Low Alkalinity Yet Normal range of calcium?

[FellowSclownfish20270]

Thank you everyone for helping out!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I used carbonated baking soda ash

That seems like quite a mash up of names. What exactly was it?

I also do not recommend putting it into salt water for dissolution, if that is what you did. Use fresh water for that purpose.

 

[FellowSclownfish20270]

That seems like quite a mash up of names. What exactly was it?

I also do not recommend putting it into salt water for dissolution, if that is what you did. Use fresh water for that purpose.

Sorry i had to relook the name, Soda ash. My mistake! There were steps to have it ready before putting it in the tank, I baked it for an hour and took it out. I then put it in RODI water to dissolve for some time before adding it to my tank. After that was finished, I added 1 ML of the dissolved soda ash from the RODI water into the tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry i had to relook the name, Soda ash. My mistake! There were steps to have it ready before putting it in the tank, I baked it for an hour and took it out. I then put it in RODI water to dissolve for some time before adding it to my tank. After that was finished, I added 1 ML of the dissolved soda ash from the RODI water into the tank.

If you bought soda ash (sodium carbonate) baking it in a home oven does nothing.

If you bought baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), baking it converts it into soda ash (aka washing soda).

 

[FellowSclownfish20270]

If you bought soda ash (sodium carbonate) baking it in a home oven does nothing.

If you bought baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), baking it converts it into soda ash (aka washing soda).

Yes thats the one (baking soda: Sodium bicarbonate), i get confused with both. Sorry

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes thats the one (baking soda: Sodium bicarbonate), i get confused with both. Sorry

No problem. :)

 

[LDJ]

Hello everyone,

I have done a 25% water change in my 40 gallon breeder reef tank yesterday night and waited for tomorrow to test my parameters.

During this time, I have tested my Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium.

My results from testing came out as:
Calcium: 450
Alkalinity: 7.0
Magnesium: 1350
I have tested my Alkalinity 3 times today because I was surprised that my Alkalinity was low.
My Alkalinity testing from last week was 8.9. Yet I never expected it to go down to atleast a 7.0.
Do I need to dose Alkalinity to rise its result? If so, which brand would you guys recommend because I’m a new to dosing. If anyone knows why Alkalinity drops, I would love to know.
Thanks.

Hi,
I have a 32 gallon bio cube and went on 2 1/2 weeks vacation. My coral and fish were looking and doing great.
I had an auto feeder feeding daily and a family member checking in every couple of days and feeding brine shrimp. When I came back I had a major red algae outbreak which smothered some coral and other look very sickly. Fish acted normal. I immediately did some water tests. Nitrate was up to 10, normally 5 or below. PH was 8.1. Phosphates was zero. Temp 86 and salinity 1.025. I started testing Alkalinity with a red sea test and it was 1-3 dkh. So I started to add a solution of baking soda on a daily basis.

Since the levels looked good I did a 15% water change and stopped my auto feeder, which I think was over feeding in my absence. It has been two months, my corals are still suffering.

I ran out of Red Sea Alkalinity test, ordered a new Salifert Alkalinity and I keep getting a zero results on alkalinity. I ordered a new Salifert test and same results. I have done a 30% water change with IO Salt. I tested the RODI water with IO salt and Alkalinity was around 7-8. Today still no readings on alkalinity in the tank. My duncan coral which was the healthiest is really closed up. Any ideas?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi,
I have a 32 gallon bio cube and went on 2 1/2 weeks vacation. My coral and fish were looking and doing great.
I had an auto feeder feeding daily and a family member checking in every couple of days and feeding brine shrimp. When I came back I had a major red algae outbreak which smothered some coral and other look very sickly. Fish acted normal. I immediately did some water tests. Nitrate was up to 10, normally 5 or below. PH was 8.1. Phosphates was zero. Temp 86 and salinity 1.025. I started testing Alkalinity with a red sea test and it was 1-3 dkh. So I started to add a solution of baking soda on a daily basis.

Since the levels looked good I did a 15% water change and stopped my auto feeder, which I think was over feeding in my absence. It has been two months, my corals are still suffering.

I ran out of Red Sea Alkalinity test, ordered a new Salifert Alkalinity and I keep getting a zero results on alkalinity. I ordered a new Salifert test and same results. I have done a 30% water change with IO Salt. I tested the RODI water with IO salt and Alkalinity was around 7-8. Today still no readings on alkalinity in the tank. My duncan coral which was the healthiest is really closed up. Any ideas?

I think there is some sort of testing issue, or something was added that you did not mention.

Be sure you are not reading the Salifert kit backwards. 0 alk is at the color change with no titrant added. A near full syringe is a lot of alk in the water.