Water hardness - What is a good figure to shoot for?

M

MichaelMcl

[Heres a chart I fond at about saltwater.com.I seen hardness levels anywheres from 10dkh(german) to 13dkh.This chart I look at and shoot for show hardness levels of 15dkh to 18 dkh.Is this a misprint or have I been misinformed?
LR=Low Range Test
Frequency Acceptable
Range
pH Several times a
week, if not daily. 8.0-8.4
(8.2 is a good
mid point.)
Alkalinity Several times a
week, if not daily. 2.5-3.5 meq/l
LR Ammonia
(NH³
NH³+4) Daily during tank
cycling; then once
every 2-3 weeks. 0.0 ppm
Nitrite
(NO²) Daily during tank
cycling; then once
every 2-3 weeks. 0.0-0.01 ppm
LR Nitrate
(NO³-) Once per week.
Note: If test is for
Nitrate Nitrogen
(N or NO³-N), multiply reading by 4.4 to get Nitrate (NO³) ionic results. An immeasurable
amount is optimal!
Less than 0.25 ppm
is strongly
recommended.
Calcium
(Ca) Once every 1-2
weeks. 400-450 ppm Ca++ Hardness 60-80 ppm
Carbonate
Hardness
(KH) Once per week. 5.35-6.45 meq/l,
or as 15-18 dKH/
(German °)
Phosphate
PO4 Once per week. 0.05-0.1 ppm
Dissolved
Oxygen
(O²) Once per week. 7 mg/l saturation
or higher.
Specific
Gravity
(Salinity) Weekly 1.023-1.025
Temperature Daily 75°-80°F (24°-27°C),
with 77°F (25°C)
being a good
midpoint.
Other Optional
Reef Tank
Tests -Iodine/Iodide
-Strontium
-Silicate
-Iron Refer to individual test kit directions, and below chart
reference resources.]
 
[Very strange chart indeed. The 'hardness' you can measure in saltwater is Carbonate Hardness (KH), which is the same as Alkalinity.

This is confusing since they give values for KH and Alk seperately. Even more confusing is the Alk is a tiny bit low, 3-4 meq//l is a better shot (8.4 - 11.2 dkh). As you pointed out, their KH is very high. You'd have a tough time maintaining good calcium levels if you kept it that high.]
 
[Did I see that they say to check calcium every 2 to 3 weeks?

That is a tad to long IMO. Once you have a balanced tank and get a routine I could maybe see once a week. :shocked:]
 
[Randy Holmes-Farley is a chemist that writes alot of articles for reef related chemistry. He has a forum over on Reefcentral.com for specific questions.

But anyway, here are a couple of articles on Alk and Calc that might clear up some of your questions.

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

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.htm

Here is a link to a lot of reef chemistry articles he has written that might help as well.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums....=102605]
 
[thank you for the read modo I have read his deal on controlling nitrates.Helped me alot and his graff he has is great.Thanks a mil.Now all I need is my money tree in the back yard to start producung again and I have get all kinds of nice things.Maybe figure out how to export nitrate to the tree could be a great help hehehehe]
 
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