Help with alk levels

[AreUaBadFish2]

So my alk levels are pretty high, i know the cause and ive stopped doing it. My question is how can i lower it quicker then its going?. Ive added the recommended calcium supplement to try to counter balance the alk level since raising one will lower the other. But it seems after 2 days there is no change at all and the level us at a high 15. Are there any other ways i can get the alk down in my tank other then a serious water change? Dosing? Or additives?

 

[mluz]

You did not specify if you have a reef tank or a fish only.

If you have a reef, don't try to lower it in a drastic way. Its better to let the corals use it slowly until it gets to a normal level. If you lower it very fast and have SPS corals you may loose them to STN.

 

[AreUaBadFish2]

Yes i forgot, it is a reef tank. I have zoas n a Kenyan tree in my tank and 2 clown fish.

 

[mluz]

Aside from these corals, do you have any stony corals?

 

[AreUaBadFish2]

No that is all i have and they are small frags, i just started the conversion from fish only to reef.

 

[mxracer761]

if those are your corals and you have no sps then the alk drop will not affect them nearly as close as if you had sps. Try to get your levels to 8-10. Evaporation will help as well as small water changes over a shorter time

 

[Dan_P]

So my alk levels are pretty high, i know the cause and ive stopped doing it. My question is how can i lower it quicker then its going?. Ive added the recommended calcium supplement to try to counter balance the alk level since raising one will lower the other. But it seems after 2 days there is no change at all and the level us at a high 15. Are there any other ways i can get the alk down in my tank other then a serious water change? Dosing? Or additives?

The quickest way to fix water parameters is typically with large water changes, but unless your tank inhabitants are being stressed, you might just wait or do small water changes.

I am not sure what you mean when you say adding one supplement will lower the other. This does not seem quite right, but I am willing to learn!

 

[pauliwalnuts]

What do you mean by 15, 15 dkh? Also, what brand test kit are you using?

 

[AreUaBadFish2]

Alk level is around 15 yes kh. Should be a 9. When you put alk supplement in it always lowers the calcium and the vice versa. Calcium lowers alk. They balance each other out. Idk if that makes sense. Adding one will lower the other so u need to find a happy medium. Also magnesium helps with this. I think ill try several small water changes.

 

[pauliwalnuts]

You never said what brand of test kit you're using, lol. And yes water changes is the only way to correct your issue. But, I would just leave alone for now unless you're due for a water change cause it will start coming down by itself with time anyway. Also, dosing alk+cal supplements will only effect your ph, and just temporarily. There's no way that by dosing one that it will lower or raise the other.

 

[AreUaBadFish2]

Api is the test kit brand

 

[pauliwalnuts]

I've never tried using the API alkalinity test kit. You should consider using the Salifert one, it's only around 15 bucks, accurate and easy to use, and possibly number one recommended when it comes to alkalinity.

 

[reefer4eva]

What brand salt are you currently using? Also are you dosing the tank with anything?

 

[Tranquil201]

You never said what brand of test kit you're using, lol. And yes water changes is the only way to correct your issue. But, I would just leave alone for now unless you're due for a water change cause it will start coming down by itself with time anyway. Also, dosing alk+cal supplements will only effect your ph, and just temporarily. There's no way that by dosing one that it will lower or raise the other.

I think what he's talking about is this.


calcium and alkalinity are linked in many ways in reef tanks, and these links can lead to serious problems if they are not fully understood. If, for example, you add too much of a calcium supplement, you will drive down alkalinity as you get precipitation of calcium carbonate in the tank. Likewise, adding too much of an alkalinity supplement can result in reduction of calcium. Consequently, trying to correct one problem can cause another. Moreover, if you try to correct a calcium or alkalinity ?problem? with the wrong type of additive, you might accomplish nothing more than creating limestone in your tank.


http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

 

[AreUaBadFish2]

My alk levels are way too high i just want the easiest solution to lower it. And no im not dosing anything. And salt currently is no brand but i am switching to red sea next week.

 

[Tranquil201]

My alk levels are way too high i just want the easiest solution to lower it. And no im not dosing anything. And salt currently is no brand but i am switching to red sea next week.

No Brand salt?

 

[AreUaBadFish2]

Yea just salt in a clear bag i got from the reef store lol

 

[Tranquil201]

hmm sorry all the stores I've visted I've never seen a clear bag with salt in it... How old is your test kit? It may be giving you false readings. I used API only on my first saltwater tank years ago and it was reading 160PPM nitrate and it was actually 10PPM when I tested with Redsea test kit. If the kit is expired you can get a false reading.

 

[reefer4eva]

Coralife salt is higher in calcium than most salt mixes..higher in calcium will counteract with the higher alk

 

[edd]

Alk level is around 15 yes kh. Should be a 9. When you put alk supplement in it always lowers the calcium and the vice versa. Calcium lowers alk. They balance each other out. Idk if that makes sense. Adding one will lower the other so u need to find a happy medium. Also magnesium helps with this. I think ill try several small water changes.

i read an article and they explained alk and cal levels on simple terms.
they said if you have a jar filled with equal amounts of blue and red marbles, if you wanted to add 5 more blue then you have to remove 5 red marbles. and vice versa.
if your alk is too high it won't drive cal down. but it won't increase until the alk comes down.
just give it time with reg water changes and your alk will drop over time.
try raising cal to 425-450 as alk drops.