Ph level

Reefing Madness

Umm so, no one who knows readings would know that, becaues everyone goes off the following:
dKH
meq/l
CaCO3
Never in 20 years have I heard it called out in degrees.

bohmert

Ok so they tested mine at 27 drops. Wow how do i fix that. She used the api. And the chart only went to 12

Reefing Madness

So your ALK is 27dKH?

beaslbob

Just emphasizing the d in dkh. Was afraid kh would be taken and the more general term reflecting the other measures.

Both API carbonate test kit (KH), and general hardness (GH) are calibrated to that each drop is a degree or 1 dkh or 1 gh.

Sorry for the confusion.

my .02

Reefing Madness

A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
The
Are you using RO water? I'd start by doing water changes to get this number back into a normal range. Do you have a lid on the tank we need to take off? Water movement at the surface?

beaslbob

From the api kh and gh instructions:

Quote:

Originally Posted by api gh instructions The test is completed when the water in the test tube, after having been shaken, turns from orange to green

so did the test start blue and turn yellow (kh) or start orange and turn green (gh).

27 Degrees GH IME is much more common but 27 dKH is possible but very uncommon.

If GH it would be helpful to measure KH.

If DKH is 27 and there is a low pH it would indicate very high co2 levels and/or a very active nitrogen cycle that has not completed.

At any rate regardless of what is going on thriving live plants to suck out the ammonia/nitrate/phosphates/carbon dioxide and return fish food and oxygen would help.

Finally, and a big consideration is that DKH, PH are functions of carbon dioxide in the system. Taking a jar of water to the LFS can and probably will result in different values then if you did the test immediately from your tank.

And will result in different values during the day due to plant action on carbon dioxide.

What I do is test just before lights out. If that pH is high then the system IMHO is processing the co2 nicely.



my .02

bohmert

Yes,, it was the KH test. So basically it is cycling? Will it hurt live rock or would they help? I am going to buy the kh and gh kit tonite prob

Reefing Madness

I'd wait, and retest, then test your water that your using for the WC. That number is way to high.

beaslbob

my mistake and I'm sorry. GH is only useful for freshwater tanks and your's is salt. Ignore the gh comments here


In salt you do the diy two part. Reasearch dr. randy holmes-farley improved diy two part.

I think if you just let it be alk will come down on it's own. Most tank have to add carbonate because corraling algae and hard corals consume it along with calcium and magnesium as well.


I could be still cycling and I do still feel the addition of macro algae will help.


my .02

bohmert

Thanks yes it is saltwater.