Alk question

[cwb_reeftank]

I try to keep my tanks alk between 7-9 but when I use my red sea salt(not the pro) it brings my alk back up to 11. I was wondering if I had a bad batch of salt or something else.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How much water are you changing at once?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This salt?

http://www.redseafish.com/red-sea-salts/red-sea-salt/

 

[cwb_reeftank]

im doing 10-15 gallons a week in a 55 gallon tank and yes that one

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It shouldn't be raising the alk. Maybe there is testing error, a batch with super high alk, serious settling in the bucket if you only used part of it, or testing error. I can't tell which, but making some more salt water and testing it for alk is a good start on figuring it out.

 

[cwb_reeftank]

That's what I thought but wasn't sure I'll try to mix up my salt tonight than make some new water and test it than add it and test that. Oh I also test with a hanna checker

 

[redfishbluefish]

One additional thought......how are you measuring salinity. If it's a swing-arm hydrometer, they are known to be inaccurate. That is, if you're unknowingly making a higher concentration of salt, it would also drive up alkalinity. Just a thought.

 

[cwb_reeftank]

I use a refractometer to check my salinity and I keep it as close to 1.025 as I can