Alk question

rcpalmer1 · Dec 7, 2017

Sorry to keep posting questions but still haven't got my tank settled out. Luckily my algae problem has gone away. I was dosing BRS two part. I was keeping my tank around 9dkh. My filter was taking out to many nutrients and things have stopped growing. I noticed my ALk starting to increase. I was up to around 9.5. I am also slowly getting to tank ready to swap over to the Triton method. I have not done a water change. I stopped dosing over a month ago. I was going to let the tank get down to 8. The tank had finally got to around 9 and then started to go back up. Last test was back up to 9.4. I am using a Hanna checker. I have had ICP test done. I don't know what could be causing the rise.

Cory · Dec 8, 2017

Did you stop dosing brs two part?

The hanna checker can be picky. Bubbles will throw off the reading.

jsker · Dec 8, 2017

No apology need, that is what R2R is for. Were is your Ca and Mg?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 8, 2017

Alkalinity cannot rise on its own. It must come from somewhere.

Artificial rock that isn't fully cured can do it, as can falling nitrate levels (which produces alk as it is consumed).

Top off with tap water can boost alkalinity, as can certain additives that do not sound like they would contain alkalinity.

rcpalmer1 · Dec 8, 2017

Tank is around 6 months old. I have completely stopped dosing anything over a month ago. The one exception was one dose of 12ml of Vibrant last week. The only thing I have been putting in the tank is food.

The rock is "Real Reef" brand rock. About 100lb. My po4 and no3 have been low. I have been trying to get them up. I have been fighting an algae problem for the last few months. It has been clearing up the last two weeks and is almost all gone.

Top off water is RO/DI. Last I checked was 0 tds. Color change resin still at 75%.

Mg 1448 Ca 463 on icp test.

Trying to get nutrients up and swaping to Triton I have removed socks. I removed all the matrix from sump. Swaped skimmer to middle compartment and cheato to first compartment. I did wipe down everything with my hand. There was like a film on everything in the sump.

I am still undecided on the Hanna checker. I have been through 5 bottles of reagent. One bottle was way off. Because the results were the same test after test I didn't realize it was bad until I opened another bottle and my dkh was 2 higher test after test. The bottle I am using is almost finished so I will see if it changes with a new bottle of reagent.