Salifert Alk Test Kit

[Cove]

I did a rather large water change since I have a nano tank and my Alk is measuring at 0.0! Is it actually the case? I used Reef Crystals.

 

[m0nkie]

lol no way... I use RC salt. My new batch of salt gets almost 10dkh Alk... and I confirmed this with Salifert and Hanna checker..

 

[thegrun]

I would retest, I suspect a testing error.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

I would retest too, I use Salifert & API for Alk & it is always spot on. How long after the water change did you test? I try to give it 24 hours after changing water chemistry before testing so things have a chance to even out.

 

[disc1]

I did a rather large water change since I have a nano tank and my Alk is measuring at 0.0! Is it actually the case? I used Reef Crystals.

0.0? So you mean you got the color change on the very first drop you added with the syringe? Something is very wrong there. Unless you forgot to add the salt to the water, you've done something wrong with the test.

 

[Cove]

I tested about an hour after the water change. Maybe im reading it wrong. It took an entire syringe of that stuff to change the colour to pink. Nothing is dead my hammer and my palys are not opening thats the worst thats going on in my tank.

 

[ReefPony]

I tested about an hour after the water change. Maybe im reading it wrong. It took an entire syringe of that stuff to change the colour to pink. Nothing is dead my hammer and my palys are not opening thats the worst thats going on in my tank.

On a Salifert kit, that's off the charts high. If you emptied the syringe (0.0) that means alkalinity is at 15.7 dkh... that's high even for the hottest batches of Reef Crystals.

 

[lhm nole]

Did you mix salt with ro or tap water?

 

[Cove]

I unfortunately had to use treated tap water. My pharmacy told me I bought them out on distilled water and my parents aren't letting me get an Ro Unit -__-

 

[thegrun]

Have you added any buffers or other additives to the tank that would have driven the alkalinity up that high?

 

[disc1]

I unfortunately had to use treated tap water. My pharmacy told me I bought them out on distilled water and my parents aren't letting me get an Ro Unit -__-

What is the alkalinity in the tap water? Some tap can have very high alkalinity and when you mix up salt water with it then your alk will be through the roof.

 

[downbeach]

Are you using any pH buffers? If so, that will raise your Alkalinity.

 

[Cove]

I used a bit of seachem stability and Kent essential elements. Im going to check the alkalinity of the tap water now.

 

[Bpb]

Tap water is your culprit. My local tap water has an alk of 25 dkh. Takes almost two full syringes to get the color change. I don't use it for my reef or even my freshwater tank. If you're not keeping sps it's probably fine, but why not at least get close to natural seawater levels. Your municipal water quality report should be available online. The last time my local water report was released was in 2011, but the alk, calcium magnesium, and phosphate tests still line up with what the report says. That's the best thing about rodi water. Not its cleanliness, but instead, the ability to control your major parameters. Raising a parameter is easy enough, but if you're in salinity range, and one parameter is too high, there's not much you can do to fix it

 

[Cove]

Tap water is your culprit. My local tap water has an alk of 25 dkh. Takes almost two full syringes to get the color change. I don't use it for my reef or even my freshwater tank. If you're not keeping sps it's probably fine, but why not at least get close to natural seawater levels. Your municipal water quality report should be available online. The last time my local water report was released was in 2011, but the alk, calcium magnesium, and phosphate tests still line up with what the report says. That's the best thing about rodi water. Not its cleanliness, but instead, the ability to control your major parameters. Raising a parameter is easy enough, but if you're in salinity range, and one parameter is too high, there's not much you can do to fix it

I agree with you. I should have done a smaller water change if I was dealing with tap water. I don't know why I thought doing 8 gallons was smart.