High Alkalinity?

[diver22]

Hi fellow reefers, I’m having an issue my Alkalinity is at 14.3 using a Hanna tester, my calcium is at 380 and PH is at 8.3 salinity is at 1.025.

how can lower this without things going whacked, and they told me this level is extremely bad. I’m dosing Kalkwasser in my ATO 1tsp per gallon.

Please any advise before things start going sour.
Thank you,

 

[jimk60]

If your dosing kalk it would be hard to have alk that high and calcium that low since they go in mostly equal. Might be a test error on one or the other. Stop dosing kalk if you're concerned and just dose calcium till it straightens out. Also make sure your magnesium is right

 

[diver22]

If your dosing kalk it would be hard to have alk that high and calcium that low since they go in mostly equal. Might be a test error on one or the other. Stop dosing kalk if you're concerned and just dose calcium till it straightens out. Also make sure your magnesium is right

Ok, my calcium test can be questionable, my Mag is 1240 salifert, Calcium is API so is why I have a slight concern with results.
Is 14.3 deadly would I need to do a drastic change ?

 

[REEFTIDE]

Hi fellow reefers, I’m having an issue my Alkalinity is at 14.3 using a Hanna tester, my calcium is at 380 and PH is at 8.3 salinity is at 1.025.

how can lower this without things going whacked, and they told me this level is extremely bad. I’m dosing Kalkwasser in my ATO 1tsp per gallon.

Please any advise before things start going sour.
Thank you,

Flush your reservoir and replace with regular RODI water, it'll naturally come back.
The issue with Kalk in the ATO is that if your tank is in a high evaporation area you will be adding more kalk into the tank than your tank can up take. Additionally if you take out some water and it refills it with fresh and kalk... well you're in for a bad time. I would not recommend kalk in the ATO, instead make a simple dripper, dose it with an inexpensive standalone doser or if you want to splurge get a Kalk reactor.


Additional things to note:
What are your nutrients at? Do the corals look stressed?

 

[Pistondog]

Stop the kalkwasser.
Dilute with 20% water change,

 

[diver22]

Flush your reservoir and replace with regular RODI water, it'll naturally come back.
The issue with Kalk in the ATO is that if your tank is in a high evaporation area you will be adding more kalk into the tank than your tank can up take. Additionally if you take out some water and it refills it with fresh and kalk... well you're in for a bad time. I would not recommend kalk in the ATO, instead make a simple dripper, dose it with an inexpensive standalone doser or if you want to splurge get a Kalk reactor.


Additional things to note:
What are your nutrients at? Do the corals look stressed?

Nitrates are at 20 PPM and Phosphates is at 0.26 is a bit high but I find if I go much lower I start see Dino’s and cyano, so try to keep it a bit high but not 0.2x.

 

[diver22]

Stop the kalkwasser.
Dilute with 20% water change,

Dilute kalkwasser with a 20% WC ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do not add kalk as stated and it can also be elevated from the salt mix you are using. If you are testing right after addind new water, you may be gettting false readings. As for calcium test, API notorius for false readings.

 

[REEFTIDE]

Dilute kalkwasser with a 20% WC ?

No they mean dilute the tank with a water change to bring alk down.

IF your corals are doing fine its fairly safe just to let it get taken up. Please note, I would not add any new corals during this period because it will 100% be stressful for the corals coming in to the tank

 

[REEFTIDE]

Do not add kalk as stated and it can also be elevated from the salt mix you are using. If you are testing right after addind new water, you may be gettting false readings. As for calcium test, API notorius for false readings.

+1 On this, I would switch to Salifert bare minimum

 

[diver22]

No they mean dilute the tank with a water change to bring alk down.

IF your corals are doing fine its fairly safe just to let it get taken up. Please note, I would not add any new corals during this period because it will 100% be stressful for the corals coming in to the tank

Ok perfect going to do a 20% WC and stop with the Kalkwasser, also clean out my ATO…

 

[REEFTIDE]

Ok perfect going to do a 20% WC and stop with the Kalkwasser, also clean out my ATO…

What do you have in the tank?

 

[diver22]

What do you have in the tank?

I have a couple Tangs, 4 pajama cardinals, hammer coral, acans, birds nest, and green slimer nothing crazy just don’t want to to die…

 

[REEFTIDE]

I have a couple Tangs, 4 pajama cardinals, hammer coral, acans, birds nest, and green slimer nothing crazy just don’t want to to die…

Its relatively few corals then. I would probably hold off on Kalk for a while. Def empty out the ATO, clean and refill with RODO sans Kalk.
As mentioned above that 20% water change could help a lot and you can repeat that as well(a weekly water change or a water change every X amount of days until you can bring the alk down).

Best of luck! As long as the corals are looking well now and you do not make any rapid changes the tank should be fine

 

[diver22]

Its relatively few corals then. I would probably hold off on Kalk for a while. Def empty out the ATO, clean and refill with RODO sans Kalk.
As mentioned above that 20% water change could help a lot and you can repeat that as well(a weekly water change or a water change every X amount of days until you can bring the alk down).

Best of luck! As long as the corals are looking well now and you do not make any rapid changes the tank should be fine

Awesome thank you ! Yes started making water now for morning water change and clean out ATO. Thanks again.

 

[kingjames_dc5]

Do you have a second test kit to compare the results from the Hanna tester?

 

[diver22]

Do you have a second test kit to compare the results from the Hanna tester?

Noop but I will get one tomorrow and test or go to the lfs … what I will do is when I make my 20% WC I will test that before adding to tank. And see what I get … I’m also using Instant ocean reef crystal.

 

[diver22]

Just went to neighbors house and he has a API tester and is pretty much on the money as my Hanna 14.

so will start with the advise of laying off Kalkwasser for a while and 20% WC and clean out ATO tank and refill with just RODI.

 

[jimk60]

Noop but I will get one tomorrow and test or go to the lfs … what I will do is when I make my 20% WC I will test that before adding to tank. And see what I get … I’m also using Instant ocean reef crystal.

Reef crystals mix high in alk and mag, it's what I use. I also test alk every time before I mix my kalk and adjust accordingly. Where I live I use more make up water in the winter than summer because of humidity. One teaspoon per gallon is more than I use this time of year.

 

[diver22]

Reef crystals mix high in alk and mag, it's what I use. I also test alk every time before I mix my kalk and adjust accordingly. Where I live I use more make up water in the winter than summer because of humidity. One teaspoon per gallon is more than I use this time of year.

To be honest a friend told me to mix Kalk in my ATO that’s was to raise calcium for the skeleton of coral, I did som3 reading and the advise from this thread and you guys are spot on, I will definitely take your advise and dose kalk only when alk is low…