Alkalinity has soared since adding a buffer. Help.

[spamvicious]

My alk was very low at 5.3. I used reef zlements kh buffer and their instructions said 10ml for 100 litres to raise by 1dkh.

I used 5ml for my 52 litre tank. I took a sample today just before I did a water change and it came out as 20dkh! I tested again with a sample after the water change and it’s now saying 10.5dkh.

So in 24 hours it’s gone 5.3 dkh to 20 dkh to 10.5 dkh.

 

[Garf]

My alk was very low at 5.3. I used reef zlements kh buffer and their instructions said 10ml for 100 litres to raise by 1dkh.

I used 5ml for my 52 litre tank. I took a sample today just before I did a water change and it came out as 20dkh! I tested again with a sample after the water change and it’s now saying 10.5dkh.

So in 24 hours it’s gone 5.3 dkh to 20 dkh to 10.5 dkh.

I'm guessing the 20dkh test was dodgy.

 

[twentyleagues]

My guess is test error.

 

[spamvicious]

Even if the lower range is correct it’s still risen 5dkh

 

[twentyleagues]

My alk was very low at 5.3. I used reef zlements kh buffer and their instructions said 10ml for 100 litres to raise by 1dkh.

I used 5ml for my 52 litre tank. I took a sample today just before I did a water change and it came out as 20dkh! I tested again with a sample after the water change and it’s now saying 10.5dkh.

So in 24 hours it’s gone 5.3 dkh to 20 dkh to 10.5 dkh.

Also thats a 52l tank but what is the actual water volume.

 

[Garf]

Even if the lower range is correct it’s still risen 5dkh

You got some new saltwater you could check? And you definitely added 5ml, not 50ml?

 

[spamvicious]

You got some new saltwater you could check? And you definitely added 5ml, not 50ml?

Yeah definitely as I used a 5ml syringe. I added it straight to the tank under the return pump nozzle is that right or was I supposed to dilute it?

https://www.reef-zlements.com/khbuffer Doesn’t say what to do.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How big of a water change did you do? With what mix and/or what alk in that new water?

 

[spamvicious]

How big of a water change did you do? With what mix and/or what alk in that new water?

it was just a standard 10% weekly water change using instant oceans salt mix. I just thought I’d take a sample before I did it. I tested the sample 5 mins later and it came up as 20dkh. So I took another sample straight after the water change and it said 10.5dkh.

Edit: just tested my PH which is 8.2 and was 7.8 on Thursday.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

it was just a standard 10% weekly water change using instant oceans salt mix. I just thought I’d take a sample before I did it. I tested the sample 5 mins later and it came up as 20dkh. So I took another sample straight after the water change and it said 10.5dkh.

Edit: just tested my PH which is 8.2 and was 7.8 on Thursday.

Ok, so either the 20 dKH was an error, the 10 dKH was an error, or both are off. No 10% change can cause an alk drop like that.

Maybe earlier values are also off.

I’d try to get a handle on alk testing and not worry about the tank alk level jumping around since it likely did not.

 

[spamvicious]

Ok, so either the 20 dKH was an error, the 10 dKH was an error, or both are off. No 10% change can cause an alk drop like that.

Maybe earlier values are also off.

I’d try to get a handle on alk testing and not worry about the tank alk level jumping around since it likely did not.

Ok thanks. Very odd as the Hanna is usually reliable. I’ll double check that I’m testing correctly.

 

[dr_vinnie_boombatz]

Maybe your 772 reagent is bad?

 

[homesy]

My alk was very low at 5.3. I used reef zlements kh buffer and their instructions said 10ml for 100 litres to raise by 1dkh.

I used 5ml for my 52 litre tank. I took a sample today just before I did a water change and it came out as 20dkh! I tested again with a sample after the water change and it’s now saying 10.5dkh.

So in 24 hours it’s gone 5.3 dkh to 20 dkh to 10.5 dkh.

Did you ever get a handle on this I have a 13.5g evo tank and it's always got a low kh it's using roughly. 3 a day and was going to start dosing this kh buffer but there's not much info out there

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Did you ever get a handle on this I have a 13.5g evo tank and it's always got a low kh it's using roughly. 3 a day and was going to start dosing this kh buffer but there's not much info out there

0.3 dKH per day?

 

[homesy]

0.3 dKH per day?

Yea roughly 1st September it was 7.3 and buy 8th one week later it was 6 it had a day where it went up a bit then dropped again the next day not sure why it went up tbh I have checked again and it's now at 5.4 I just ordered some kh buffer

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yea roughly 1st September it was 7.3 and buy 8th one week later it was 6 it had a day where it went up a bit then dropped again the next day not sure why it went up tbh I have checked again and it's now at 5.4 I just ordered some kh buffer

There are plenty of good ways to maintain alk. All for Reef is easy. A two part is also a good choice, as is kalkwasser.

 

[homesy]

There are plenty of good ways to maintain alk. All for Reef is easy. A two part is also a good choice, as is kalkwasser.

I looked into these but my cal and mag levels are good I only have a issue with the alk so wanted just a buffer I ordered some of reef zlements kh buffer so hopefully that should do the job just un sure how to use it to keep it stable there's not much info on it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I looked into these but my cal and mag levels are good I only have a issue with the alk so wanted just a buffer I ordered some of reef zlements kh buffer so hopefully that should do the job just un sure how to use it to keep it stable there's not much info on it

maybe. Alk doesn’t generally decline on a daily basis unless calcium
and magnesium are too, you just cannot see it in the time frame you monitored.

baking soda would have been just as good fir a one time alk correction , and you probably already have it, but the reef buffer is ok.

 

[Pntbll687]

it was just a standard 10% weekly water change using instant oceans salt mix. I just thought I’d take a sample before I did it. I tested the sample 5 mins later and it came up as 20dkh. So I took another sample straight after the water change and it said 10.5dkh.

Edit: just tested my PH which is 8.2 and was 7.8 on Thursday.

Definitely test the fresh mixed saltwater. I had a couple boxes of instant ocean mix up 13+ dkh straight out the bag.

New saltwater combined with the dose of buffer, plus dosing based on tank volume and not actual water volume, very easily to hit the 5dkh swing.

Is the tank stocked full of sps?

 

[homesy]

Definitely test the fresh mixed saltwater. I had a couple boxes of instant ocean mix up 13+ dkh straight out the bag.

New saltwater combined with the dose of buffer, plus dosing based on tank volume and not actual water volume, very easily to hit the 5dkh swing.

Is the tank stocked full of sps?

I did test it fresh mix is 10.9kh but once added to the tank tested an hour later it was 7 I have been struggling to understand it tbh loke i say only alk seems to decrease it's a bit confusing to me i have done water changes left it to see if it changes but i have got to the point i think it needs dosing to keep it stable. I have a 13.5g evo its got a mix really as you can see