I KH test help
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Rmckoy
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Make sure you shake the bottle . And after each drop shake the vile before adding the next drop .
They are notorious for being inaccurate . But good for a basic guideline .
For freshwater , is should change colour with the first drop .
make sure the salt is mixed to proper salinity ( 1.026
Measurements of dkh Depends on what salt you’re using .
being new I want to make a recommendation .
Kh consumption happens as corals and coralline algae consume it .
it’s not really a important parameter yet ...
Has the tank cycled yet ( nitrogen cycle )?
are there any fish ?
What size tank ?
They are notorious for being inaccurate . But good for a basic guideline .
For freshwater , is should change colour with the first drop .
make sure the salt is mixed to proper salinity ( 1.026
Measurements of dkh Depends on what salt you’re using .
being new I want to make a recommendation .
Kh consumption happens as corals and coralline algae consume it .
it’s not really a important parameter yet ...
Has the tank cycled yet ( nitrogen cycle )?
are there any fish ?
What size tank ?
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
Sorry ..
when saying they’re notorious for being inaccurate. .
Referring to the API brand test kits .
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Lmcg8020
Community Member
No fish, 75 gal, don’t think nitrogen cycle happens w/o fish?? (That’s what I was told) got snail to help with that so possibly. Got the snails on sat 4 turbo, astrea & margarita
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
You don’t need fish to start nitrogen cycle .
but you need a source of ammonia .
there are links on here for cycling your first tank .
That being said .
I wouldn’t worry too much about testing alkalinity yet .
Pick up a refractometer or another device for testing salinity though. .
You will want a ammonia and nitrate test kit for the start and end of the nitrogen cycle .
Essentially ...
the old way I did years ago was a raw shrimp in a mesh or nylon .
let it rot in the tank until you have 0 ammonia and high nitrates.
You will at that time to add fish .
There are other additives available but they require dosing and testing .
Randy Holmes-Farley
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What salt mix?
Some are not far off of 14 dKH.
If you used tap water the alk could easily be 15 dKH or more.
Some are not far off of 14 dKH.
If you used tap water the alk could easily be 15 dKH or more.
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Lmcg8020
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No tap RO water only salt I used is instant ocean 14 lbs Reef Crystals reef salt. I did 1 1/2 cups per every 3 gal. Duda water change today because salinity was a little higher then I’d prefer ~1.028 it’s now 1.022. My other coral are thriving. I am having trouble with my Candy cane though. Just moved it to low flow spot and lower lighting but it’s pretty inverted and shrunken. Probably just going to wait it out.
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
The shock alone of 1.028 down to 1.022 is a huge swing ...
for some weird reason I have trouble keeping candy cane ( trumpet ) in my mature and stable system .
That swing would stress that coral ...
I remember seeing tolerable parameter swings in one of these forums
Being a new system ...
what other corals do you have ?
was there a comment above about the tank not cycled yet and no livestock other than corals ?
Or is there fish ?
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
Let’s back up a little ....
there is no fish ,
No nitrogen cycle has occurred ?
nothing such as nitrifying bacteria has been added to establish a biological filter to be able to process toxic ammonia to nitrite , to nitrate ?
im
Not 100% sure but I believe you might have added corals too soon .
without any biological filter to process ammonia .
you will experience some sort of issues .
I’d suggest some sort of nitrifying bacteria such as microbactor 7 , dr Tim’s and prey we “ instant cycle your tank without killing everything
there is no fish ,
No nitrogen cycle has occurred ?
nothing such as nitrifying bacteria has been added to establish a biological filter to be able to process toxic ammonia to nitrite , to nitrate ?
im
Not 100% sure but I believe you might have added corals too soon .
without any biological filter to process ammonia .
you will experience some sort of issues .
I’d suggest some sort of nitrifying bacteria such as microbactor 7 , dr Tim’s and prey we “ instant cycle your tank without killing everything
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Instant Ocean is a high alk mix.
The high alk kit result (higher than IO normally is) might be because be kit is off a bit, the salinity is higher than you think, or the mix was not homogeneous due to settling during shipping.
The high alk kit result (higher than IO normally is) might be because be kit is off a bit, the salinity is higher than you think, or the mix was not homogeneous due to settling during shipping.
I believe Reef Crystals mixes up to around 14 dKH.
API alk kits are just fine. It's a pretty simple titration. Mine always matches my salifert, although the resolution is 1.0 instead of 0.3 dKH.
API alk kits are just fine. It's a pretty simple titration. Mine always matches my salifert, although the resolution is 1.0 instead of 0.3 dKH.
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Lmcg8020
Community Member
Yes it’s already coming back to it’s normal state. I’m so thankful for all the advice! I have a digital thermometer, a Refractometer, a test kit, coral vitamins and more! Can’t wait to get this tank looking beautiful!
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
It’s a very slow and long road .
don’t do too much too fast...
give each step time to process before trying something different .
a bottle of nitrifying bacteria will help a lot without causing harm to any of the animals .
If you have any questions .
don’t hesitate to ask ....
