Alk increasing like crazy

[Aarons_718]

Hey, my alkalinity is increasing like crazy. I always had high alkalinity since I first started… around 11dkh. I did A big water change with established water from my lfs and it went down to 10.1… now a month later it’s now at 13.1.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can you list everything you add to the tank? Do you use tap water?

 

[Aarons_718]

Can you list everything you add to the tank? Do you use tap water?

I have :
Carribsea live rock
Carribsea live sand
Ato system with rodi water
A aqua el heater
Sicce 1.0 pump
Filter pad, bio media, 2 filter sponges
Carbon
Nano flipper scraper

 

[Aarons_718]

Can you list everything you add to the tank? Do you use tap water?

No I do Not use tap water I use Rodi
And my saltwater is accursea from world wide coral

 

[Aarons_718]

Can you list everything you add to the tank? Do you use tap water?

My alkalinity always been high, my tank isn’t even a year old yet. First test ever my all was 11dkh

 

[olonmv]

I think what Randy is asking is what additives are you dosing if any and what goes into the tank daily either for feeding or maintenance.

 

[Aarons_718]

I think what Randy is asking is what additives are you dosing if any and what goes into the tank daily either for feeding or maintenance.

Oh ok, I mean I feed Reef nutrition small pellets twice a day, I have dosed in a while. Was dosing nitrate for Dino’s but that was a couple months back.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Nitrate dosing will boost alk.

Have you checked the alk of your new salt water?

We can advise chemicals to lower it if needed.

 

[Aarons_718]

Nitrate dosing will boost alk.

Have you checked the alk of your new salt water?

We can advise chemicals to lower it if needed.

I havent dosed nitrate in a while, even before my alk was 11 dkh. Can my rock leach alkalinity? I also did a ICP test, my water is high in vanadium

 

[blaxsun]

We can advise chemicals to lower it if needed.

Completely unrelated, but I have a friend in the same predicament. Can you recommend any products that he could use to reduce his alkalinity? Thanks. (apologies for the sidetrack, but I couldn't contact you directly; feel free to msg me directly as I don't want to detract from the OPs post).

 

[Yahdiel91]

Had this issue not too long ago,i never dose or anything so it was weird my alk was high. My alk topped out at 14
Lfs said that it could be the salt itself or the volume of water changes im doing.. I currently do about 5 or 10 gallons weekly or bi weekly, and my alk has been fairly steady around 9-10 alkalinity..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The products to use to drop alk are sodium bisulfate (like Seachem acid buffer or diy) and muriatic acid. Both lower pH the same and a lot, so it needs to be done very slowly in a reef tank, and is best done in new salt water. There are threads describing both methods. I’ll try to find them later.