water hardness question

[Bryan]

Just did some testing and got a problem. My water hardness has always been
on the low side of "normal" but not now.

pH is 8.4
Phosphates aren't registering
Calcium is at least 440
Ammonia, Nitrite and Natrate are perfect
I don't have a magnesium test kit but I add magnesium a couple of times a
week before calcium

The problem: my hardness is at 6 KH. I can't seem to increase that number.
My animals seem fine at night but who knows.

What can I add to directly pinpoint water hardness?

Thanks,
Bryan

[Wayne Sallee]

What methods have you used to try to increase it?

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Bryan wrote on 11/14/2006 10:05 PM:
> Just did some testing and got a problem. My water hardness has always been
> on the low side of "normal" but not now.
>
> pH is 8.4
> Phosphates aren't registering
> Calcium is at least 440
> Ammonia, Nitrite and Natrate are perfect
> I don't have a magnesium test kit but I add magnesium a couple of times a
> week before calcium
>
> The problem: my hardness is at 6 KH. I can't seem to increase that number.
> My animals seem fine at night but who knows.
>
> What can I add to directly pinpoint water hardness?
>
> Thanks,
> Bryan
>
>

[[email protected]]

Bryan,

All the answers you need are here:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Ben
Bryan wrote:
> Just did some testing and got a problem. My water hardness has always been
> on the low side of "normal" but not now.
>
> pH is 8.4
> Phosphates aren't registering
> Calcium is at least 440
> Ammonia, Nitrite and Natrate are perfect
> I don't have a magnesium test kit but I add magnesium a couple of times a
> week before calcium
>
> The problem: my hardness is at 6 KH. I can't seem to increase that number.
> My animals seem fine at night but who knows.
>
> What can I add to directly pinpoint water hardness?
>
> Thanks,
> Bryan

[ItsME]

Bryan, what kind of test kits are you using? If you're using the
dip & read kits they're not as accurate as the drop by drop color
change test kits like Salifert LaMotte and even Hagen. Yes I said
Hagen for all the non-believers. If you're using a good test kit,
then you need to look at the bio-load of your tank. Is it stocked
with coral. If so you might want to consider adding Kalkwasser or
some other form of alkalinity/calcium booster. Anyway good luck on
you Alk. And if you haven't already, check out this site. Sign up.
And ask away..

http://www.reefcentral.com/

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[Bryan]

I have been adding sodium bicarbonate.

I have never been able to get the hardness where I want it. But in recent
months I've been increasing the calcium and therefore the hardness has
decreased. I've been concentrating more on calcium during those month than
the other. I add and tested for calcium and not hardness so I"m doing a
little backstepping now to get it all right.

I just read about the baking soda and may do that to get a jump back up.
Hopefully my calc levels will stay.

B


"Wayne Sallee" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> What methods have you used to try to increase it?
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>
>
>
> Bryan wrote on 11/14/2006 10:05 PM:
>> Just did some testing and got a problem. My water hardness has always
>> been on the low side of "normal" but not now.
>>
>> pH is 8.4
>> Phosphates aren't registering
>> Calcium is at least 440
>> Ammonia, Nitrite and Natrate are perfect
>> I don't have a magnesium test kit but I add magnesium a couple of times a
>> week before calcium
>>
>> The problem: my hardness is at 6 KH. I can't seem to increase that
>> number. My animals seem fine at night but who knows.
>>
>> What can I add to directly pinpoint water hardness?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bryan

[Bryan]

thanks Ben. I had a general knowledge of this but that article cleared
somethings up. :)

B


> wrote in message
ps.com...
> Bryan,
>
> All the answers you need are here:
>
> http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
>
> Ben
> Bryan wrote:
>> Just did some testing and got a problem. My water hardness has always
>> been
>> on the low side of "normal" but not now.
>>
>> pH is 8.4
>> Phosphates aren't registering
>> Calcium is at least 440
>> Ammonia, Nitrite and Natrate are perfect
>> I don't have a magnesium test kit but I add magnesium a couple of times a
>> week before calcium
>>
>> The problem: my hardness is at 6 KH. I can't seem to increase that
>> number.
>> My animals seem fine at night but who knows.
>>
>> What can I add to directly pinpoint water hardness?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bryan
>

[Bryan]

my test kits are all dropper kits. KH is a Tetra test kit and all others
are Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
http://www.aquariumpharm.com/en_us/productCategory.asp?categoryname=TestKits

thanks,
B


"ItsME" > wrote in message
...
> Bryan, what kind of test kits are you using? If you're using the
> dip & read kits they're not as accurate as the drop by drop color
> change test kits like Salifert LaMotte and even Hagen. Yes I said
> Hagen for all the non-believers. If you're using a good test kit,
> then you need to look at the bio-load of your tank. Is it stocked
> with coral. If so you might want to consider adding Kalkwasser or
> some other form of alkalinity/calcium booster. Anyway good luck on
> you Alk. And if you haven't already, check out this site. Sign up.
> And ask away..
>
> http://www.reefcentral.com/
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 Beta 5
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
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>