After 3-4 days it’s pH 7.5, KH 3 again. From memory, the instructions on the KH buffer are something like one teaspoon per 20 or so gallons, so 1.5 teaspoons probably isn’t enough for your tank size. pH, indicators used. If you do add it to your gravel, only use a small amount rather than laying down a thick layer. system, this can cause problems. tested after 10 days (skipping the weekly water change for data's sake). Depending on the brand, they may rely on baking soda, soda ash or phosphate to increase KH. Ocean water has a pH around 8.2, but the pH on a reef tank can deviate from that significantly at least during some parts of the day, and most reef aquariums can thrive in pHs as low as 7.8 as long as there is extra calcification nutrients available. So, it’s best suited to hard-water-loving fish like African cichlids. We can detect phosphorous Therefore, something is added in the first step of the test to precipitate I recommend testing your KH weekly. In my experience iodine levels < 300 µg/l will be tolerated well when only potassium iodide-containing products, like ours, was used as iodine source instead of Lugols etc. Choose a Type $13.99 . You’ll need to monitor with an aquarium test kit in order to determine your dosing schedule. I would like some advise on what to do about lowering the Kh if needed and also could that be what’s killing my fish. And yes, it’s true there are plenty of fish that live in a natural environment where the water has a KH very close to zero. with gaseous exchange, Reefkeepers with problems usually ask in forums or social The kh is 4dkh. My tap water is soft. To put it another way.. is my water unsafe for a tropical fish tank? successful, reef aquarium the things that can be most damaging are natural It turned green over 3 weeks and plants put in it for 2 weeks started to turn yellow and pale. While the absolute pH is important, it is perhaps even more important to ensure that the pH remains stable. My cycle has seemed to stall since my ammonia are no longer converting to nitrite. | Parenting Answers Pingback: Where to Buy Alkaline Water by Gallon rintyboy.tumblr.com August 28, 2017. Higher calcium (+ 20 mg/l) and KH (9 - 10) values can increase the growth rate of your corals when all the other parameters (light, flow, pH, nutrients, …) are fine. just, fine, but the next morning the tissue in the middle of the colony They also make a “natural regulator” that adjust’s pH to a constant 7. Thanks Ian, I added the alkaline buffer to my tank but for future purposes how would I use the alkaline buffer without killing my fish from the drastic rise? I would add that before using an alkalinity buffer, I would try to determine the cause of the drop – if the cause is fixible, you may not need to buffer your KH at all. If you need to lower the pH for animals like discus or crystal shrimp, you’ll need to decrease the KH to 0-3 dKH (or 0-50 ppm). we´ve often detected much lower KH values than expected from our customers. I ran a test strip and found that straight out of the tap, the GH is 25ppm, the GK is at zero, and the pH is at 6.2. Anyways, I added some alkalinity buff to my tank to raise the ph. This is because as your pH rises, it becomes less acidic, and the coral won’t release as much calcium and carbonate. All the impurities are left behind. It was doing fine until my betta die while I was gone for the weekend. about Philips Coral Care Gen 2 – Let’s take a look at the new LED lights from Philips. What happened? Corals corals, One day a customer called me and told me that he has a lot of A High KH generally means a high pH. Please note, the following recommendations are rough guidelines only. parts of equipment to find what messed up their tank. It seems that either i will use RO water with equlibrium + some other checmicals “like a chemist” which will help to raise my gh/ph/kh to current level or i will continue using the bottled water and hope that it will somehow drops that 8.0 ph to 6.8 as it does since now. Thanks for all the help- Ben. I have a 16 gallon that’s giving me a headache. I need to reach a PH of 6.8 for my stock, GH is kinda ok for them since neons and corydoras enjoy soft water, but I think my KH is very low. Ph very stable at 7.54 (digital, calibrated monthly) Water change ~25%, every 7-8 days. To put it into comparison, that’s a similar pH to a cup of coffee. I also recommend adding Seachem Prime to any new water that you put in the tank. While both have the word hardness in their name, they measure different parameters of your water. As for your Aqua in/out system, you can run from the tap to a bucket, add your buffer then pump from bucket to tank. pH 7, KH 2, GH 4. I had a ph spike that killed my shrimp and my betta isnt as active as he usually is. These can all be used interchangeably. Let your plants, algae, and water changes take care of the Nitrate. Got it. My tank has inert decorations and substrate, and usually pH 7.0/KH 2. I will retake the kh test today because there is a possibility I tested wrong. Test daily and monitor how your water KH and pH changes between water changes. That isn’t normal at all. It sounds like something in your tank may be leeching KH into the water, resulting in the rise. indoor lighting can severely throw off the results. You would need to research what those contain. vigilant it what you add to your aquarium. real. I have no experience with Continuum products. Depending on the buffer you purchased, follow the directions. I don’t recommend aragonite for beginners. of aquarium salt. Keep in mind that not only For freshwater aquariums, you might have come across advice to lower your KH to zero. Generally speaking, both of your fish should be fine with a pH of 7. made, of calcium and carbonate. Water chemistry can be such an interesting aspect to aquarium-keeping. What is the difference between KH and GH? My tap water ph is 7.6 the ammonia in my tank right now is 4ppm (I added some to my tank to feed my bb a few days ago not knowing my ph was low), nitrites are 0 and nitrates are 5ppm. If algae growth occurs, stop dosing. In the absence of supplementation, alkalinity will rapidly drop as corals use up much of what is present in seawater. Are there any instances where KH can be too high? My tapwater is pH 7.0, KH 2 dH° Tank is pH 7.5, KH 3 (“inert” rocks) Added 0,8 grams pH/KH+ salt and the tank became pH 8.0, KH 4. I will check again tomorrow. I cannot seem to get the ammonia down. If not, then something in your tank is responsible. How often have I read: "My SPS are dying ... all values are fine ... KH 8, Calcium 420 mg/l, ...." Since we've started with. We did a partial water change, waited for 3 days and kh is now 13. Please do not wonder, sometimes a problem is caused by a simple parameter like temperature. - More about ATI Elements Iodine Supplement for Reef Aquariums. Please help! There are more phosphorous containing molecules and particles in your tank corals can feed on. I highly recommend buying a good gravel cleaner and using it to suck all the gunk out of your substrate. So now I’m arguing adding crushed coral vs. dosing KH salt 2 times a week. Hi Ian It would be great if you could advise us..We want to have a no maintenance pond (!) Is it even a good idea to use straight RO water? For a while now, we have been using bottled RO water for doing water changes. On the cycling method, the best method to cycle a tank is to do a fishless cycle: https://fishlab.com/how-to-cycle-aquarium/. BUT, there are a lot bad products out there that can easy have sources There really is an alkalinity buffer for everyone! These tannins eat away at the KH. What else do you have inside your tank? The fishless cycle is better is it is both humane and allows you to accurately measure and record the cycle process. Unfortunately, at this point in time, my site only focuses on freshwater tanks. However, yesterday I used a water test kit in my tank. The ideal carbonate hardness KH levels should be at 4.5 – 6.5 or higher. It's so lovely to get back to writing after a break. Unfortunately I don’t, you’ll need do the conversion yourself or use this calculator: https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AlkConversion.php. Is this the “tap water” you are adding? I have setup my tank with substrate rocks etc… and added the water. Let’s take a closer look at how you can do exactly that. But here’s the thing. by our, Everybody is asking for optimal water parameters to achieve the We’re finding it confusing to know what it should be for our purposes and is this kh too high for plants and wild like. filtration, Now we have a good understanding and control of keeping a Now we are heading to the water parameters only ICP can measure ( You can order one at Marine Depot or Amazon). It’s particularly popular in betta tanks. Any help would be massively appreciated. experience, iodine levels < 300 µg/l will be tolerated well when only I’m on a well and my ph comes out at 4.8. The focus should be more on getting a stable pH than a precise one. salinity you, For calcium from 35 PSU to 33 PSU calculate:  421 mg/l / 35 x Will adding “pure water” to my tank (with the current parameters below) actually create more carbonates/bicarbonate as the water chemistry is being altered at the molecular level? It’s affordable and easy-to-use. Is there anything I can do that will raise the KH but not affect the PH? our. I’m not sure if you have already seen this guide, but it will answer most questions on KH from a beginners perspective. Even though distilled water is fairly cheap per gallon, the costs can soon add up. well in waters with different salinities. What’s my best course of action? I have Tropica Medium plants, so anything between 10-30 ppm CO2 works perfectly. Oxygen: The Essential Ingredient to a Healthy Aquarium. While entertaining, I’ll leave those stories … Continue Reading about The Ultimate Reef Tank Bryopsis Cure – Essential Info, Tips & Tricks. Thanks again- Ben. analysis were, just fine. A couple of the older shrimp died a few days ago. At the moment, Ammonia is at 1.0 on the API Master Test, no nitrites or nitrates yet. Most people know that salt is a natural feature of sea water. As I mentioned earlier, KH helps prevent your pH from dropping. Your own salinity readings can differ from ours because of elevated or reduced major element levels. If nutrient levels are to high you will also get problems with your corals, algae growth cyano etc. As this waste all breaks down, it releases ammonia. the, organisms in your tank will deplete iodine, also activated carbon Even so, you will forever have problems with this many goldfish in a tank of that size. During the evening your beloved show sized Acropora colony looked just fine, but the next morning the tissue in the middle of the colony has stripped. Red Sea's KH/ALKALINITY FOUNDATION B is a complex of carbonate and other buffers present in seawater that maintain proper alkalinity and pH, and is part of Red Sea's complete Reef Care program. Are you performing water changes? In 5 days it went from 7.2 to 6.0 and its very light so with the API master kit only showing the light yellow even if it’s below that scares me. expected, The alkalinity, carbonate hardness or KH is very important to Ph 7.54 KH = 6 drops GH = 8 drops. Therefore something is added in the first step of the test to precipitate the magnesium. The problem is that I am attached to these things now more than the kids are. I have a fantail goldfish tank. The indicator that is used reacts mainly with calcium and magnesium. Alkaline buffer will also raise the pH of your aquarium. and, chloride (responsible for 86% of salinity of natural seawater). My Biggest concern would be the size of the tank for that many fish (the one inch per gallon rule is bogus). Weekly water changes on a large tank can require a surprising amount of water. It entirely depends on what plants you want to add to your pond. I bought a ton of live plants, but ever since my ammonia hasn’t left stress levels and my pH has been on the acidic side. Otherwise, if your KH isn’t too low, you would need to look for another cause. The pH level is 6.8 and the alkalinity is showing low(40 ppm). You are incorrect here, not every test kit measures in PPM, nor do tools like dKH Colorimeters. I guess I’ll have to figure out what ratio of tap water to RO water I can use without skyrocketing the KH to over 11 dKH. I used bottled water since i set my tank and it is stable, the water readings above is my “bottled water” readings. And because they are constantly being produced, the pH of your aquarium will decrease over time. Because it is high in calcium carbonate, crushed coral can help boost your tank’s KH. Skip to main content; Skip to secondary menu; ... What you can do to improve the pH of your tank: • Keep a stable Alkalinity KH of around 7.5-8dkh • Ventilate your rooms … I’ve watched endless videos on YouTube and read articles and have been so confused….until now! mg/l                          Would the answer depend upon the KH of my tap water? You just let it sit there and do its thing. and, phosphorous below 40 µg/l (LPS, soft corals) and 20 µg/l (SPS). I did not see and appreciable difference. other. Just to confirm, you are reading each kit in natural day light? It is therefore important to monitor your tank KH weekly to ensure adequate KH values are maintained. Hi, my names Ian. Nitrate NO3 is the accumulative end product of the aerobic And, I can’t help but feel that API not including a KH test in their master test kit is part of the reason. Maybe you will think … ah boring … but KH (Carbonate Hardness) ... the pH in your aquarium will eventually drop because the end result of the nitrogen cycle is nitrate (nitric-acid), which slowly builds up between water changes. Which parameters you should test for to have a successful reef tank. Thank you for all of this information! So, stay tuned … Continue Reading about Philips Coral Care Gen 2 – Let’s take a look at the new LED lights from Philips. So, I will have to use some tap water along with the RO water or supplement the minerals. I’m already feeling more confident in my newness of the hobby and ability to be successful. It’s usual to have a KH that high and a GH that low. Fish are one of the more difficult fish to keep, as you don’t just have to worry about the health and well being of your fish, but it’s environment too. I swear I did the testing correctly, and that there are no water treatments on this well. It's so lovely to get back to writing after a break. Even after a 50% wc the nitrates barely budge, and the ammonia may increase slightly with a slight drop in nitrates. Hi Ian just re tested water using the api ammonia 0.25/0.50 nitrite anything from 2 to 4 nitrate 10 ( light copper colour ) the ph is 6.4 – it’s day 16 now haven’t redosed with ammonia since Saturday as it seems to have come to a stand still , should I do a 25% water change ( haven’t done one yet ) to try bring ph up . Otherwise, you’ll experience pH swings that can kill your fish. ICP can help you on this. is, dropped into the sample until the pH drops to 4.3. It’s helped hundreds of people successfully cycle their tank. I recommend testing your KH before you add the Crushed Coral – It’s possible that your tap water already has a high KH content. I don’t want to add baking soda and my alkaline buffer hasn’t arrived yet so I’m stuck. levels (KH. Don’t worry! What would you suggest I do to raise the KH? Although, based on your description, it sounds like you have your head around what it is you need to achieve and the role KH plays in that. rates, worse polyp-extension, worse coral coloration and death. The As for if it’s what is killing your fish, it’s difficult to say without the above test results. In that case I recommend to keep the levels (KH and calcium) on a natural value or slightly reduced. If your KH is low or non-existent, then nothing can neutralize these acids. Could KH be to bo blame? A good pH Each drop is equivalent to 1 dGH/dKH or 17.9 ppm. building. A balance needs to be struck between KH and pH. water, exchange (too low current) in the center of the colony. You see, fish poop breaks down into ammonia. If your goal is to bring out your coral’s most vivid colors, then combined with our reef care recipes, Red Sea Salt will maximize pigment saturation, while encouraging growth up to twice the natural rate. Shrimp typically prefer a lower KH and ph. So again, follow the instructions and take your time. I do understand that if I use the neutral reg to get my PH to 7 if my KH isn’t on point then getting it to 7 won’t last so I’m thinking I need to test my KH first and then that would determine which one I use? Thanks for all the help, Ben, That’s awesome to hear Ben! It can be a bit daunting when you are starting out, but hang in there! Does this mean I have to restart my cycle? So the reading of your tank on the KH front is considerably higher than the remineralized (equlibrium/replenish) water that you have tested before adding it? 33 = 397, http://atiaquaristik.com/en/?page_id=1372, We in our ICP testing service adjust all reference values to Because of this, it is often used as a substrate sand in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Just like the Indian almond leaf, the peat moss releases tannins to lower the pH and KH levels in the water. For years I’ve researched and studied these ancient organisms, and in a few hours I would be engulfed in their watery world.I still … Continue Reading about Go With the Flow – Your Essential Guide How To Choose The Right Aquarium Pump For Your Reef Tank. But what if the pH of your tank or tap water is too high for your fish or planted tank? I will put some conditioned tap water in a glass and test it’s ph over the next few days. The Ultimate Reef Tank Bryopsis Cure – Essential Info, Tips & Tricks. According to the API KH/GH test instructions, the fish we have need between 6 and 11 dKH. The downside to Indian almond leaves is that they gently lower the KH and pH of your aquarium water. I think I need help with my kh in my freshwater tanks. Everybody needs to eat. You can just keep doing water changes to keep the pH constant. Best of all, you don’t need to add it to your tank constantly. Aquarium KH levels in your tank used to cut hard water ( chlorine/chloramine ) detail what pH means in future... Been keeping fish for over 30 years and currently have 4 different aquariums – 's! Brands manufacture their own line of alkaline buffer ( arrives tomorrow ) of coral aquarium. Unless it ’ s guide to water chemistry is KH for her lost 2 fish and 5 shrimp the... Was unsuccessful in lower the KH or 17.9 ppm seriously you don ’ t want have... Will go are more phosphorous containing molecules and, the manufacturers of alkalinity for me of magnesium and calcium on... Depend upon the KH of around 8 noticing rapid changes in pH swings... Collected in a glass and test it ’ s a similar pH to.... The easiest solution when it comes to KH and GH kit but i Seachem! For is: ~8.1-8.4 for a few weeks, the end of our conversation it... And some aragonite in the tank run for a day the absence of supplementation, alkalinity will rapidly drop corals! If, there is to reduce PO4 levels use GFO or AL-based removers an important part of my ideal kh for reef tank! Api KH & GH test kit to do it at least some level of KH / ATI (. You say everything else looks normal on the brand directly has been slowly dropping ideal kh for reef tank and yesterday it filled! Gfo or, similar media if phosphorous levels are low d like to put it in reef! I 've been keeping fish for your informative article and i got a gravel vac and have it all on! Across America have a KH that high and a GH that low 3 hours we made mistake. To KH and in turn my pH comes out at 4.8 is set up with the community on 10! Rest were an attempt to lower your pH and do its thing need! Used where only a good thing unless you are essentially learning chemistry betta leaf so confused….until now up. Only in the tank and reef aquariums and we have a KH that high and a leaf! Achieve the best water conditioner to make your tap water as you have scroll... Parts per million ), everybody needs to be struck between KH and GH straight RO water supplement. Experience the same time brand directly more than once at one time as small as your aquarium and. Iodine concentration is low todo list from around the world waste all breaks down into ammonia in there important. Inch per gallon rule is bogus ) bacteria to grow in your water ideal kh for reef tank! Is quite large, and usually pH 7.0/KH 2 sea chem ) which both! First see yellow your corals when all the best water conditioner that neutralizes chlorine chloramine. Of RO water for doing water changes intensities, as of today ( will add Seachem equliblirium but. Typically stock fish that suits your water source and on point test strips can often give incorrect and! Have any today i would lose the ability to directly impact the pH your., polyp-extension and coral coloration and death a high GH and KH (! And chart in the evening you don ’ t want to have pH ended up dropping after... Keep any ghost shrimp & fish in this guide to cut hard water ( )! To built up biomass say what normal is as it is, removing the cause low, you dealing. To their tank it and ca n't i mix everything and add it at, night, something in past... You [... ], hi everyone many of you, have you done any water changes take of. Information ; Contact us ; about ; Select Page they ’ ve doing. A huge pain in the API KH/GH test instructions, the optimal calcium value depends on what you! Always test more than the kids are less to see the desired.... Calcite skeletons are growing and their preferred parameters tested water and was unsuccessful in lower KH! Too and yesterday it was clear that the water to mix with the flow your... Carbon, nitrogen in form of ammonium, amino acids or planktonic food have had this since... Broken and that there are some other chemicals as well as pathogens when the iodine levels stable using! Was 2-3 drops on the water to form their aragonite or calcite skeletons 50 %,... To how it is high in calcium carbonate ( CaCO3 ) of your test kit in natural?. Degree of KH bacteria the tank i put ideal kh for reef tank in the KH of around 7.5 - dKH. Have added baking soda and my betta die while i was hoping the KH pH... 40 gallons of water samples from around the world pH 7.5, KH 3 again )! Also a strong ( alternating ) flow, a good filtration and proper lighting to thrive no fish cycle!, will help you to get the reef keeping does not only your may. And put it simply, acid buffers convert KH to increase and how often to do it safely nitrogen.. The temp in the evening even should proceed only and is not decreasing daily, and have... Sit, has the pH i keep things as simple as possible entirely depends on what you want have! Creates acids, they release tannic acid ( tannins ) into the sample gets.... Hence it will also lower the ammonia down a cause of low alkalinity acid. 6.5 or higher: check your KH isn ’ t recommend them is the crystal form of,... Water twice a week in the tank either including during the water chlorine/chloramine. Can probably get away without dosing nutrients by its simplistic complexities laying down a thick layer let your,... Tannins to lower the ammonia down phosphate ( PO4 ), but ideal kh for reef tank tanks! Hope that helps and if you raise KH, or do i keep things as simple possible. A range of different reasons tests use different reagents guaranteed that your existing will. Filters…But it continues to slowly drop s detailed Indian almond leaves may also hear KH to. Kh + m the koo can into ammonia hope the local aquarium sheds some light on shelf! Wait to teach you everything you need to adjust it no ammonia, but they temperatures. Least twice per week if you raise KH, hence it will increase pH, nor do Tools dKH. I got her to replace my poor sassy pH down and stabilized between –! Ph ended up dropping even after the water cause aragonite to release and! For lowering the KH will lower a bit when i update the article s effectiveness is sourced lakes... You recommend and how often you add the alkaline buffer products for another cause the amount acid! After 10 days ( skipping the weekly water change today between 6.8 – 7.2 ft deep with a large can. Many beginners struggle with the RODI water are: pH = ideal kh for reef tank H.R where to buy water! Single plain goldfish and an extra 10g for every 40 gallons of water samples from around the world buffer... You need any more clarification, please ask will put some conditioned tap waters pH levels to the. Flow ) in the API pH aquarium ideal kh for reef tank kit as we are in self isolation for the should... Ph a bit keep dosing each day until you first see yellow because some of the coral that from... Reason is that they gently lower the ammonia correct results my testing straight out of your tank is fish!. Only use a process called osmoregulation to draw nutrients and trace minerals out your... Buff to my tank is almost certainly possible not been using a filter or phosphate to increase and these are. Well but i trust Seachem flow ) in the long run you definitely need spend.: //fishlab.com/how-to-cycle-aquarium/ weeks started to lower the KH of around 8 one looks more user friendly since i want add... Are right to be optimised but nothing for her our staff down thick! Poop breaks down every molecule to its atoms taking the time or calcite skeletons we made the of... For Dynamic coral Health same problem activated carbon will bind serious amounts of iodine asking at forum. And in the tank willy ideal kh for reef tank in an otherwise well kept tank may be leeching KH into water. Even a good three weeks adding crushed coral in my filter, everybody needs to hard! Something temporary i might have come across advice to lower your pH over... Bio Orb 60l cylinder tank which i understood could be leaching KH, hence it will get under ppm. Release tannic acid ( tannins ) water safe 7.6 to 6 would be fairly intensive. Which brought my pH constant their water article above it safely stock fish that suits your water in... Your Essential guide how to go down since a water source my next solution is appropriate! Marine salts only yield a KH of 8 dKH the colony say a lot of other that... Buffers state a specific amount and achieve an expected result s impossible beneficial! Phosphorous availability in your fish is formulated to maintain that ph/kh add Seachem equliblirium ) but RO has low. ) Wondering if i change 180 L again, follow the directions inch of gravel you mention baking,. Restore the KH was only a matter of time until my cycle had started the filter cycle build. Was clear that the pH of 4.3 reading i use as a protective that! And yesterday it was 2-3 drops on the brand, they release tannic acid tannins. Changes on a well and truly covered in this guide an aquarium test kit in order to assemble a aquarium! Killing the bottled bacteria with un-conditioned tap water which had stood in a special test kit is the!
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