# instructions for using crushed coral



## kyle3 (Mar 22, 2006)

well i'm new to your forum and i'm not sure where to put water chemistry questions so i'll give it a go here.

The KH is very low in my city water supply usually it's 3 degrees sometimes 2. the GH is 7-8 degrees and the Ph is 7.2

i added hagen yeast Co2 about a month ago and the ph in the tank has gotten down to 7.0 

i'm intending to try a new DIY recipie instead of the hagen packets next time it's due for a change- but i want to be sure that the Ph doesn't crash so i bought some crushed coral to raise my KH

my question is: how much should i use and how often should i replace it?

tank specs: 20 gal. long, temp 78 F, nitrates never more than 5ppm, 

i'm not sure what else you'll need to know- there's a list of flora, fauna, and equipment in my profile page if that's helpful. . .

thanks in advance!
cheers-Kyle


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

First of all, welcome to APC!

A KH of 3 is fine for CO2 injection. 2 is probably still ok but maybe on the low side.

The problem with crushed coral is that it takes forever to have a small impact on KH.

The best chemical to use to raise KH is baking soda (soda, not powder), NaCO3. It dissolves easily and has an immediate impact on KH. I don't have at hand the dosage necessary but if you do a search, you'll find the information.

But before adding anything to your tank, perhaps give it a try at it's current KH and see how things go?


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

With baking soda it takes 1 teaspoon per 13 gallons (50L) of water to raise the KH 4 degrees. So adding 1 teaspoon to your 20G tank will raise it from 3 to between 5-6 KH.


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