dKH above 16.0 and Alk Meq/L above 5.71?

[funman1]

I posted this in the Chem forum, but also wanted local help incase you guys never look at the chem forum, and have some idea what the heck is going on with these numbers.

Ok I have never tested for this before yesterday.

Yesterday I did a water change and tested and got 12.5dKH and 4.46 Alk with Calcium registering in at 400

Today Calcium is at 400 still, but dKH is off the charts, I used the safilert kit and used the entire 1.0 and the color was still blue so I refilled it and kept adding drops it finally changed at 1.25 or (-.25 off the normal chart)

I did this test 3 times with the exact same results.
Everything in the tank seems to be doing fine like it always is, it's mostly lots of softies, with a few (5) LPS and 2 tiny SPS, a clown, a cleaner shrimp, a long nose hawk, 6 hermits, 10 mixed snails.
No sump but do have cheato in a corner that grows well and controls nitrates.

It's a 12G Nano, running carbon only.
I use SeaChem Reef Salt for water changes, I do a %50 water change each week (sat)
I use RO/DI water for ANY water that goes into the tank.
I don't dose anything but topoff water and food.

Amo: Undetectable
Nitri: Undetectable
Nitra:Undetectable
Ca: 400
Sal: 35 PPM

Can anyone help this dKH and Alk is all forgin to me and I have never measured them before because the tank always runs great. I got the test kit because I got curious.

Can these weird numbers hurt anything?
How do I fix them or do they need to be fixed?
Have you ever seen these readings this far off the chart before?

I tired to give all the info on the tank I know, but if you need more info for diagnosis of this problem let me know.

Thanks in advance
~Steve~

 

[dots]

I had high alk forever when I first started and couldn't keep anything alive more than a couple of months.

When I fisxed it, I had a lot more success.

I am fighting some high alk myself right now and am in danger of losing a lot of SPS!!!!

Anyway, if everyone in the tank is happy, then don't do a thing...as in add buffers or daily two part dosing and let it fall naturally.

Or a large water change......

This months edition of ReefCentral Magizine online, Randy Holmes-Farley goes into Ca and Alk relations, problems and how to fix them.....its on the RC home page and has a link to it.


Link
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php

I suggest to anyone who has simmilar problems or questions to read it and ALL of the resources at the bottom of the article. Be prepared to do ALOT of reading. I did read them a while back, and often refer to them. I find those articles to be one of the BEST resources on the web. Well worth the time!! -Doug

 

[funman1]

ok thanks, I have a lot of reading ahead..

I think we got it squared away over in the chem forum too..
thanks, that was a quick resolution..

~Steve~

 

[dots]

I read the chem forum thread.....that is EXACTLY what I was doing wrong.

Don't add as much or any.........

but because you are doing large changes so often,on such a small tank, it will a little more challenging to have a stable system, compared to a larger tank.

You will need to find the perfect amount to add to get the Alk you need and be religous about it.......

That is the hardest thing about nanos, they are so much harder to maintain stability, and things go wrong faster than a larger tank.

but on the flipside, I have had to change about 40 gallons in the last week compared to your 6.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

If you are using SeaChem salt you might want to try a partial with something else. SeaChem has very high borate content and could be a part of your problem. I don't know if that is a part of the problem, just something to look at. BTW talking to the SeaChem rep at WMC they said they had an ALK test kit that would test separately for Borate and carbonate/bi-carbonate that was available from Marine Depot. Haven't been able to find it through. Randy has some comments on high borate salts in his forum.