Quick PPM double check Question

I got the two part solution from bulkreefsupply. I'm using their calculator now.

I want to double check I'm using the correct numbers.

If my current readings are x then they = y ppm, right?

Ca is 380 = 380ppm?

dKH is 11 = 196.9ppm?

Mg is 1420 = 1420ppm

Thanks.

And in case you're wondering, I'm working to bring my numbers to par before starting the daily dosing.

My goals are (feel free to point out if I'm wrong)

Ca 440
Mg 1430
dKH 12

My tank has pretty much always been dKH 12 with little variance. That's why that's my 'desired' number... comments on that welcome.

Thanks folks

 

dKH is alkalinity measured in degrees of KH, not ppm so how could you have 196ppm dKH??

 

11dKH * 17.9 is how I have 196ppm. I get I'm not exactly interchanging the words correctly...

dKH is a measurement of Alkalinity... So I do the little formula to convert my dKH to Alkalinity...

 

There is a conversion to ppm. It measure the amount of carbonates in the water in ppm and dkh=11 is about 196ppm

 

Is the Ca and Mg scores measured in ppm? Or do they need converting too?

I know, I know do a search... guess I'm looking for some confidence boost that I'm doing this right :-/

 

Mag is getting up there just fine, maybe just a little more 1450-1500ppm, but depends on how high you want to run your Ca and Alk. You could bump those up higher too for better growth and higher Alk 13-14 dKH will discourage nuisance algea from growing.

 

Totally glazed over that sticky! Thanks for pointing that out. Perfect!

 

12dkh is on the upper end of recommended alkalinity, as far as I've read.
Here's one source for that, recommending 7-12dkh as a desirable range.
Alkalinity

I would be a little hesitant about keeping it that high because if you go over that by a little bit you run into the upper end of alk values and could run into precipitation snowstorms and the like if it gets too high.
I like keeping mine in the 9-10 range so there is some room above and below before running into extreme alkalinity levels, just in case of a dosing mistake, or maybe test kit margin of error.

If your test kit is reading a little low, or starts to read a little low as it ages, your actual value could be up around 13-14.

Also, have you doublechecked your reading of 12 with another kit, or at a LFS, just to see if it might be reading a little high already?

 

I'm thinking with the Ca at 440 and Mg at 1430 that dKH at 12 is good. Does anyone else have comments on this one way or the other?

I've seen posts of people keeping it around 14-16 for various reasons.