Alk Issue

[jimbau]

My 55 gallon tank with 20 gallon sump has been up and running for almost two years. Historically my Calcium has ran about 450 and my Alkalinity has been 7.0. I have never dosed at all. I have three Acro's and a bunch of softies. I used Kent salt. Lately my Calcium has been going up and my Alkalinity has been dropping. Today my Calcium was 550 and my Alk was 6.0 using Red Sea test kits. Should I worry about this? If so, what would be the best way to correct?
Other parameters;
Phosphate 0.02 Hanna
Nitrate 2.0 Salifert
PH 8.2
Magnesium 1560 Red Sea

Thanks in advance for any advice...

 

[mike007]

If you are not dosing I would suspect your test results are not correct. Can you have your lfs test and confirm your results.? Without dosing I just don't see how your calcium level could be that high. Are you using any other additives?

 

[redfishbluefish]

You need to dose.




I'm a Randy Holmes Farley DIY doser and use his recipes.




You're first concern is your ALK level. Simply buy baking soda (I buy mine at Sam's for 6 or so dollars for a 13 pound bag.) Take 2 1/4 cups and spread on a cookie sheet and bake for one hour at about 350 degrees. After cooling, add to a one gallon container and add RO/DI water to one gallon. Use a reef calculator to add solution....BRS has a nice reef caluclator for this. Once you get your ALK to a level you want, you'll need to dose daily.

 

[Browncoat]

with your red sea pro kit always use the same syringe for the same titrate, always wash vials out with rodi water, and before you begin your testing wash them with your tanks water to eliminate any left over RODI water that may not have dried. Also Take your time and follow the instruction exactly. I hate that Mg test btw lol. Not saying you do or don't do this, just a mistake i made today and wanted to share lol.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Test your RO water, find out if somethings wrong with your water.
Bad batch of salt mix?

 

[jimbau]

Thank you for all the info. I will have my Los test my water and then I will look into dosing for alk.

 

[b_rad_G]

I second its probably a bad test. You could have made a simple mistake or possibly your test kit has failed. I would test alk a few more times to see if you get the same reading.

 

[mcarroll]

If you are not dosing I would suspect your test results are not correct. Can you have your lfs test and confirm your results.? Without dosing I just don't see how your calcium level could be that high. Are you using any other additives?

+1

Kent salt has some crazy numbers IIRC. Very fortified.

-Matt

 

[beaslbob]

agree with the two part suggestions.

I think you will find that if you dose small amounts of baking soda to get alk up to 8-10 dkh or so, the calcium will come down also.


my .02

 

[mcarroll]

agree with the two part suggestions.

I think you will find that if you dose small amounts of baking soda to get alk up to 8-10 dkh or so, the calcium will come down also.

+1

-Matt