HELP my dkh is at 16

[neilthefishman]

Hi this is my first attempt at making a salt water tank and have been slowly aquiring the things I need for it. Right now I have a

-20 gallon tank
-Topfin pf20 filter
-Heater (forgot name but is working)
-Wave maker
-Nicrew clip on led light
-Imagitarium concentrated water conditioner
-Coralife essential elements
-API saltwater test kit
-imagitarium saltwater test kit
-instant ocean sea salt


My water parameters:

- salinity : 1.024
- calcium 450 ppm
- 14 dkh
- 8.0 ph
- 10 ppm nitrate
- 0 ppm phosphates
- 0.50 ppm ammonia
- 0 ppm nitrite
(what other things do I need to test for my water parameters)
P.s the info of the water parameters I have is from the test kits I have atm

I also have a little crab in my tank I didn’t mean to get him but he’s just there he was in one of the agricultured rock I purchased

What do I need to change to decrease my dkh and what other equipment and things do I need to build on to get this tank set up for coral, anemones, and 2 clown fish

There is also this weird brownish stuff sprinkled on the bottom of the tank and my rocks. What is it and how can I get it out

 

[CasperOe]

You don't really need to worry about dKH for now, you're still going through your cycle. One thing at a time for a new reefer! How old is your tank?


It does however seem high. What do you use to test your alkalinity? If you really want to dig into this now, I would verify the test results using a different test kit!

Also, your parameters in the post says dKH 14 - your subject line says 16. What is it?

 

[neilthefishman]

My tank’s around almost a month old. And my alkalinity is around 14 before I did a water change yesterday and after that water change it has gone up to16 . I used the saltwater imagitarium test kit that I got in petco I also added some coralife essential elements

 

[Manpeckz]

Not that I am the guy for this, but are you using tap water or RODI water? This helps the other guys and gals figure things out for you. Good luck

 

[PotatoPig]

Which color bucket of Instant ocean? Orange or Purple?

If it’s the Purple one it shouldn't be that high at that salinity. I’d be more inclined to think it’s a test error.

One thing - you mention water conditioner? Are you using tap water and then adding salt? If so this could affect your results due to all the stuff that’s in tap water.

 

[neilthefishman]

Not that I am the guy for this, but are you using tap water or RODI water? This helps the other guys and gals figure things out for you. Good luck

Yes I’m using tap water. I’m saving up for the rodi water filter do you have any recommendations?

 

[neilthefishman]

Which color bucket of Instant ocean? Orange or Purple?

If it’s the Purple one it shouldn't be that high at that salinity. I’d be more inclined to think it’s a test error.

One thing - you mention water conditioner? Are you using tap water and then adding salt? If so this could affect your results due to all the stuff that’s in tap water.

I don’t have a bucket I have the 50 gallons bag but it is purple colored. And yes I am using tap water since I don’t have an rodi filter

 

[mues]

Yes I’m using tap water. I’m saving up for the rodi water filter do you have any recommendation

I'm using the RO buddy on my 150.... its somewhat tedious for the large amounts of water I make, but would probably be great for you. Pretty affordable.

 

[Manpeckz]

Yes I’m using tap water. I’m saving up for the rodi water filter do you have any recommendations?

5 Stage Premium Plus 75 GPD RO/DI System

Makes up to 75 Gallons of RODI Water Per Day! BRS 5 Stage Systems are our most popular systems and are great for a majority of wells, along with city water that is treated with chlorine, or small amounts of chloramines. The single Color Changing DI stage comes on its own bracket allowing you to...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is the one that I use, I have no other experience with them other than this one. The meter on it claims to give me 0 TDS coming through the DI resin filter which is that 5th stage, I flush the water for a few minutes before each use cause it can start near 300 TDS coming into it before hand.

It rests on the floor of my garage, I use a flex garden hose from a spigot outside. A brute trash can to hold clean water, and a drain or another bucket for bad water.

Hope this helps

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes I’m using tap water. I’m saving up for the rodi water filter do you have any recommendations?

Tap water can have more alkalinity in it than the salt mix.

 

[907_Reefer]

+1 too early to be concerned with dKH and I would invest in a better test kit before making any changes based on it.

Do you have a LFS where you can buy RODI or saltwater in the interim? When I first started I would run a few 5 gallon buckets down there on occasion, cheap and much better than tap.

 

[neilthefishman]

5 Stage Premium Plus 75 GPD RO/DI System

Makes up to 75 Gallons of RODI Water Per Day! BRS 5 Stage Systems are our most popular systems and are great for a majority of wells, along with city water that is treated with chlorine, or small amounts of chloramines. The single Color Changing DI stage comes on its own bracket allowing you to...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This is the one that I use, I have no other experience with them other than this one. The meter on it claims to give me 0 TDS coming through the DI resin filter which is that 5th stage, I flush the water for a few minutes before each use cause it can start near 300 TDS coming into it before hand.

It rests on the floor of my garage, I use a flex garden hose from a spigot outside. A brute trash can to hold clean water, and a drain or another bucket for bad water.

Hope this helps

Might buy it in a couple weeks but I’m also looking for a smaller one if there is one since I’m only gonna be having a 20 gallon

 

[neilthefishman]

+1 too early to be concerned with dKH and I would invest in a better test kit before making any changes based on it.

Do you have a LFS where you can buy RODI or saltwater in the interim? When I first started I would run a few 5 gallon buckets down there on occasion, cheap and much better than tap.I’m not sure I’ll start calling different places and if I do find a places that does how do you recommend I change the water do I just do a 50% water change or do I change less

 

[neilthefishman]

+1 too early to be concerned with dKH and I would invest in a better test kit before making any changes based on it.

Do you have a LFS where you can buy RODI or saltwater in the interim? When I first started I would run a few 5 gallon buckets down there on occasion, cheap and much better than tap.

Also what test kits do you recommend that are affordable

 

[kevgib67]

Might buy it in a couple weeks but I’m also looking for a smaller one if there is one since I’m only gonna be having a 20 gallon

Since it’s a 20g you can purchase distilled water from your grocery store by the gallon until you get your ro/di unit. Much better than tap water and it’s cheap.

 

[neilthefishman]

Since it’s a 20g you can purchase distilled water from your grocery store by the gallon until you get your ro/di unit. Much better than tap water and it’s cheap.

Is the distilled water good to go just add the salt or would I still need to add water conditioner

 

[kevgib67]

Is the distilled water good to go just add the salt or would I still need to add water conditioner

Yes , it is good to go no need to use conditioner it is 100% water unlike tap.

 

[907_Reefer]

Also what test kits do you recommend that are affordable

The Salifert KH/Alk test kits are $16.46 on BRS currently. Otherwise I use a Hanna Checker which is around $65.

Salifert kH/Alkalinity Aquarium Test Kit

Easily test the kH/Alkalinity level in your tank. Trusted by discerning reefers for years, Salifert Test Kits feature some of the easiest to read results available to each testing method. The Salifert kH/Alkalinity Test Kit contains 100-200 (typically closer to 100) tests.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[neilthefishman]

The Salifert KH/Alk test kits are $16.46 on BRS currently. Otherwise I use a Hanna Checker which is around $65.

Salifert kH/Alkalinity Aquarium Test Kit

Easily test the kH/Alkalinity level in your tank. Trusted by discerning reefers for years, Salifert Test Kits feature some of the easiest to read results available to each testing method. The Salifert kH/Alkalinity Test Kit contains 100-200 (typically closer to 100) tests.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Thanks I’ll buy some next week and plan on buying distilled water for now until I have an rodi water filter