Acclimating corals into high alkalinity tank

[VegetarianSkunk]

Hi guys
The water chemistry of my tank has stabilized, but the alkalinity is still very high, not sure why. I've been wanting to stock the tank up with corals, mostly softies and lps but I'm afraid to do so since my last addition did not survive (only the new polyps did). How should I acclimate corals into a system with higher alk? Or perhaps any root causes that is pulling up alkalinity? How can I bring alkalinity down without water changes?

Tank details:
~30 gallons
Salinity 0.025
Nitrates 20ppm
Alkalinity 15 dKh; half gallon daily water topup with dechlorinated tap water at 2.8dKh
Only running filter sponge and JBJ bio balls in canister filter
Has a skimmer


Stocking:
Pintail wrasse, juvi
Melanurus wrasse, juvi
Tomini tang, juvi
Pulsing xenia (doing very well)
Green and orange rhodactis (only new polyps survived, large ones didn't)

 

[Flippers4pups]

Are you dosing anything? PH buffer....etc?

What salt mix are you using?

Use of tap water is a risky practice. Though your using dechlorinator, what's left in it could be heavy metals, solids, high TDS. These are poison to corals.

Use of reverse osmosis/deionized water is highly recommended.

 

[VegetarianSkunk]

Are you dosing anything? PH buffer....etc?

What salt mix are you using?

Use of tap water is a risky practice. Though your using dechlorinator, what's left in it could be heavy metals, solids, high TDS. These are poison to corals.

Use of reverse osmosis/deionized water is highly recommended.

I haven't even started dosing any buffers, only nopox to help with nitrate
Using Red Sea's reef salt

 

[Robert_ellis]

Red sea reef is high alk. Switch to a different salt. Should bring down your alk.

 

[homer1475]

Your water changes are actually increasing your ALK with that salt. Look for a salt that has lower ALK for now(I think red sea blue bucket mixes up to around 8DKH), then when your ALK demands are higher, switch to back to the other salt.

 

[VegetarianSkunk]

I haven’t done a water change since the tank was set up which is why i’m really confused. I just did a water change and the hardness drop only to 14dkh. I’ve had success with the same protocols and salt though...without anything having to succumb to shock

 

[homer1475]

Test a fresh batch of salt mix, if it's not within your parameters, then switch salt.

It could also be hard water from your tap adding to the alkalinity. RO/DI is really what you should be using, but store bought water in gallon jugs from wally world will work.

 

[vanpire]

Your issue is the tap water. If u don’t have a lot of corals, the Alk is not being consumed at all. But everytime you replace evaporated water with tap water, u slightly increase the Alk. I imagine your salinity and calcium are also higher.

 

[Hemmdog]

Your issue is the tap water. If u don’t have a lot of corals, the Alk is not being consumed at all. But everytime you replace evaporated water with tap water, u slightly increase the Alk. I imagine your salinity and calcium are also higher.

+1, get a RODI system.

 

[VegetarianSkunk]

how should i acclimate corals into the tank then? if i want to leave the alk be higher

 

[Hillbillyreefer]

Don’t, get your alk in line first then add the corals. It’s far less expensive to fix the water and not kill a bunch of frags.

Do some research on using sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid to bring down your alk.

 

[vanpire]

I would very slowly add muratic acid to your tank to reduce the Alk. Slowly. Maybe 1-2 ml per day mixed with your top-off water.