HIGH DKH

[jorgeeandreess]

Please help me! I’m having issues with the dKh. This started like 2 weeks ago, the dKh was in 11.5 and it’s going high everyday, I don’t use any supplement, I buy prepared water on my local store with reef crystals

Parameters:

O2: 8Mg/L
dKh: 12.1!!!!!!!!!
Po4: 0.25
No3: 10
Sal: 1.025
Ca: 420 ppm
Mg: 1260 ppm

 

[Mschmidt]

What else is in the tank? coral? The rate it's climbing isn't a problem, and there are sps keepers with dkh that high.

If you want to lower it, you can do water changes with a lower dkh salt, Instant Ocean is low and accessible. Get RODI water from the store if you can't make your own and mix the salt yourself. Don't drop it more than 1dkh in 24 hours!

 

[RoanokeReef]

Please help me! I’m having issues with the dKh. This started like 2 weeks ago, the dKh was in 11.5 and it’s going high everyday, I don’t use any supplement, I buy prepared water on my local store with reef crystals

Parameters:

O2: 8Mg/L
dKh: 12.1!!!!!!!!!
Po4: 0.25
No3: 10
Sal: 1.025
Ca: 420 ppm
Mg: 1260 ppm

Have you been testing the water from the store before adding to your tank? If you're not adding anything this is where it has to be coming from. Also, a .6 increase isn't that huge. Some salt batches swing more than that from bucket to bucket.

 

[Miami Reef]

Reef Crystals has very high alkalinity, which is likely the cause of the high alk.

High alkalinity leads to faster calcifying coral growth. Your nutrients are high enough to support the faster growth rate, which is a good thing.

You can lower the alkalinity if you want, but it is not an emergency. You can leave it where it is, and everything will likely be very happy.

My alkalinity is currently around 10dKH.

 

[twentyleagues]

Have you noticed a nitrate drop in this time frame without changing water? I do believe it to be the reefcrystals as typically it mixes between 10.5-12 dkh but if you have bacteria using nitrate it will create alk while doing so. It would have to be a pretty substantial drop in nitrate though to see much alk gain.

 

[jorgeeandreess]

What else is in the tank? coral? The rate it's climbing isn't a problem, and there are sps keepers with dkh that high.

If you want to lower it, you can do water changes with a lower dkh salt, Instant Ocean is low and accessible. Get RODI water from the store if you can't make your own and mix the salt yourself. Don't drop it more than 1dkh in 24 hours!

Hello! Thank you for taking time to write this, I have corals:

-firework coral
-war coral
-galaxea
-Strawberry cyphastrea
-pulsing Xenia
-bird nest
-candy cane
- button palythoa
-pocillopora

I have 2 clownfish, an anemone (is very stressed btw) 1 diamond goby, 1 algae blenny and 1 royal gramma and also some crabs and snails just as cleaner crew

 

[jorgeeandreess]

Have you been testing the water from the store before adding to your tank? If you're not adding anything this is where it has to be coming from. Also, a .6 increase isn't that huge. Some salt batches swing more than that from bucket to bucket.

Thank you so much! Actually yes I tested the water and was on 9 the dkh

 

[jorgeeandreess]

Have you noticed a nitrate drop in this time frame without changing water? I do believe it to be the reefcrystals as typically it mixes between 10.5-12 dkh but if you have bacteria using nitrate it will create alk while doing so. It would have to be a pretty substantial drop in nitrate though to see much alk gain.

Ohhh thank you! No I haven’t noticed any drop

 

[jorgeeandreess]

Have you noticed a nitrate drop in this time frame without changing water? I do believe it to be the reefcrystals as typically it mixes between 10.5-12 dkh but if you have bacteria using nitrate it will create alk while doing so. It would have to be a pretty substantial drop in nitrate though to see much alk gain.

Ohhh thank you! No I haven’t noticed any drop

Reef Crystals has very high alkalinity, which is likely the cause of the high alk.

High alkalinity leads to faster calcifying coral growth. Your nutrients are high enough to support the faster growth rate, which is a good thing.

You can lower the alkalinity if you want, but it is not an emergency. You can leave it where it is, and everything will likely be very happy.

My alkalinity is currently around 10dKH.

Ohh ok thank you so much! What do you think if I change this water to the bright well aquatics? Thank you for taking your time to respond to this

 

[RoanokeReef]

Ohhh thank you! No I haven’t noticed any drop

Ohh ok thank you so much! What do you think if I change this water to the bright well aquatics? Thank you for taking your time to respond to this

Bright well is ~7.5 and is a good salt. I'd just go with one you can get easily and is within the parameters you like. Also as an FYI Petco has started carrying Tropic Marin which may fit the bill for you also.

 

[jorgeeandreess]

Thank you so much !!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m going to remove the emergency tag as that alk level is typical of high alk salt mixes.

If you want to lower it, I’d either use a different salt water source, or drop it in the store water using sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid followed by plenty of aeration.

 

[jorgeeandreess]

Ok thank you so much! You’re very kind !