Where do you keep your DkH and why

My tank seems really happy and easy to main tain at 9. I think that is what im gonna go with. Plus it doesnt need me to be adding alk everyday to stay at 9. Only once er twice a week

 

your test strips are not reliable. at all.

get a quality liquid test kit. for example

 

75, I did my conversion and I'm still not seeing anything near 8-14

 

Just so you dont buy that one expecting ALK... you have to get the Reef version of the API kit to get the DkH test.... I am happy with all my API tests. I use redsea Ca tho...

 

Peredhil, you're right. I went to my lfs about an hour ago and they tested my water. Strips were way off!! Everything is good! They test water for free, so I will be going there once a week.

 

I went to the LFS for a while... i got sick of it and paid the $30 bucks for the two tests that i needed. Having the ability to see where params are the day after a dose has really helped me to understand the "ebbs and flow" of my tanks water chemistry. In the future i think that i will be able to just look with my eyes and not really "need" to test.

That will not happen going to the LFS.... IMO

Plus, i read that your water can change in some ways on the way... whatever, idk if thats true at all

 

I keep mine at 10 for now, but I am still getting my calcium reactor dialed in. I may have to adjust that number once I get the Ca around 420.

So far, I have noticed much more coral growth than when it was at 8.

 

Right now I'm fighting to keep mine in the 8-9dkh range. I like it because it's sort of in the middle and falls right around the salt I'm using. If you maintain your alk much higher than the salt you use for waterchanges you're going to be dosing a lot more because you will need to make up alkalinity for every water change. Also I like having room on either side of what I'm aiming for to make up for slight dosing mistakes or test kit inaccuracies etc so I don't accidentally go way too high or way too low.

Also, I recently read that the alk range to maintain optimal coral calcification depends at least partially on your pH range that you run over the course of the day, if you're on the lower end of pH. In the 7.8 to 8.0 range I think it's fine to maintain alk under 10dkh. If you constantly run pH a higher you may want to consider jacking up the alkalinity.
The reason optimal alk levels depend on pH is described here.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/water-chemistry/low-ph-may-not-end-world-75962.html#post739120

 

Thats the typa s%$^ im talking about....thanks for the input.

My ph is always 8.3. so maybe ill go a bit higher