High alkalinityl

sabyhappy2

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Hey guys I need some help I tested my alkalinity last week and it was 11 now it’s 11.58 I haven’t done anything but a water change I thought the corals are supposed to use the alkalinity why is it going up?(how do I make it go down) I haven’t used aptasia x or anything else in the tank besides regular feeding of my fish and I fed my corals once with reef roids.
these are the parameters I can check, I’m waiting on a calcium test kit to arrive.
corals I have are
-4 different gsp ( white stuff on it doesn’t seem like a sponge not sure if coral death)
-3 different zoas (not doing the best)
- 1 birds nest (looks the same as it did at the store)
-1 goniporia (has opened and seems okay)
- 1 candy cane (hasn’t puffed up)
-1 Kenyan tree
Photo of gsp not looking well and my tank attached

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Tamberav

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What salt mix do you use? do you use RODI?

I don't see much for stony corals, lps, or coralline which would be the major alk users.
 
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sabyhappy2

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What salt mix do you use? do you use RODI?

I don't see much for stony corals, lps, or coralline which would be the major alk users.
I’m using aquaforest reef salt and I’m using dechlorinated tap I tested my alk in the tap and was only 0.61 cause I thought that may be it but it wasn’t my Hanna checker reads in ppm I think and showed 11(for the tap) vs 206 for the tank
 

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Your corals are starving. Get those No3 numbers up. Between 5 and 10 is a good safe zone.
 

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I’m using aquaforest reef salt and I’m using dechlorinated tap I tested my alk in the tap and was only 0.61 cause I thought that may be it but it wasn’t my Hanna checker reads in ppm I think and showed 11(for the tap) vs 206 for the tank

If memory serves me right…. You can not use a marine Hannah checker to accurately test alk of freshwater.

Aquaforst advertises their alk to be 7.4-8.2

Buy distilled water (with no added minerals)… mix up a new batch of salt to matching salinity of the tank and test that for alk.

Distilled is fine to use instead of RODI. You just don’t want the kind with stuff added back for taste.
 
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sabyhappy2

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I’m quite confused atm should I use distilled water and mix salt into it or not and just do a regular water change or should I get my nitrates up higher then 0.25ppm-0.5ppm my corals aren’t dying just don’t seem super happy and not sure what’s going on with the gsp
Will a water change lower my alk or keep it at the same?
 

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I’m quite confused atm should I use distilled water and mix salt into it or not and just do a regular water change or should I get my nitrates up higher then 0.25ppm-0.5ppm my corals aren’t dying just don’t seem super happy and not sure what’s going on with the gsp
Will a water change lower my alk or keep it at the same?
Not sure nitrates are the concern. If not dosing, look at salt mix numbers BEFORE entering that water into your tank.
8 hrs after water is mixed , see what alk-ca-mag is,

Yours are high

Mag - should be around 1300
CA - 400-440
alk 8-11dkh
 
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sabyhappy2

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Is there a way to lower mag and alk safely if it’s the salt should I switch salts ?(thought the reef one was the best since I have corals) It’s a 15 gallon tank
Also just realized my nitrates are between 2.5 and 5.0 not 0.25-0.5 derp
 
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aSaltyKlown

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Water changes. Test your next batch of mixed water as mentioned, Alk should be around 7.7-8.3. Mag should be 1360-1420. It will come down with each change. Unless the Alk continues to rise, I would not worry and continue with a regular WC schedule.

Feed some more to get your nitrates up, what is the P04 at?
 
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sabyhappy2

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My salt mix shouldn’t make it as high as it’s reading according to the container
 

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Tamberav

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I’m quite confused atm should I use distilled water and mix salt into it or not and just do a regular water change or should I get my nitrates up higher then 0.25ppm-0.5ppm my corals aren’t dying just don’t seem super happy and not sure what’s going on with the gsp
Will a water change lower my alk or keep it at the same?

If the salt mix alk is lower than your display… then it will lower your alk with a water change.

Aqua forest advertises a alk lower then what your are testing so the tap water is suspect.

Yes you want nutrients. No idea what your phosphate is.

Switching salt is not the issue here based on their advertised alk.

The tap may be the issue… hence used distilled water. Test it… if alk is lower then you know it is the tap. Stop using tap and problem solved.
 
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sabyhappy2

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If the salt mix alk is lower than your display… then it will lower your alk with a water change.

Aqua forest advertises a alk lower then what your are testing so the tap water is suspect.

Yes you want nutrients. No idea what your phosphate is.

Switching salt is not the issue here based on their advertised alk.

The tap may be the issue… hence used distilled water. Test it… if alk is lower then you know it is the tap. Stop using tap and problem solved.
When I tested my tap alk if it’s right with the Hanna checker it was .68
 

aSaltyKlown

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When I tested my tap alk if it’s right with the Hanna checker it was .68
Was it fresh tap or mixed with salt?

As Tamberav mentioned, you can't use a marine tester to test freshwater.
 
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Tamberav

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When I tested my tap alk if it’s right with the Hanna checker it was .68

hannah checker is for saltwater not fresh water.

You must buy distilled and mix salt and test that. If it is lower/correct levels they advertise then the problem is your tap water.

It is so you can accurately compare pure water vs tap. Both must be mixed to the same salinity then compared.

So say your distilled water at 1.025 reads 8 alk but your tap water at 1.025 reads 11. Then the problem is the tap water.
 

vetteguy53081

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Assure , no false readings. Get a second opinion.
if dosing- cease dosing anything until numbers verified and levels have fallen to safe range.
Make a small batch of seawater and test it and sea if its the salt mix that is high from the onset
 

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Your corals are starving. Get those No3 numbers up. Between 5 and 10 is a good safe zone.
I’m guessing they are actually 25-50ppm. If they were using a LR Hanna checker (which is the only kit that has resolution that low) it wouldn’t be a range.

Edit: OP, I would really recommend getting an RODI unit, tap water is just too much of an unknown. You can get a cheap unit on Amazon that will be perfect for your size aquarium for like $60, and will last you at least a year (replacement cartridges are around $30). Also, I would put that birdsnest at the top of your rock work, the stock lights on the biocube aren’t the best and birdsnests like quite a bit of light.
 
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sabyhappy2

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I’m guessing they are actually 25-50ppm. If they were using a LR Hanna checker (which is the only kit that has resolution that low) it wouldn’t be a range.

Edit: OP, I would really recommend getting an RODI unit, tap water is just too much of an unknown. You can get a cheap unit on Amazon that will be perfect for your size aquarium for like $60, and will last you at least a year (replacement cartridges are around $30). Also, I would put that birdsnest at the top of your rock work, the stock lights on the biocube aren’t the best and birdsnests like quite a bit of light.
I’m gonna switch to rodi but not gonna get a unit as it’s 120$ where I live my light is a aqua knight v2 it’s a 15 gallon fleet that I have switched to salt and got the better light for it.
 

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RO Buddie for $70. Have been using one for a year now. Still running 0 TDS and DI is only half depleted. I have a 13.5 Evo and keep a 20 gallon Brute of fresh water on hand.
Look around for used RODI as well. I picked up a 5 stage locally for $45, need to buy media for it before I set it up.
 

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