# Best and safe way to Raise KH???



## shrimpster (Jan 31, 2012)

I use a little crushed coral thrown in the tank for kH. I've heard of some folks using ground cuttlebone.


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Crushed coral will bring up your gh. Did not know it helped kh


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Does baking soda bring up KH? Or is that pH?


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

both, bringing up KH generally brings up pH with it

crushed coral, cuttlefish bone, etc, are all basically aragonite, which will raise pH, KH and GH as they dissolve. 

Baking soda will raise your KH and pH, and a little goes a long way... I think half a teaspoon per 20 gallons for 1 degree, or about that.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

How much pH will half a teaspoon raise in a 20g?


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

That depends on a lot of things


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Why are you trying to raise KH just wondering? Most shrimp KH of around zero is fine.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

diwu13 said:


> Why are you trying to raise KH just wondering? Most shrimp KH of around zero is fine.


Isn't it true that OEBT's breed best @ 1-2 kH?


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## The Trigger (May 9, 2012)

Crushed coral will work best. I find it a little more stable than baking soda. Just put a little bit in your filter and remove or add more until you get the KH you want


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

I've chosen to use pH controllers on my injected tanks so repeatability on my water parameters is important to my tanking program. 
Arm&Hammer use has provided consistent results.
Tested results with my RO product in house and distilled early on.
I prefer gram weights over spoon use but little variation on results using BS for over 3 years now.
To increase KH (using leveled teaspoons)
1/8 TSP : 6.6 gallons = 1dKH
1/4 TSP : 13.2 gallons = 1dKH
1/2 TSP : 26.4 gallons = 1dKH 

HopeThisHelps


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## Kunsthure (Aug 2, 2010)

Just so I get this straight: crushed coral will raise KH which will raise pH? Will it have any effect on GH because I need to raise that two more points? I need to raise the pH in my 13g because the new DW keeps dropping it. I've got a piece of actual coral rock in there that I put in yesterday afternoon. Should I add more? Last night's pH was 6.6, and the previous night's was 6.8. I'm trying to raise KH (it's 0-1, it turns yellow on the first drop) and pH for OEBTs. I'm getting mine from Speedie and he keeps his at pH 7, GH 6 and KH 1. 

-Lisa


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## wastedtime (Oct 27, 2011)

Here is a post by Rex Grigg, 1gm of baking soda will raise the Kh of 10 Gallons of water by 1 degree.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/f...rs/17567-how-much-baking-soda.html#post154161

Any increase in Kh will usually be accompanied by an increase in Ph, You can use this link to check that.

http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/CalKH.asp


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

haha! same linked thread in another post



Rex Grigg said:


> One teaspoon will raise 50 liters/13 gallons of water 4°. *So ¼ teaspoon would raise 50 liters/13 gallons by 1°. *
> 
> Since most of us don't have ready access to measuring spoons in anything other than 1/8 or ¼ teaspoon size you will have to fudge a bit and use just a hair more than 1/8 teaspoon or just a bit short of ¼ teaspoon to raise 10 gallons of water 1°


To increase KH (using leveled teaspoons)
1/8 TSP : 6.6 gallons = 1dKH
*1/4 TSP : 13.2 gallons = 1dKH
*1/2 TSP : 26.4 gallons = 1dKH 

HopeThisHelps


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Yeah, I need my KH up a little, hope the crushed coral will do it. My KH0-1 I was looking for 2-3. There are conflicting results for OEBT KH. I have seen it said 1-2 and other 3-4


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Depending on your soil, it can be difficult to raise your KH up to a steady level, because the soil is working to lower it. I can't for the life of me raise the KH in new amazonia tanks, I tried to while cycling so it would cycle faster, but even dumping 4 tablrspoons of baking soda in would only raise it for a couple hours.


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## sbarbee54 (Jan 12, 2012)

Yeah that is the issue I think I am fighting too... And I am only using FSS in one MGOC mixed with ecco complete with a FSS cap, and Mr Aqua shrimp sand. I have not even broken into my Amazonia New, Africana or DRL akadama


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

sbarbee54 said:


> Yeah, I need my KH up a little, hope the crushed coral will do it. My KH0-1 I was looking for 2-3. There are conflicting results for OEBT KH. I have seen it said 1-2 and other 3-4


I think best its best to take the avg. and stay around 2/3 kH. Before my bf and I redid our smaller tank, our only female OEBT was always berried and our pH was 7.5, gH was like 10 and kH was 6. Really bizarre, but the babies never survived. Now the tank is sitting on FSS and 100% RO w/ 6.5 pH, 0 kH and 5 gH and its been almost a month, no activity yet


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