Dkh question

Apedemak · Dec 27, 2018

sorry if this is the wrong place but i am not sure if this is a problem. My tank is about 6 months old and my dkh seems to be a bit high i did some tests today and they were sitting at
Mag 1470
Cal 490
And alk at 15 dkh
All tested using salifert kits.
My duncan and acans have all been growing but my zoas and hammer have just been kind of existing.
Do i need to lower my alk and how would i do so? Last water change was 2 weeks ago.

LobsterOfJustice · Dec 27, 2018

What brand of salt are you using, and are you dosing anything that would make the alk that high?

Apedemak · Dec 27, 2018

Regular instant ocean and no dosing whatsoever. I feed frozen and pellets and target feed corals 2-3 times a week.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 28, 2018

All the values seem high for regular IO.

What is the salinity and how are you measuring it?

Apedemak · Dec 28, 2018

1.025 using an atc refractometer.

Ultra Aquatics · Dec 28, 2018

Did you happen to add any PH buffer at some point?

Apedemak · Dec 28, 2018

Nope when i first started it i was told my ph was a bit low but to just try aerating the water a bit more to see if that would work and it did. The only thing i have added recently was more rock seeing as my LFS was attacked by a car and is closed for repairs right now. I am heading to one about an hour and a half away tomorrow and i am taking a sample with me to maybe see if my test kit is off or not.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 28, 2018

I think there's a problem somewhere as normal IO at that salinity should not give any of those values that high.

Most likely it is the salinity measurement.

Apedemak · Dec 28, 2018

Alright i will have the store test it for me tomorrow and see if maybe my tests are wrong and my kits or refractometer need replacing.

Thank you

Apedemak · Dec 29, 2018

Alright went the the store and they used the red sea kit and my levels were
Calc - 350
Kh - 8
Mag - 1280
And they recommended i switch salts or start dipping my feet into dosing.
I also ordered new kits figuring maybe mine just went bad.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 30, 2018

Apedemak said:
Alright went the the store and they used the red sea kit and my levels were
Calc - 350
Kh - 8
Mag - 1280
And they recommended i switch salts or start dipping my feet into dosing.
I also ordered new kits figuring maybe mine just went bad.

I don't see a reason to switch salts, but you could. it will be cheaper to boost the calcium than correct it by water change. The others are fine.