alk too high....need help

[civicss1]

i have a 225gal with a PM cal reactor...55gal sump/fuge with a skimmer...i am dripping kalk along with the cal reactor....i just tested the water and my alk is too high...how can i lower it...??? that would explain why some of my sps are dieing....any help and hurry...thanks

 

[PSam]

What is "too high"? What is your Ca level? Pretty low, I'm assuming, if your Alk is real high (over 4 meq/L)?

Up to 4 meq/L isn't bad at all, as long as it isn't keeping your Ca down.

 

[civicss1]

my ca level is around 350 ...i drip kalk and have a cal reactor...

 

[RRafael]

Hey Civicss,
Do you have the shark in with your corals?

 

[civicss1]

no the shark hatched and wouldn't eat,,i tried to get it to eat about 2 weeks after it hatched .... so it passed away...

 

[civicss1]

so i am going to have reef fish and corals....

 

[Billybeau1]

You still havent told us how high your alk is. You'll need to get that calcium up, shoot for 420 or so. If your alk is real high, water changes will bring it down, assuming your make up waters alk is normal.

 

[RRafael]

that sucks, when mine hatched I put mysis shrimp in there and he ate it right away.

Was that one fish of your picking at it after it hatched?

 

[civicss1]

i use ro/di water ..ive tested the water that comes out of the system and its clean.....ill add some cal supplements to raise it slowly....and ill do a good water change....the thing is on my test kit is says....low.normal, and high....i need a good test kit...are there any probes that test alk....??

 

[civicss1]

the moorish idol...yea it was picking at my sharks tail

 

[RRafael]

yeah thats prob. why he didnt eat .....stress sucks
As for your Alk, here is a good test kit to buy

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=SF1123

 

[PSam]

You need a new test kit. Low/Med/High ain't gonna cut it = garbage test kit. You need to be able to see 2.5-4 meq/L and convert to dKH if you want. Maybe 3.5 is high to them? Who knows. You need numbers. Fix that tank before my caulastrea dies in there!

I use the cheap FasTest. They are fast and all you need for Alk.

 

[Billybeau1]

Sounds like a plan. I also use Salifert for alk test. Once you get that calcium up your sps will be much happier.

 

[FloatingFish]

Get a good test kit ( Salifert )to find out what your Alk. really is. Then check out these links.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Good Luck

 

[civicss1]

i moved the caulastrea...so don't worry PSam....

 

[civicss1]

alk

alk

ok folks i did my water change this morning....now should i add my c-balance..or wait a bit to add it...?

 

[ostrow]

Re: alk

Re: alk

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7296118#post7296118 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by civicss1
ok folks i did my water change this morning....now should i add my c-balance..or wait a bit to add it...?

I'm not sure this will help, as you seem not to have heard the advice, but here it is once again:

NO! Don't add anything, until you get a real test kit and determine what your alkalinity level is. I would add that you should get a good kit for calcium, as you need a reliable measure of that as well.

 

[civicss1]

ok i didn't add anything .....

 

[Whaledriver]

Read some of the reef chemisty articles about calcium,alk and magnesium

 

[civicss1]

yea i did ...i talked to Harley in the chem forum....i hope that the alk goes down soon....i know it will