Alkalinity Question
- Thread starter luisprado
- Start date
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
Why? What is your alk testing at?
luisprado
New member
I haven't added anything for alkalinity, yet if I look at the test strips, the deep forest green color indicates ideal alkalinity but mine is a light blue color. A color not even on the chart. I have 2 kinds of test strips and both were off the charts.
How can I lower my alkalinity if it really is that high?
How can I lower my alkalinity if it really is that high?
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
Do yourself a favor and go buy a salifert alk test kit.
Those dip strips can go bad and it's not unheard of having an LFS sell expired strips.
How do your zoa's look? Have they been closed?
Those dip strips can go bad and it's not unheard of having an LFS sell expired strips.
How do your zoa's look? Have they been closed?
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
lol twon :lmao:
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
twon, very true my friend.
luisprado,
I would not be surprised if your alk was through the floor. That would also mean your tank is having ph swings from day to night.
Post your results.
If you're not replenishing alk, you might want to start.
Any two part solution will work great, I prefer B-Ionic.
luisprado,
I would not be surprised if your alk was through the floor. That would also mean your tank is having ph swings from day to night.
Post your results.
If you're not replenishing alk, you might want to start.
Any two part solution will work great, I prefer B-Ionic.
luisprado
New member
I will post results most likely tomorrow. I really do not have any PH swings. My PH is pretty consistent at 8.3 I have refugium with thriving cheato in the back. I have 0 phosphates, 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, calcium 400, magnesium 1200. Alkalinity is the only test I don't have. I ran out. I went by my LFS and they didn't have any test today. I will try a couple of different LFS tomorrow.
Funny thing is I have a 3.5g pico with exactly the same params as mine but on the test strips, the alkalinity is perfect. I use the same water for both. I decided to test a few of my nano corals in my 3.5 pico and they opened up beautifully. I am just scratching my head over what it could be. That's why I think alkalinity is the culprit.
Funny thing is I have a 3.5g pico with exactly the same params as mine but on the test strips, the alkalinity is perfect. I use the same water for both. I decided to test a few of my nano corals in my 3.5 pico and they opened up beautifully. I am just scratching my head over what it could be. That's why I think alkalinity is the culprit.
jessiesgrrl
In Memoriam
Hey luis, do you check the PH at the same time each day? It is not uncommon to pH to change in the middle of the night as the tank respirates, especially when having problems with balancing Alk/calc. It would recover on it's own in the morning, and test the same each day for you. Try setting an alarm and testing at night maybe?
Laurie
Laurie
twon8
Formally registered membe
But unless you were adding a large about of supplement, such as baking soda, there is no way a tank with corals increases alkalinity over a period of days. Alkalinity is being used up, so its probably really low, which ime can lead to sick looking corals. you might try adding a small amount of baking soda, see if it changes the test strips until tom.
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
Laurie,
You're cruel.
Listen, just get your alk at a stable level, then you won't be tricked by crazy red headed women into waking up in the middle of the night to check your ph! :lmao:
BTW, you can still have a stable (albeit low) alk in your tank.
With your reverse lighting fuge and the dissolution of live rock/sand from slight dips in ph, your tank can balance itself. It'll never make tank of the month, but the animals can survive without supplements.
But surviving isn't what you really want, you want thriving.
Again, get the alk right and while you're at it, check your calcium.
You're cruel.
Listen, just get your alk at a stable level, then you won't be tricked by crazy red headed women into waking up in the middle of the night to check your ph! :lmao:
BTW, you can still have a stable (albeit low) alk in your tank.
With your reverse lighting fuge and the dissolution of live rock/sand from slight dips in ph, your tank can balance itself. It'll never make tank of the month, but the animals can survive without supplements.
But surviving isn't what you really want, you want thriving.
Again, get the alk right and while you're at it, check your calcium.
jessiesgrrl
In Memoriam
LOL, cruel... Maybe!
Most reefers I find with less then say 5 years in the hobby tend to rely on not baking soda but a added chemical buffer, like Reef Buff because they don't know about/are scared of using non retail solutions (baking soda,lime water) for the tanks when they have so much money into them. I think (at least in the problem of alk/calc balance) that the tank resets the ph temporarily whith the additive, uses it up, crashes, respirates, and then tests the same at the time of the day they test it. Long term it'll stress everything in the tank beyond all grasp.
Weirdly enough, I have a friend locally who was doing this and then testing AFTER the additive was put in which cracked me up. This is in addition to adding ammonia detox to the tank and then testing (kit was picking up the bound ammonia after the additive because of the type of reagent used) thinking he had 3ppm ammonia in the tank. Could never get anareobic bacteria to form in the tank because there was never any nitrite for it to use as food to breed with.
He he I don't know if Luis is one of them (And I hope most likely not) but I have learned to always throw it out there...
Redheads rule!
Laurie
Most reefers I find with less then say 5 years in the hobby tend to rely on not baking soda but a added chemical buffer, like Reef Buff because they don't know about/are scared of using non retail solutions (baking soda,lime water) for the tanks when they have so much money into them. I think (at least in the problem of alk/calc balance) that the tank resets the ph temporarily whith the additive, uses it up, crashes, respirates, and then tests the same at the time of the day they test it. Long term it'll stress everything in the tank beyond all grasp.
Weirdly enough, I have a friend locally who was doing this and then testing AFTER the additive was put in which cracked me up. This is in addition to adding ammonia detox to the tank and then testing (kit was picking up the bound ammonia after the additive because of the type of reagent used) thinking he had 3ppm ammonia in the tank. Could never get anareobic bacteria to form in the tank because there was never any nitrite for it to use as food to breed with.
He he I don't know if Luis is one of them (And I hope most likely not) but I have learned to always throw it out there...
Redheads rule!
Laurie
luisprado
New member
Laurie,
You hit the nail right on the head. I could not figure out why my ALK was so high but it's a reef buffer that is causing the trouble. My last 5 gal jug of R/O water had the reef buffer in it. A friend of mine recommended it to maintain PH. While he was pouring it into my container, a clump of it went down. He said not to worry that it would not harm my water or tank. I went through that whole 5 gal container in top offs and water changes. Now that you mention it, I remembered and that's when my troubles started.
Now, my question is how do I fix it? I don't want my corals to get damaged or die off. Is there a way to fix this or just let it naturally go down? Should I do another water change with just R/O or R/O with salt? Any help you guys can give me would be appreciated.
Thanks.
You hit the nail right on the head. I could not figure out why my ALK was so high but it's a reef buffer that is causing the trouble. My last 5 gal jug of R/O water had the reef buffer in it. A friend of mine recommended it to maintain PH. While he was pouring it into my container, a clump of it went down. He said not to worry that it would not harm my water or tank. I went through that whole 5 gal container in top offs and water changes. Now that you mention it, I remembered and that's when my troubles started.
Now, my question is how do I fix it? I don't want my corals to get damaged or die off. Is there a way to fix this or just let it naturally go down? Should I do another water change with just R/O or R/O with salt? Any help you guys can give me would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Reef Junkie
Premium Member
Listen, your friend meant well, but unless you're supplimenting daily, it's tough to keep your alk and ph stable.
Honestly, you can leave it, it will go down by itself, but it's best you test it until you have it where you want it, then begin supplimenting daily.
Be careful with any suppliment you use. It's always best to follow the directions and add it slowly.
That's why I recommended the two part solution for alk makeup.
I know people that have/still use Baking Soda and Lime water. Their tanks never look great, just ok. Their sps are always boring and brown. These suppliments work, but not nearly as well as pure buffer additives.
Yet pure buffer additives are so expensive and are usually overdosed. You can precipitate your calcium right out of the water by adding too much and you can shock your animals to death too.
So, for now, keep adding your top off water, but stay away from the buffer additive until you have a solid test on the alk.
IME, two part solutions or calcium reactors work best. Since you have a small tank, a two part solution would be best for you.
Honestly, you can leave it, it will go down by itself, but it's best you test it until you have it where you want it, then begin supplimenting daily.
Be careful with any suppliment you use. It's always best to follow the directions and add it slowly.
That's why I recommended the two part solution for alk makeup.
I know people that have/still use Baking Soda and Lime water. Their tanks never look great, just ok. Their sps are always boring and brown. These suppliments work, but not nearly as well as pure buffer additives.
Yet pure buffer additives are so expensive and are usually overdosed. You can precipitate your calcium right out of the water by adding too much and you can shock your animals to death too.
So, for now, keep adding your top off water, but stay away from the buffer additive until you have a solid test on the alk.
IME, two part solutions or calcium reactors work best. Since you have a small tank, a two part solution would be best for you.
jessiesgrrl
In Memoriam
I agree totally. Good advice. It's like driving a clutch- you gotta let one out slow while you work the other. Once you get an established routine down, it's much easier and your tank will love you for it.
Good Luck! ::Hugs::
Laurie
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