High kh

okay so I juat tested my kh when I got the tank about 2 months ago the LFS said I could mix a bag of live sand and a bag of crushed coral and it would be fine is the crushed coral the reason for the high kh?

But now I'm reading online between 8 and 15 will be fine

My kh read 11

 

I have a few questions before I can give you my theories and suggestions.

Size if tank?
Fish stock?
Water source is tap? Bottle?
Is your substrate all live sand and crushed coral?
What's your KH from your water source?
When was your last vacuuming and water change?
How often do you do them.
What is your current pH?

With the minimum info you gave, the only thing I can think of is yes, the crushed coral is why your KH is at 11dKH. Harmful to fish? Depends on the fish really. Discus yes, bad for, a community tank, it's actually fine, but you will find a calcium like build up on places like filter and around the hood.

If you can answer my questions, I can give better suggestions.

 

I have a few questions before I can give you my theories and suggestions.

Size if tank?
Fish stock?
Water source is tap? Bottle?
Is your substrate all live sand and crushed coral?
What's your KH from your water source?
When was your last vacuuming and water change?
How often do you do them.
What is your current pH?

With the minimum info you gave, the only thing I can think of is yes, the crushed coral is why your KH is at 11dKH. Harmful to fish? Depends on the fish really. Discus yes, bad for, a community tank, it's actually fine, but you will find a calcium like build up on places like filter and around the hood.

If you can answer my questions, I can give better suggestions.

Tank is 65g I have a damsel a coral banded shrimp and about a 8 in snowflake eel yes all my substrate is live sand and crushed coral and I live in HawaiI right now so I get free filtered salt water from the ocean

 

I haven't checked the kh of the water I get and I vacuum once or twice a week depending on if I have time and I do a 25% water change every Saturday and pH was at about 8 when I tested yeayersay

 

Live coral?

Honestly, I think you are good on the KH if you don't have live coral. With your stock, I believe your good to go

What I did with my tank was added a cuttlebone to make sure enough calcium was in the water for my live coral and not jack my KH to high.

If you had more sensitive fish like sea horses, it would of had you lower it a bit. There is also a salt water discus (can't remember the name) that is sensitive to kh, but you don't have that either.

As far as I know, your good to go, but I'm speaking from old knowlage.

If I'm wrong, please someone correct me.

 

Live coral?

Honestly, I think you are good on the KH if you don't have live coral. With your stock, I believe your good to go

What I did with my tank was added a cuttlebone to make sure enough calcium was in the water for my live coral and not jack my KH to high.

If you had more sensitive fish like sea horses, it would of had you lower it a bit. There is also a salt water discus (can't remember the name) that is sensitive to kh, but you don't have that either.

As far as I know, your good to go, but I'm speaking from old knowlage.

If I'm wrong, please someone correct me.

No live coral as I live in HawaiI and they are all about protecting the Eco system very limited to what I can do lol can't get anything shipped here and LFS don't really sell it( may also be illegal) sometimes they get polyps and feather dusters but that's about it good thing here is a lot of the stock at LFS are cheap and I could go snorkeling to catch my own stock if I want to

 

Hey! HEY! You trying to make me more jealous? lol

So HawaiI only allows indigenous species huh? I never knew that.

 

Hey! HEY! You trying to make me more jealous? lol

So HawaiI only allows indigenous species huh? I never knew that.

Like the LFS get stuff shipped here from other tropical places but you have to get a permit which is almost impossible unless your a fish shop or aquarium

 

This is my LFS

 

Wow (gets a towel for the drool)

You can get standard stocking fish like tangs damsels and clowns right?

I had yellow and blue tangs, damsels, and my favorite maroon clowns that were paired up. Peppermint shrimp and cleaners. I miss my salt tank, but after 2 long power outages and loosing a grand in fish (salt fish are REALLY expensive) I decided to shut it down. Your making me want to start it up again. lol

 

Wow (gets a towel for the drool)

You can get standard stocking fish like tangs damsels and clowns right?

I had yellow and blue tangs, damsels, and my favorite maroon clowns that were paired up. Peppermint shrimp and cleaners. I miss my salt tank, but after 2 long power outages and loosing a grand in fish (salt fish are REALLY expensive) I decided to shut it down. Your making me want to start it up again. lol

Yeah they have damsels for 10 bucks regular clowns are like 13 I think but they have almost all the different types and they usually have a good variety of tangs I think they just got a stock of kole tangs I saw there that were 14 bucks but the thing is the harder to get stock will be very expensive lol

 

Also the first floor is all saltwater and the second floor is bigger but it's for freshwater and all the accessories like lights and decor food ect ect

 

Here in Kansas City, salt fish are expensive. Damsels are the cheapest at 15 bucks per, tangs start at 30, and maroon clowns are like 40 per. Easy to drop a grand on fish stock. I think the cheapest thing you can buy is cleaner shrimp for 5 bucks, feather dusters are about the same amount if they are small. And FijI rock is like 3 bucks a pound.

You on the other hand can dive in, grab rock, plunk it in the tank and be done. lol

 

Cleaner shrimp and the duster are about 10 here and they sell agriculture live rock not live rock right from the ocean but it's 7/lb

 

Here in Kansas City, salt fish are expensive. Damsels are the cheapest at 15 bucks per, tangs start at 30, and maroon clowns are like 40 per. Easy to drop a grand on fish stock. I think the cheapest thing you can buy is cleaner shrimp for 5 bucks, feather dusters are about the same amount if they are small. And FijI rock is like 3 bucks a pound.

You on the other hand can dive in, grab rock, plunk it in the tank and be done. lol

I could go and grab rock but it's not legal lol taking any coral rock and stuff like that is illegal only thing legal to take is sand mostly fish and polyps yet I'm sure people still do take some. It eh I'm in the army and have bad luck so don't wanna risk it

 

Uhhh no, don't risk it. lol

We can only get FujI rock, and normally full if bristle worms. Hate those things. I think that's why the live rock is so cheep.