So was watching the new reefbuilders yt video and he doesnt worry about his kh was lower than 6 ! His acros and other corals look great! So are we chasing a perfect stable kh or shud we be worrying about ph, temp and salinty? (The three he worries about) I lost an acro frag which i thought was down to a small kh swing now im thinking it was due to a large water change and a swing in temp. Thoughs please?
Kh important or myth
- Thread starter Ash321
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Umm did i say i was gonna stop maintiang my kh level??
just asking the question was interested to see what other people experiences where.
not really a helpful comment! But thanks for umm ur sarcastic reply.
Without any context, it's hard to have a discussion on why a person would advocate for not maintaining alk at NSW levels. Therefore, the only answer I can give is that it seems dangerous and not recommended. I think you took my comment too personal, which was not how it was intended.
Your question was like asking if it's a good idea to keep a loaded gun out on your kitchen counter. Um, it's not something I would do. But, maybe the person doing it has had bad experiences in the past, lives in a rough neighborhood, or hey...maybe even wears a tinfoil hat. Context....
Maybe consider posting a link or the title so we can judge rather than giving you something you perceive as sarcasm.
Your question was like asking if it's a good idea to keep a loaded gun out on your kitchen counter. Um, it's not something I would do. But, maybe the person doing it has had bad experiences in the past, lives in a rough neighborhood, or hey...maybe even wears a tinfoil hat. Context....
Maybe consider posting a link or the title so we can judge rather than giving you something you perceive as sarcasm.
Here... let's try this for an example. My salinity, pH, and temp are pretty solid. Salinity swings waaay less than 1ppt. Temp swings 0.2 degrees F. pH swings .2. If I let just alk drop, I guarantee my corals will start to die. But, some people run ULNS where lower alk is good. No idea why someone would suggest that not maintaining alk is safe though.
He wasnt suggesting it just showing his tank and maintenance on it or lack of!
Just saying you cant argue with his growth on his acros. Iv always been told alk is do or die but maybe it as not as strict as i thought.0
Not saying it is sensible to try it just wandered what other acro/sps keepers have experienced.
Yeah, there's only one RB video on YT.... wait... no. Sorry to be snarky, but some of that would love to have a good discussion don't have time to search videos for a clip where someone mentions something. If someone expects help and a discussion, they need to provide details.
I'm off to go find a more useful thread. Good luck with whatever you hoped to get out of this post.
AndrewB
Active Member
I think you may have answered your question in your first post.
You stated that keeper RB keeps his at 6. While mine stays about 9.5. Stable is stable no matter what number you choose. Then you said you may have lost yours to "swings"... I don't see swings as being stable.
I'm sure I'll be told I'm worthless, but that's my only 2 cents.
You stated that keeper RB keeps his at 6. While mine stays about 9.5. Stable is stable no matter what number you choose. Then you said you may have lost yours to "swings"... I don't see swings as being stable.
I'm sure I'll be told I'm worthless, but that's my only 2 cents.
Mine hangs around 6 because I literally have to add two part and kalk non stop to the system. It stays stable so the corals are happy and flourishing. I also feed heavily and have noticed in the past corals are less tolerant of alk in the low or high ranges if they aren’t receiving plenty of nutrients.
I honestly was just after people opinion on kh whether they have success without monitoring it as stringent as most people suggest.
The acro i lost was no big deal was just a tiny frag cost next to nothing.
DesertReefT4r
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He also said he knew alk was going to be low and that he was having a hard time keep it maintained at a proper level and that he was going to be making changes to get alk dialed back in. Its more about stability and slow changes. If alk swings up or down fast sps will not like it but if it happens slowly over several days sps dont seem to mind. Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.
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Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
If you want to keep soft corals then no, you don't have to worry about Alk as much. You want to have a thriving SPS tank, then you will not get far without monitoring Alk and keeping it stable.
Ah ok thanks this was more what i was wandering cus iv had a couple of swings in the last few months one was a faulty kh kit second was a blocked dosing line. People always say any kh swing every sps will die which are all ok bar the 1 acro i lost.
I have maybe 70% sps mainly montis,digis, birdsnests, stylos, pavona,hysterix all growing just dipped my toes into trying an acro and lost it. I perosnally keep my kh at 7.8 nitrate at 2 ,phos 0.045, calc 420 mag around 1300 ph 8.2 average
Epic Aquaculture
The artist formerly known as SawCJack00
If you can't maintain temp and salinity effortlessly then you have no business even owning a FOWLR tank. PH swings are normal, and as long as PH doesn't get super low, it's really not a parameter that you should seek to control either. Those parameters must be monitored, but they are very simple to monitor, and basic equipment that every aquarist has will keep them in line. ALK on the other hand can change rapidly and while we also have equipment such as CA reactors and dosing pumps to help keep it in line, it still needs to be monitored regularly to make sure that the setting on the equipment is doing the job. While a massive temp swing will kill things as quickly as a massive ALK swing, a heater or chiller is generally set it and forget it. ALK supplementation, unfortunately is not. If I was only able to test one thing in my tank, it would always be ALK.
I was hoping to learn and contribute... and now you're questioning the qualifications of those trying to help you. That's a good way to run people off. ...Says the person keeping SPS dominant systems up to 1000 gallons for 12 years.
I think swings (to the low side) are the most dangerous followed by stable low alk. I think those scenarios are waaay more dangerous with a new hobbyist or a new tank than they are with someone experienced with an older tank. An experienced person will notice subtle changes that signal an issue much faster than a new person, in general. An older tank is more forgiving in general.
But to downplay the importance of alk stable at NSW levels is something I don't get or think is wise.
Chris04
Active Member
IMO I seen what happens when KH is not stable. Have burned tips when to high , losses of color or RTN and STN when the number jump around , I feel PH is not something to chance or even KH but you do need to monitor KH and keep it stable. I keep my KH around 8.5 much as possible just because my corals polyps are out more , coral color and just happier at that number. All tank are different and you should keep your number ( KH , cal , magnesium, etc ) based on your tank and what your corals are happy with. If your in-tune with your tank and engage in it should not take you long to know what your tank and coral are happy with. I know I am going to get push back for saying don’t worry about PH but never seen a good study or anyone give me a valid point to why we should chase PH. And not chased ph ever in my tank and my sps are growing fast and have awesome color
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