My 40g breeder just finished cycling and I did a 25g water change (0 TDS RODI + Instant Ocean [0.5c/gal]). My Red Sea test kit also just arrived, so I tested my water parameters with both that and my API kit.
Since my base API kit doesn't test for dKH, this was my first time testing for it. This *isn't* the Red Sea Pro dKH kit with the titrator, so I'm counting drops with the janky pipette. It took 19 drops for the test sample to turn green.
Is this a fluke? Did I do something wrong? Or is my alkalinity really 19 dKH for no good reason? I'm going to re-test tomorrow after the water change has had some time to settle in...but I feel like I'm nuts.
If my alk really is that high, what is the best way to decrease it without screwing up my pH?
Other Parameters:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20ppm
pH: 8.1
SG: 1.023
Since my base API kit doesn't test for dKH, this was my first time testing for it. This *isn't* the Red Sea Pro dKH kit with the titrator, so I'm counting drops with the janky pipette. It took 19 drops for the test sample to turn green.
Is this a fluke? Did I do something wrong? Or is my alkalinity really 19 dKH for no good reason? I'm going to re-test tomorrow after the water change has had some time to settle in...but I feel like I'm nuts.
If my alk really is that high, what is the best way to decrease it without screwing up my pH?
Other Parameters:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20ppm
pH: 8.1
SG: 1.023