How high is too high.... Alkalinity

[sadsak]

We have filled one of our 55s to get ready for new-commers from a brother's tank... We buffed a little heavy... but in testing water to see where we were, our PH appears to be 8.4 but the Alk seems high... 7 meq/L... How high is too high and how can that be corrected?

 

[dustin Combs]

good article

good article

this may help you

 

[sadsak]

I figured I would have a water change or two to get back to were it should be. Just thought their could be some other way. Thank You dustin C

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Perfect link. Waterchanges or addition of an appropriate additive is usually the answer. And waterchanges never hurt

 

[exoticaquatics]

Are you sure its 7 meg/L, and not dKH? If it is meq/L thats almost 20 dKH, which is basically off the charts. What is your calcium? If it really is 7 dKH, that is fine, but if not water changes and time is about the only thing that will help you. There is no chemical additive to bring your alk down. Calcium will bring it down a little but not much. What brand of test kit are you using? I know the Salifert kit doesnt even have a reading as high as 7meq/L, so hopefully you meant dKH, because then you would be fine with a dKH of 7.

 

[sadsak]

thank you Slone ! its meq of 7 .. i set this new tank up and buffed a little heavy.. oops .. i will do a few water changes and all should be good our cal was 480 thank you everyone..