Alk!!??

[SlamaJama]

borrowed an alk test (salifert) its not reading rite and ive done it 4x...seems my alk is way high? i droped in 1.4 m/l into the test vile for a color change, i kno i only should need less than 1 m/l for a reading.
could the test be 2 old or is my alk farged?
wat can i do to stabalize...i have my reactor still running and i dose bionic daily
thxs
mike

 

[ScottK]

What are your PH and calcium? If your alk really is that high, the other numbers should be screwy too.

 

[alrha]

try following the instructions.

what are you getting as your total alk?

 

[SlamaJama]

albert- from the directions:
reading in m/l ...0.00 = 16.0 (KH value in dkh) = 5.71 (alk in m/l)..now im adding even more for the coor chng like .4 m/l more so im assuming the alk is even higher, if im reading this rite and the ph from the reactor is bout 6.9

scott...my tank ph is 8.4-8.6 and the ph from the reactor is bout 6.9
calcium is upwards 480-500

 

[IconicAquariums]

Mike, i would turn the reactor off for a day or two and stop dosing bionic until your alk comes back down under 10dkh(i keep mine 8-9). The high alk can do a number on corals. What's your Mg? Usually with that high of an alk its hard to get Ca as high as you have it.

joe

 

[SlamaJama]

thxs joe ill shut down for a couple days to see if thats it...dont test Mg...guess i should

 

[jhale]

how old is the test kit, i think the salifert tests are dated on the box, or on the regents.

 

[IconicAquariums]

The saliferts usually have an expiration stamped or stickered on the top of the box. If yours doesn't have this you can post the regent #'s in the RC Salifert forum and Habib will tell you if they are expired.

joe

 

[SlamaJama]

ill look..

 

[SlamaJama]

my cal is way over 500, maybe both r sky-high...i shut down reactor and ill monitor with tests

 

[spykes]

john that test kit is mine, 2 months old :p

 

[SlamaJama]

ok...by this sites standard THIS is an old post...lol.
in my original post my ALK TEST/CAL readings were off the chart.
Ive had my reactor shut down and no dosing bionic for 24hrs. I tested this morningand my ALK and CAL ,and these were the results:

ALK= 16 dKH (5.71 m/l)
CAL= 490-500
altho high is this balanced?
ty

 

[jhale]

hey mike,

the high alk is a concern for me, it's at the borderline of being too much.

the CA level though high, is fine.

natural seawater has a dkh of 7 or 8, most try to stay around 10-12.

as the alk level's drop watch the conditions of the coral. I'm curious if there will be any ill effects.

here is a search on RC about the topic, High Alk

 

[SlamaJama]

Thxs Jon..i Read The Link...luckly I Dont Have Any Telling Effects On The Corals...in Fact Everything Has Great, Color, And Polyp Ext On All Sps And Lps...im Hopping The Slow Decent Down To Somewat Normal And Then Ill Crank Up The Reactor And Monitor Little More Closly