Dkh

[13thmonkey]

what are the simplest ways to raise and lower your dKH ?

 

[13thmonkey]

and pH too.

 

[SkiFletch]

Its unfortunately not as simple as one may think . dKH is a measure of Carbonate ions dissolved in solution. One must understand that in a saltwater ecosystem, Calcium, Carbonate, and Magnesium are all present and must ALL be in balance. If you have too much of one, or not enough of the other, you can get into a situation where free ions of any can combine and precipitate out of solution (become salt crystals again). All 3 are related to your pH as well. USUALLY if your calcium is up above 400ppm and your carbonate is up around 11dkH you'll have a pH of ~8.3 +/-1 depending on magnesium concentration.

When one parameter gets out of whack, you must CAREFULLY and SLOWLY dose it to return it to normal without crashing the pH of the tank. If you go too quickly, you can make things worse rather than better .

I'd start with reading this article on Reef Chemistry by Dr Randy Holmes-Farley, and follow that up with his DIY suppliment article to know how much and when to dose.

HTH