High Alk Issue

[dpeoples]

Tank is a 125 been going now for almost 8 months no issues. I do all the chem tests once a week and do not have a issue. Did them yesterday and here is what I had

Nitatres 0
Nitrite 0
PH 8.1
Phosphates 0.05
Salinity was 1.25
Calcium a bit lower then normal right at 400
DKH was 15 drops

All tests were done with Reef Master Test kits like always except Phosphates is Hannah checker. I only use RODI water off a five stage. Have an ATO as well. Water change was done two weeks ago. I do twice a month. I also am using B-Ionic 2 part. Any ideas why my Alkalinity would be off the chart like this. Its almost always 9. I am manually dosing each day so it isnt a doser going crazy and dumpin a bunch in. I guess next question is how do I get it down and how bad is it at this level. My SPS all seem fine and happy. Can I just keep dosing Caclium and lay off the Alakalinity part for a few days?

 

[USC-fan]

Wouldnt hurt to do a water change.

 

[JSeymour]

Can I just keep dosing Caclium and lay off the Alakalinity part for a few days?

I'm sure someone else will chime in, but I wouldn't quite stop your alk dosing. How long has it been like this? Although 15 is very high, to some degree, your livestock will have adapted to this. Not dosing at all could cause it to drop too quickly, stressing and probably killing some animals. A drop of .5-1 dKH per day would be a goal to shoot for. Depending on the bioload, you may still need to dose some. While allowing your alk to drop, watch your pH and calcium levels closely. They may become elevated due to more calcium being able to dissolve at the lower alkalinity level, in which case, add less calcium. I think at the end of this, you'll see that you were dosing too much of both, the excess calcium was precipitating out.

 

[JSeymour]

Wouldnt hurt to do a water change.

+1 Once again slowly bringing it down. Don't do it too fast.

 

[dpeoples]

Been like this a week. Last.week it was 9. OK so ill still dose the Alk just half as much

 

[bertoni]

Well, pH buffers often cause high alkalinity levels, since they are just high-pH alkalinity supplements. Other than that, tap water and salt problems probably are the more common reasons.

 

[dpeoples]

Not using tap though it comes off my RODI as I stated. Before the RODI my TDS meter says it is 150-160 after in the bucket I am getting 0. I am using Reef Crystals also

 

[bertoni]

I think backing off on the alkalinity dose should solve the problem. I'm not sure how the alkalinity went up.