Day 2 Of Hagen CO2 Kit, But I think my water stats are wrong?

Mantis - try this if you're not already doing it. When you test your kH rather than using 5 mls put 10 mls in the vial. Then use the formula: 2 drops= 1 point. ie. 12 drops = 6dH......11 drops = 5.5dH. It'll give you a more accurate reading than using 5 mls.
Your kH and pH should both level off in a day or two. Your pH will start to rise when the mixture is due to be changed. If your kH continues to rise you have to find the cause of that.
What size tank are we talking about? According to your numbers you are pushing 28.5ppm CO2.
Len
 
Baking soda or crushed coral will cause kH to rise. Do you have or have you added any wood to the tank recently? I use African Root in all my tanks and it throws my readings way off. If anything wood will usually soften the water, not harden it though.
You haven't added any sea shells or ornaments to the tank have you?
If none of the above, I would think the kH will stabilize soon.
BTW, it's not that unusual to have a kH of 5dH or so and the addition of CO2 can make the pH come down without lowering the kH. kH is your water's buffering ability. That doesn't necessarily change with the addition of CO2.
If I missed it, what kind of substrate are you using?
Just for kicks, why don't you take a sample of your tap water and let it sit out overnight. Let it gas off anything that's in it and then check the kH against the kH immediately out of the tap.
Len
 
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