i'm sure this has been brought up before, but i just couldn't find it....i have low kh 0-2 range, and read about crushed coral to bring the kh up. just curious about how much to put in the tank, and how often to replenish. i run pressurized co2, lots of plants , lots of fish. ph 6-6.2. thanks, b
beating a dead horse...
- Thread starter brior
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I don't know if there is a magic formula, but what I would do is put a hand full into a nylon stocking, and place into the fliter. Then I would watch my numbers and add and remove as needed, and replace when it stops raising my GH. I would imagine that it would last a fairly long time, but I think someone else gave give better info on this than me.
I most recently put 6 tablespoons of crushed coral into a filter bag into my Eheim 2213 to help supplement the buffer in my 30g. I was going to work with 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons and take it from there. It boosted my KH to the neighborhood of 4 or 5 degrees, a little higher than I'd wanted. I may drop it down bit at next filter cleaning.
That was the second batch I used. The first batch lasted for well over a year (After 15 to 18 months it went from about 5 tbspns to about 1 or 2, at which point I noticed my KH dropping).
I'd start in the neighborhood of 1 tbspn per 5 to 10 gallons and adjust from there to suit your own tank, filter, etc. It doesn't dissolve so fast that it needs constant monitoring: take a look at filter cleanings and replenish as needed.
That was the second batch I used. The first batch lasted for well over a year (After 15 to 18 months it went from about 5 tbspns to about 1 or 2, at which point I noticed my KH dropping).
I'd start in the neighborhood of 1 tbspn per 5 to 10 gallons and adjust from there to suit your own tank, filter, etc. It doesn't dissolve so fast that it needs constant monitoring: take a look at filter cleanings and replenish as needed.
The filter is a good place to put it. Your LFS should have filter bags for a few bucks or, as Joephys mentioned, an old nylon will do. Keeps everything well-contained and easy to monitor.
Your filter, your water, your flow rates, will all effect the rate at which it dissolves and its impact on your KH. It could go twice as fast as in my set up and I probably let it go too long last time around. Keep an eye on it. That said, it dissolves slowly over time: this is not a week by week supplement—it should last for months, maybe up to a year.
I put it all in at once: it doesn't happen that fast.
Your filter, your water, your flow rates, will all effect the rate at which it dissolves and its impact on your KH. It could go twice as fast as in my set up and I probably let it go too long last time around. Keep an eye on it. That said, it dissolves slowly over time: this is not a week by week supplement—it should last for months, maybe up to a year.
I put it all in at once: it doesn't happen that fast.