How to lower KH?

[Kasey Grohowski]

My aquarium is registering 13-13.5 KH using the salifert test kit, anybody know reasons for high KH? I added a little bit of baking soda to my aquarium to neutralize ph, and I also have a rodi system. I need it to be 8-12, anybody know how how to lower KH as well? Thank you in advance.

 

[Flippers4pups]

My aquarium is registering 13-13.5 KH using the salifert test kit, anybody know reasons for high KH? I added a little bit of baking soda to my aquarium to neutralize ph, and I also have a rodi system. I need it to be 8-12, anybody know how how to lower KH as well? Thank you in advance.

What size tank? Adding baking soda to do what to your PH? Bring it up or down?

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

What size tank? Adding baking soda to do what to your PH? Bring it up or down?

Bring it up, 220 gallons.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

What size tank? Adding baking soda to do what to your PH? Bring it up or down?

It was about 7.6 when I first filled, I'm assuming because I cleaned it with vinegar when I first got it.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Sodium bicarbonate has a temporary lowering effect on PH.

Sodium carbonate has a temporary rise in PH.

To lower DKH, preform some water changes.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Sodium bicarbonate has a temporary lowering effect on PH.

Sodium carbonate has a temporary rise in PH.

To lower DKH, preform some water changes.

Do you think it will stall or slow cycle? Or can I wait until next week to do a water change?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Do you think it will stall or slow cycle? Or can I wait until next week to do a water change?

If your in a cycle, leave it be till your done cycling. It won't effect the cycle.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

If your in a cycle, leave it be till your done cycling. It won't effect the cycle.

No water changes until after cycle?

 

[Flippers4pups]

No water changes until after cycle?

Yes.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Yes.

Im actually going to have to do a water change next week if my ammonia doesnt drop its at 8 ppm at least right now, although I did just start the cycle yesterday.

 

[lostinintrospection]

Im actually going to have to do a water change next week if my ammonia doesnt drop its at 8 ppm at least right now, although I did just start the cycle yesterday.

I'd just let it be, let the cycle do it things. Ammonia will sort itself out once bacteria has established. I'd only start considering a water change when Ammonia and Nitrites are 0.

 

[ryeguyy84]

Are there fish in the tank?

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Are there fish in the tank?

No

 

[Lasse]

Ammonia of 8? Which start up method do you use and which brand of test do you use. Adding baking soda is the reason why your alkalinity rise.

For the book

Sodium bicarbonate has a temporary lowering effect on PH.

It is true if pH is higher than around 8 when you start. If pH is lower than around 8 before you add – it will rise the pH

carbonate has a temporary rise in PH.

Adding baking soda will always rise the pH temporary

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Ammonia of 8? Which start up method do you use and which brand of test do you use. Adding baking soda is the reason why your alkalinity rise.

For the book



It is true if pH is higher than around 8 when you start. If pH is lower than around 8 before you add – it will rise the pH



Adding baking soda will always rise the pH temporary

Sincerely Lasse

I used fishless ammonium chloride startup method. Dosed 4 ppm as reccomended by the bottle I believe the brand is fritz for the ammonia and I use API ammonia test and I can see that it is 8 pretty clearly. I added 1 bottle of API quickstart and I am adding microbacter 7 for 2 weeks as reccomended and I also bought another bottle API quickstart and a bottle of seachem prime, so hopefully the bacteria will eat down this ammonia. Also my ph has been 8.14 now for a couple days.

 

[FishyFish]

Speaking from personal experience, API's ammonia kit is extremely unreliable. I had a major scare right after I added my first fish where the API test was registering ammonia even though my LFS had tested it at 0. The API kit also picked up ammonia in my tap water so I changed test kits. It might be more accurate at higher levels but definitely don't trust it when you get to the lower levels.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Speaking from personal experience, API's ammonia kit is extremely unreliable. I had a major scare right after I added my first fish where the API test was registering ammonia even though my LFS had tested it at 0. The API kit also picked up ammonia in my tap water so I changed test kits. It might be more accurate at higher levels but definitely don't trust it when you get to the lower levels.

Who is reliable?

 

[FishyFish]

Who is reliable?

I use Salifert, they were recommended to me by others and they seem to have a pretty good reputation. I also have a seachem ammonia alert badge on my tank as a backup since my tank is still new but that would probably be a lot less helpful while you're still cycling.

 

[Lasse]

Personally - I do not do fishless start-ups – the way I do it – here

But never less – if I should do a fish less start-up I would do as follow:

1. Ad a proper amount of NH3/NH4
2. Shout down the skimmer
3. Use an internal foam filter
4. Ad either nitrification bacteria or some gravel from a working aquarium (FW or SW) or some dirt from a working filter (FW or SW) or a filtrate from unfertilized soil (from the upper layer – 0 to 10 cm) do it every day
5. At start test and read NO2 concentrations – should be zero
6. Test and read NO2 every day – when showing some NO2 – start skimmer. Use a test that’s clearly for SW
7. Ad nitrification bacteria like nitrospira
8. If NO2 stall for a week or too – ad some PO4 into the water in one or another form. Very small amount. Raise the daily input of nitrification bacteria
9. When NO2 show zero again – the cycling is done – you should be able to confirm this with testing your NO3 level. It should show some amount of NO3.

• The reason to use NO2 testing in order to follow the cycle is because (IMO) all hobby ammonia tests that show the sum of NH3 and NH4 are not reliable. Most test analyse the amount of both NH3/NH4
• The reason why I not test NO3 before NO2 is zero the second time is that even trace of NO2 will give very high and false NO3 readings.
• The reason why stopping the skimmer before you read NO2 is because otherwise you will lose a lot of NH3 up into the air, hence lower the NH4 concentration
• The reason why starting the skimmer when you read NO2 is that now is the first step NH4 -> NO2 started – now we must wait for the second step to start NO2 -> NO3. This step is rather Oxygen depended – we need as much as possible of oxygen in this step
• The reason why adding PO4 id the cycle stall at NO2 is that the stall can be caused by lack of enough inorganic PO4 for the growth of the nitrification bacteria. In my experience – this seldom happens if the nitrification bacteria come from used sand, filter content or soil. This type of sources normally contents the amount of PO4 that’s needed.

I hope you can use some of the information in order to solve your problem

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Personally - I do not do fishless start-ups – the way I do it – here

But never less – if I should do a fish less start-up I would do as follow:

1. Ad a proper amount of NH3/NH4
2. Shout down the skimmer
3. Use an internal foam filter
4. Ad either nitrification bacteria or some gravel from a working aquarium (FW or SW) or some dirt from a working filter (FW or SW) or a filtrate from unfertilized soil (from the upper layer – 0 to 10 cm) do it every day
5. At start test and read NO2 concentrations – should be zero
6. Test and read NO2 every day – when showing some NO2 – start skimmer. Use a test that’s clearly for SW
7. Ad nitrification bacteria like nitrospira
8. If NO2 stall for a week or too – ad some PO4 into the water in one or another form. Very small amount. Raise the daily input of nitrification bacteria
9. When NO2 show zero again – the cycling is done – you should be able to confirm this with testing your NO3 level. It should show some amount of NO3.

• The reason to use NO2 testing in order to follow the cycle is because (IMO) all hobby ammonia tests that show the sum of NH3 and NH4 are not reliable. Most test analyse the amount of both NH3/NH4
• The reason why I not test NO3 before NO2 is zero the second time is that even trace of NO2 will give very high and false NO3 readings.
• The reason why stopping the skimmer before you read NO2 is because otherwise you will lose a lot of NH3 up into the air, hence lower the NH4 concentration
• The reason why starting the skimmer when you read NO2 is that now is the first step NH4 -> NO2 started – now we must wait for the second step to start NO2 -> NO3. This step is rather Oxygen depended – we need as much as possible of oxygen in this step
• The reason why adding PO4 id the cycle stall at NO2 is that the stall can be caused by lack of enough inorganic PO4 for the growth of the nitrification bacteria. In my experience – this seldom happens if the nitrification bacteria come from used sand, filter content or soil. This type of sources normally contents the amount of PO4 that’s needed.

I hope you can use some of the information in order to solve your problem

Sincerely Lasse

Wow thanks for all the info, I do have my skimmer on but the collection cup is off, reason being is to add oxygen to the water from the skimmer, but not kill any of the bacteria.