Another Alk question except this time..how to reduce

porpoiseaquatics

porpoiseaquatics

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I run a Ca Reactor and normally my Alk is at 8 dkh while my Mg runs 1400 and Ca is at 450. Today's test through me for a loop. My Ca is at 500, Mg is at 1400 but my Alk jumped to 14 dkh! Mind you this is with a pH of 8.1 in the tank. I'm not understanding how my Alk could jump 6 points with little to no change in the other parameters. I don't dose anything. I do bi-weekly, 20g water changes on a roughly 190g total system volume.

Any thoughts?
 
Ringo[emoji768 wrote: ;1036684]Any chance the test kit is bad?
Click to expand...


This is what I am wondering. Might double check the test , possibly with another kit.


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I thought the point of a CA reactor was to maintain alkalinity without risk of spiking - seeing as the carbonates from your reactor media will only dissolve to the point of equilibrium, not above it like a kalk drip/doser might. Or am I completely wrong? (perfectly willing to accept a "Jane, you ignorant sl#t response). ;)

3rd the "try a different test kit" suggestion or simply have a local store run a test against a water sample in order to rule out methodology errors on your part.
 
Could be ph inside the reactor has lowered or drip rate increased


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All valid information. The kit I used was a Red Sea Pro kit (same as I've always used on previous tests). I just happen to have another with it's own regents so I'll test against that one tomorrow and see if I get the same results.
 
alk cant swing that high with 1400 mag and 8.0+ ph. unless you see calcium precipitating hardcore. id retest.

itll all balance itself naturally but id look at when the test occurred since that water change.

in the future try to test before u do dosing or water changes.
 
Test results from additional testing at 7pm tonight....no water change in over a week...light feeding this morning:

Red Sea Pro..........20.6 dkh
Sera....................14 dkh
API......................16 dkh

This is ridiculous! So which one do you believe? I know most everybody is going to say ditch the API test. Sera is what I've tested with for the past 2 years. None of the kits are out of date range (or at least do not show an expiration date on the kit). In any case....I think it's high.
 
porpoiseaquatics;1036980 wrote: Test results from additional testing at 7pm tonight....no water change in over a week...light feeding this morning:

Red Sea Pro..........20.6 dkh
Sera....................14 dkh
API......................16 dkh

This is ridiculous! So which one do you believe? I know most everybody is going to say ditch the API test. Sera is what I've tested with for the past 2 years. None of the kits are out of date range (or at least do not show an expiration date on the kit). In any case....I think it's high.
Click to expand...

tbh api is pretty darn acurate for alk. your alk increasing after doing nothing (14 to 16) is disturbing. are you dosing still?

what is your salinity? refractometer or hydrometer?
 
Jeff...do you want me to come over with my Salifert and Elos kit? Now I'm very curious what's going on in your tank. Text me.
 
Thanks Felix but Brett is going to bring his Hanna checker over first.

To answer Russ' question....salanity has crept up a bit to 1.029 measured by two different refractometers and they both said the same thing.
 
porpoiseaquatics;1037087 wrote: Thanks Felix but Brett is going to bring his Hanna checker over first.

To answer Russ' question....salanity has crept up a bit to 1.029 measured by two different refractometers and they both said the same thing.
Click to expand...

might want to drop that salinity wayyy down. but very slowly. the density of the solution is throwing off the measure. 1.024 - 1.025 then test again.
 
porpoiseaquatics;1036681 wrote: My Ca is at 500, Mg is at 1400 but my Alk jumped to 14 dkh! Mind you this is with a pH of 8.1 in the tank. I'm not understanding how my Alk could jump 6 points with little to no change in the other parameters..
Click to expand...

remember that Calcium changes very little relative to Alk and pH can be depressed by indoor carbon dioxide, or co2 from the reactor. I would say that 14 is very possible. If I were you I would test some freshly mixed salt with your test kits, to see if they are close to correct. Salt mix is pretty consistent.
 
What salt do you use and did you switch recently? Salinity salt being the factor here.
 
Jesse....I always use IO. No switching.

I think I figured it out. My salinity got higher than I though....1.029 AND, my drip rate off of the CA reactor had increased dropping my pH. I think the combination of the two increased the Alk. I've fixed both of those situations and now need to retest. Been gone most of the week so I'll hopefully get to it later today.
 
porpoiseaquatics;1037849 wrote: Jesse....I always use IO. No switching.

I think I figured it out. My salinity got higher than I though....1.029 AND, my drip rate off of the CA reactor had increased dropping my pH. I think the combination of the two increased the Alk. I've fixed both of those situations and now need to retest. Been gone most of the week so I'll hopefully get to it later today.
Click to expand...

That's great you figured it out!
 
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