowledge workers and a sound customer philosophy. The third has some knowledgeable people but the wrong business incentives set by mgmt.

Moral of the story: do enough research so that you can ask intelligent questions. The figure out if you are talking to the right person at that LFS before bringing home any product or livestock.

 

[MERKEY]

You do not need to worry about your well DKH. I’m not sure why you are even testing that.

I test it so I know what I'm drinking and bathing in. I wanted to know what the difference from my well then ran through my house filter and out of my tap.

And since I am not using a RODI unit it matters very much what my DKH in my well and tap is because that's what's been going into my tanks.

Which is the reasoning behind getting a RODI unit.

 

[lapin]

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.

You need to stop using the Coral Pro salt. Your tank does not need it if the levels have rose to such a high level.
To fix this issue, buy a bucket of Red Sea blue bucket. Mix the 2 type 50/50. Do a water change and test the next day to see how much of a drop you get. The object here is to get to around 9dkh with calcium 425 to 450. But you dont want go too fast.
I mix them 50 /50 for my tank. I only do 10% water change per week. Im not sure why you do 50%

 

[Rambulsh]

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.

I use a digital Hannah checker and calibrate it weekly

 

[Rambulsh]

You need to stop using the Coral Pro salt. Your tank does not need it if the levels have rose to such a high level.
To fix this issue, buy a bucket of Red Sea blue bucket. Mix the 2 type 50/50. Do a water change and test the next day to see how much of a drop you get. The object here is to get to around 9dkh with calcium 425 to 450. But you dont want go too fast.
I mix them 50 /50 for my tank. I only do 10% water change per week. Im not sure why you do 50%

I feel like it’s such a small tank that doing a 50% change is easy and would clear more contaminants than a 10%. But it’s a small tank we are about to set up a 100gal tank and move all corals and fish.

 

[Rambulsh]

You need to stop using the Coral Pro salt. Your tank does not need it if the levels have rose to such a high level.
To fix this issue, buy a bucket of Red Sea blue bucket. Mix the 2 type 50/50. Do a water change and test the next day to see how much of a drop you get. The object here is to get to around 9dkh with calcium 425 to 450. But you dont want go too fast.
I mix them 50 /50 for my tank. I only do 10% water change per week. Im not sure why you do 50%

I just ordered a blue bucket from amazon and will do the 50/50 this Sunday and hope it helps.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I use a digital Hannah checker and calibrate it weekly

Have you had anyone else, such as a trusted LFS or ICP test verify your SG? A 1.025 sg is approximately 33.2 ppt. The black bucket salt mixed to 12 dKh at 35 ppt, so it would mix lower at 33.2 ppt. Your water is higher, and considering you change 50% once a week, your water with the black bucket should be closer to 10 dKh if your SG is actually 1.025. The math just doesn't work out with an SG of 1.025 and 14 dKh unless your RO/DI water isn't 0 TDS or there is something else we don't know about.

 

[Rambulsh]

Have you had anyone else, such as a trusted LFS or ICP test verify your SG? A 1.025 sg is approximately 33.2 ppt. The black bucket salt mixed to 12 dKh at 35 ppt, so it would mix lower at 33.2 ppt. Your water is higher, and considering you change 50% once a week, your water with the black bucket should be closer to 10 dKh if your SG is actually 1.025. The math just doesn't work out with an SG of 1.025 and 14 dKh unless your RO/DI water isn't 0 TDS or there is something else we don't know about.

Yes I have had it tested. That’s just it I’m not using RODI water I’m using my tap water like a dummy. I’m ordering a unit just need to find the right one. Any suggestions

 

[ScottB]

Yes I have had it tested. That’s just it I’m not using RODI water I’m using my tap water like a dummy. I’m ordering a unit just need to find the right one. Any suggestions

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