ALK over 16! Best way to lower it please!

[TheGulag]

real dumb question.....
does the red sea even measure to 16?
how many ml of titrant are you using?
how much water are you starting with?

It doesn't only to 14

 

[link81]

@Todd Kellley
which red sea kit to you have? it looks like there are 2.
1 with an alkilinity indicator and a titrant
1 with just the titrant.

@TheGulag
I guess you could just refill the syringe and keep going, but i'm not sure of the accuracy using that much titrant.

 

[TheGulag]

@link81

That is true, I feel like he would have mentioned that he had to do the test a little differently then what is described in the directions if that was the case. I know thats an assumption on my part though...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was not yelling with the "nothing" sorry if it looked that way. Just really confused because I can not think of anything I have added that would raise my Alk so high. I was using conditioned tap water but switched to RODI water over 3 months ago and have been doing two 5% water changes a week to replace the tank water.

Conditioned with what?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@TheGulag
I guess you could just refill the syringe and keep going, but i'm not sure of the accuracy using that much titrant.

Yes, that is appropriate and accurate.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Sorry if this was answered before, what is your salinity?

For not dosing would seem odd if your alkalinity was 16 with just water changes unless your salinity was also above normal.

 

[Todd Kellley]

It doesn't only to 14

It does or how else would I come with 16, not a dumb question just an incorrect answer

 

[Todd Kellley]

Sorry if this was answered before, what is your salinity?

For not dosing would seem odd if your alkalinity was 16 with just water changes unless your salinity was also above normal.

That is why I asked. Salinity was 38ppm so a little high at the time of testing

 

[Todd Kellley]

Yes, that is appropriate and accurate.

I did not have to refill the syringe, I wish I had it at work with me so I could post of picture of where the level was on the syringe in regards to the chart that showed it was over 16. Will do so for sure tomorrow to stop the sudden misinformation that is being spread now.

 

[Todd Kellley]

@Todd Kellley
which red sea kit to you have? it looks like there are 2.
1 with an alkilinity indicator and a titrant
1 with just the titrant.

@TheGulag
I guess you could just refill the syringe and keep going, but i'm not sure of the accuracy using that much titrant.

I have the redsea with the indicator and titrant. I followed directions to a T each time. 4ml of water in test vial, 4 drops of the titrant in the vile, filled syringe with rad cap on it to 1ml and pushed one drop in at a time, swirling vial in between each until it changed color. The syringe was almost empty each time. Now this may be an issue. It said to draw it up to the 1ml line and that the chart was adjusted for the air gap that was in the tube. Was it a major fail on my part to not pull the fluid all the way to the 1ml line and not leave the air gap there? That would definitely change where I would have gotten my color change.

 

[Todd Kellley]

Conditioned with what?

Seachem Prime and phosphate reducer due to high phosphates in my city water. Then I put it in a 50 gallon drum to mix with salt with 2 powerheads. That way I always had premixed water on hand. Now I keep the drum full of RODI water and stopped using the phosphate remover as well. I never had an issue doing this with fish only tanks, done it for over 20 yrs but also never had real sensitive creatures I guess.

 

[Todd Kellley]

@link81

That is true, I feel like he would have mentioned that he had to do the test a little differently then what is described in the directions if that was the case. I know that's an assumption on my part though...

I think a right one though, pretty sure I know what I did wrong now. I still learned a lot from this post though!

 

[Todd Kellley]

real dumb question.....
does the red sea even measure to 16?
how many ml of titrant are you using?
how much water are you starting with?

maybe I already responded to this so I am sorry if I did. 4ml of water in test vial and filled the 1ml syringe to the 1ml line but thinking that is where I misread the instructions. It says the chart allows for the extra air in the syringe from the "red cap" so I only pilled the plunger to the 1ml line. I am guessing I should have pulled the fluid to the 1ml which would have changed my results drastically!

 

[Tom Stevens]

That seems to be the overwhelming response. It was 10:00 last night before I got to test and about lost my mind when I saw the first results, then the 2nd and 3rd and then this morning. Either operator error or something is wrong with this test. Thank you for the input and advice. Always appreciated!

I think we have all lost our minds when it comes to this hobby! The good news is your animals seem fine and you did not panic and end up with an even bigger problem.

 

[Todd Kellley]

I think we have all lost our minds when it comes to this hobby! The good news is your animals seem fine and you did not panic and end up with an even bigger problem.

For sure! All I want is to start another build yet my wife would like me to spend as much time with her as I do with my tank. LOL

 

[Todd Kellley]

real dumb question.....
does the red sea even measure to 16?
how many ml of titrant are you using?
how much water are you starting with?

Now I am wondering if I even have the correct instructions or chart in my test kit. It is clearly redsea, however when I googled the instructions to prove I am not crazy mine looks nothing like what I find! I mean nothing! I noticed last night there is clearly reading beyond what I got at 16 on my chart yet none I found match or look the same! Ugh

 

[MnFish1]

That seems to be the overwhelming response. It was 10:00 last night before I got to test and about lost my mind when I saw the first results, then the 2nd and 3rd and then this morning. Either operator error or something is wrong with this test. Thank you for the input and advice. Always appreciated!

First - does everything in your tank look good - of so take a deep breath and dont do anything 'drastic.
Second are you doing the test properly - as others have suggested?
Third - to answer your question - if you're not doing something - and you're mixing your salt correctly - Time - alkalinity will lower with time

 

[Todd Kellley]

I wonder if this isn't just a mis-read syringe. Are you reading at the bottom of the plunger or the level of the reagent?

And this may explain a lot as well. I was reading the reagent was, not the plunger and there was an air gap between the two that the instructions said was accounted for but I did not account for it!

 

[MnFish1]

And this may explain a lot as well. I was reading the reagent was, not the plunger and there was an air gap between the two that the instructions said was accounted for but I did not account for it!

The air gap is not an issue

 

[Todd Kellley]

First - does everything in your tank look good - of so take a deep breath and dont do anything 'drastic.
Second are you doing the test properly - as others have suggested?
Third - to answer your question - if you're not doing something - and you're mixing your salt correctly - Time - alkalinity will lower with time

yes everything looks good so I changed nothing last night except to add a little water due to my salinity being at 38ppm. It is usually right at 35ppm unless it is summer and I have been gone a couple days due to evaporation. I need an ATO.

After going through all the comments I am really thinking I read the plunger completely wrong. Instructions say they account for the extra air in the syringe but I think I did not and read from the fluid level not from where the plunger was. I will do so tonight when I get home and I bet I get a much more realistic reading. Joys of human error.