Lowering dkh

[Krazykarl]

How do you lower dkh? I do reg water changes and use kalk in ato. It always stays around 12. I wanna lower it to 8 but keep my ca at 480 or thereabouts. I've read colours are best at lower dkh.

 

[pulpfiction1]

i found this over at AP,maybe it will help

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=23830

 

[Krazykarl]

Well my ph is 8.1. I don't wanna lower the ph. Io salt keeps my kh at 12.  How do I lower it without lowering ph.

 

[pulpfiction1]

well you did only mention you didnt want to lower the cal,next time i log in over there ill take a closer look

 

[Krazykarl]

Sort Phil. I wasn't clear. I was hoping someone knew of something to do jut for kh but more I read something will be affected no matter what

 

[Darryl_V]

To lower kh you need to lower kh....no magic potion to do this.  I suggest to add less kalk and maybe try supplementing just calcium.  Or switch to 2 part and just dose more calcium than alk.

 

[jroovers]

Well my ph is 8.1. I don't wanna lower the ph. Io salt keeps my kh at 12.  How do I lower it without lowering ph.

I use IO and my alk rarely gets above 8... your system's demand is going to dictate your alk levels more than anything else.  Unless you are doing very large, regular water changes or have next to no coral, your salt really isn't going  to dictate this parameter. As Darryl noted, I'd drop the kalk a bit and let it come down naturally.  Where did you here lower alk is related to better colour?  I haven't heard that... are you confusing lower alk recommendations with ULNS, where alk levels are recommended to be in the 7 to 8 dkh range?  Also, worry about alk first, and ph about 10th or 12th... I've never once tested ph on my system and while minimizing theoretical swings is obviously a good thing, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[spyd]

To lower kh you need to lower kh....no magic potion to do this.  I suggest to add less kalk and maybe try supplementing just calcium.  Or switch to 2 part and just dose more calcium than alk.

+1. Lower kalk amount to lower your alk levels. If you find calcium dipping too low then dose calcium only. Also as Jordan pointed out, I really wouldn't worry much about ph levels. I have a ph probe and have not calibrated it in over a year now.