will WC lower KH and Calcium?

[sadie]

Life got crazy and I haven't tested since Dec. on Dec 1 my levels were:

KH-8                                                     Phos-.05

Mag-1140                                             Salinity-25 (last 2 #s)

Cal.-500

 

March 6 my levels were:

KH-14.8                                        Phos-0 (been adding Phos to get it up)

Mag-1275                                     Salinity- 25

Cal- off the chart                           NO3- a 1 or 2

 

I use salifert test kits that are not expired

I use a hanna checker for the Phos

I use a refractometer for the salinity

 

I did a 2 gal WC yesterday.  I am at the bottom of my salt bucket (blue bucket salt), not sure if that could be the reason.  I always wondered if the things in the salt settle so I usually roll the bucket a bit before mixing it in the water.  I have a new bucket ordered.

 

I thought the WC would lower everything a bit, but it didn't.  Not sure if I should do another one or wait for the new salt to come in and THEN do a WC.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.  thanks

[joshthebox]

1 hour ago, sadie said:

Life got crazy and I haven't tested since Dec. on Dec 1 my levels were:

KH-8                                                     Phos-.05

Mag-1140                                             Salinity-25 (last 2 #s)

Cal.-500

 

March 6 my levels were:

KH-14.8                                        Phos-0 (been adding Phos to get it up)

Mag-1275                                     Salinity- 25

Cal- off the chart                           NO3- a 1 or 2

 

I use salifert test kits that are not expired

I use a hanna checker for the Phos

I use a refractometer for the salinity

 

I did a 2 gal WC yesterday.  I am at the bottom of my salt bucket (blue bucket salt), not sure if that could be the reason.  I always wondered if the things in the salt settle so I usually roll the bucket a bit before mixing it in the water.  I have a new bucket ordered.

 

I thought the WC would lower everything a bit, but it didn't.  Not sure if I should do another one or wait for the new salt to come in and THEN do a WC.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.  thanks

Test the alkalinity of the freshly mixed saltwater. WC will only lower KH if the KH in the bucket is less than the display. 

[sadie]

1 hour ago, joshthebox said:

Test the alkalinity of the freshly mixed saltwater. WC will only lower KH if the KH in the bucket is less than the display. 

Ahhh...I knew to do this, just didn't think of it.  thanks  😁

[sadie]

I just mixed up a batch of water and it tested pretty accurate to what it should.  I only tested the Calcium which was 420 and the KH which was around 8.  So I guess it's not because it's the last of the salt.

 

How dangerous are my levels and how urgent is it to get them lower?  I'm nervous if I do too big a WC or too many small ones I will get dinos again.  I did do a 2 Gal WC yesterday.

 

 

 

 

[sadie]

I forgot to mention I don't dose anything regularly.  I have been adding NeoPhos to get my phos back up.  I added 4ml yesterday and this morning it was still 0.  I added 10ml this morning and now it is .05.

[sadie]

Update- I was reading the test wrong and my KH is actually 7.7.

 

NEW QUESTION:

If I raise my KH, will my calcium go down?  My calcium is 500 and sometimes a little higher and my KH could go up a bit, so if I brought my KH up, would my calcium go down?

 

Though I don't really want to start dosing, I do have Nano A+B which would raise my KH I think.

[patback]

41 minutes ago, sadie said:

Update- I was reading the test wrong and my KH is actually 7.7.

 

NEW QUESTION:

If I raise my KH, will my calcium go down?  My calcium is 500 and sometimes a little higher and my KH could go up a bit, so if I brought my KH up, would my calcium go down?

 

Though I don't really want to start dosing, I do have Nano A+B which would raise my KH I think.

I would manage it to appropriate numbers  through water changes and only dose if needed for maintenance.  A balanced system will always require 1 if it needs the others.  

[sadie]

53 minutes ago, patback said:

I would manage it to appropriate numbers  through water changes and only dose if needed for maintenance.  A balanced system will always require 1 if it needs the others.  

I started doing WCs when I thought my KH was so high, and I am starting to get dinos (I think).  I did a 2 gal WC on 3/8 and a 1 gal WC on 3/11.  When it looked like a hint of dinos I stopped the WC, especially when I realized my KH was 7.7 and NOT 14.8🙄

 

Here is what it looks like now, so I am not doing WC for a while.

 

[joshthebox]

1 hour ago, sadie said:

I started doing WCs when I thought my KH was so high, and I am starting to get dinos (I think).  I did a 2 gal WC on 3/8 and a 1 gal WC on 3/11.  When it looked like a hint of dinos I stopped the WC, especially when I realized my KH was 7.7 and NOT 14.8🙄

 

Here is what it looks like now, so I am not doing WC for a while.

 

Kind of looks like a mix of cyano and dinos.

 

If you raise the KH your calcium levels shouldn't rise much, but it all depends on your method of dosing. If you're using something like two part, just add a bit of KH buffer. On the other hand, if you use kalkwasser, it'll raise both KH and calcium. A reading of 7.7 KH is perfectly fine, it's more important that it is stable than fixating on a particular number and having swings.  

[sadie]

21 minutes ago, joshthebox said:

Kind of looks like a mix of cyano and dinos.

 

If you raise the KH your calcium levels shouldn't rise much, but it all depends on your method of dosing. If you're using something like two part, just add a bit of KH buffer. On the other hand, if you use kalkwasser, it'll raise both KH and calcium. A reading of 7.7 KH is perfectly fine, it's more important that it is stable than fixating on a particular number and having swings.  

I am fine with my KH at 7.7, especially where it has been stable, I'm more concerned about my calcium being 500 or higher.  Is there any harm in my calcium being that high?  

 

W/o doing WC, I wasn't sure of another way to lower my calcium, I did some reading and it seems calcium and KH are related to each other.  I thought that if I raised my KH a bit, my calcium might go down a bit, but if there is no harm in my calcium being that high, then I would rather NOT "rock the boat"

[joshthebox]

2 hours ago, sadie said:

I am fine with my KH at 7.7, especially where it has been stable, I'm more concerned about my calcium being 500 or higher.  Is there any harm in my calcium being that high?  

 

W/o doing WC, I wasn't sure of another way to lower my calcium, I did some reading and it seems calcium and KH are related to each other.  I thought that if I raised my KH a bit, my calcium might go down a bit, but if there is no harm in my calcium being that high, then I would rather NOT "rock the boat"

Yeah the calcium is a bit elevated. I don't think it would necessarily be alarmingly detrimental, but I wouldn't keep it that high myself. Like you stated, you could just dose some alk slowly as it drops (to maintain stability), and ignore calcium so that it could naturally fall over time.