carbonate hardness

[Metznreef]

i just tested my water and most things normal, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, calcium=500. but i tested KH for the first time. it was at 80ppm. is this too low? will it affect anything?

[Metznreef]

bump;)

[tinyreef]

sorry, i was avoiding this because i'm a lazy bastich. you posted in ppm which is a pain in the tuckus to convert back to dkh. i finally dug out the conversion (approx. 2.8 dkh = 50ppm). it sounds right though due to your high calcium level.

 

you're a little light on the caco3. you should be at 150ppm or so. are you using a two part solution? if so the carbonate part (usually the first part) probably dissipates really fast because of the low carbonate level.

[Metznreef]

the only thing i'm dosig right now is calcium, should i use a hardness buffer too?

[tinyreef]

i believe you should. the dkh and ca are related values, almost directly related actually. that's why the two-part solutions are a life-saver for people who can't afford reactors. they address both issues together. you can basically see when you system's saturated its dkh when you add the buffer part (brief snow storm effect vs. smokey=unsaturated).

 

i prefer b-ionic because it also offers a spectrum of additives. c-balance is good too but it didn't have the same results. kent's is good too if you're just interested in ca.

 

or go the whole distance for a calcium reactor ($$$).

[tyoberg]

Those corals and things in your tank that are making calcium carbonate (calcium + alk) with it. Yep, if you supplement one, you should do both.

 

ty