Help dkh is too high

[Rickybobby]

Hey everyone so I noticed with io reef salt that my alk went up to 15!!! After a while now some of my lps are suffering so I bought a different salt mixed in a tad of the instant ocean so that I could slowly bring the dkh down. But after a water change my main display is still at 15 and I tested the fresh salt mix it’s at 15! I’m slowly loosing some corals and don’t know what to do. Ph was 8.2 last I checked 1.026 sg and temps at 78f

 

[nereefpat]

How are you testing alk? You're not adding any "buffer," are you?

I think IO should mix up closer to 11, and reef crystals higher.

Lowering alk is best done by letting the tank consume it, or water changes with a lower alk salt. You can lower the alk in make up water with acid, but I wouldn't try it in a display.

 

[Rickybobby]

Test kit is Red Sea not adding anything at all but vibrant and some carbon dosing

 

[Rickybobby]

Like I was saying the dkh is Hugh on the fresh mix in the bucket. One thing I must admit. No RODI yet. I’m on well water I will test that tomorrow

 

[homer1475]

Is your well water hard? Do you use a water softener if your using tap?

 

[Reef-Tank]

Hey everyone so I noticed with io reef salt that my alk went up to 15!!! After a while now some of my lps are suffering so I bought a different salt mixed in a tad of the instant ocean so that I could slowly bring the dkh down. But after a water change my main display is still at 15 and I tested the fresh salt mix it’s at 15! I’m slowly loosing some corals and don’t know what to do. Ph was 8.2 last I checked 1.026 sg and temps at 78f

if you are using Tap water usually have dkh and metals in water colums if you could go to local grocery store or fish store get some Distill/RODI water that would help to bring down your alkalinity for water change.

 

[nereefpat]

No RODI yet. I’m on well water I will test that tomorrow

That might explain it. Tap water can certainly have a few points of dKH.

 

[Rogueaquariums]

That might explain it. Tap water can certainly have a few points of dKH.

I agree with that point

 

[Rickybobby]

I’m using a softener

 

[Backreefing]

Get rodi water from a local source and trash instant death and death crystals. Order up some salt mix that mixes how you want . Me I like Red Sea blue bucket. Here is a chart so you can make a good choice.

 

[Backreefing]

One more reason to ditch death crystals is it mixes higher than this chart says ( 15-16 DKH) and I used it during the pandemic and my magnesium was unmeasurable high . My guess is 1800-2000ppm

 

[|Frank|]

Was having this problem all week. I have IO reef mix as well and it raised my Kh by a lot. I was reading an old post on here and someone said to lower the salt content to 1.024. I also mixed in some IO (the regular kind) and It brought my Kh from 17 back down to 9. Granted at the time of my high levels I was using api test kit so I went today and got a aquaforest test. I wish I would’ve done this sooner I believe I may have stressed my torch out due to the high alk. :/

 

[Backreefing]

Good luck

 

[|Frank|]

Thank you, I think it’s to late for the torch tbh. I have read that they do bounce back so hoping for the best.

 

[Rickybobby]

Being in Canada we only have so many salt choices. But I have scrapped the io. I’m inquiring about an RODI system this week and I will test my well water. My corals were fine until the salt switch

 

[92Miata]

Io and reef crystals are fine.

But yeah, you're never going to be able to get reasonable parameters mixing with hard source water.

 

[nereefpat]

Io and reef crystals are fine.

Yes they are. Lots and lots of reefers and public aquariums use them.

 

[|Frank|]

Io and reef crystals are fine.

But yeah, you're never going to be able to get reasonable parameters mixing with hard source water.

I prefer the IO never had a problem. I also bought a new DI filter just in case it was my water. also was using an api test kit which may have fudged some numbers up as well.

 

[92Miata]

One more reason to ditch death crystals is it mixes higher than this chart says ( 15-16 DKH) and I used it during the pandemic and my magnesium was unmeasurable high . My guess is 1800-2000ppm

I've been using reef crystals for years, test every bucket, and have never seen numbers that high.

I would guess that your salinity test is wrong and causing you to mix way high.

Did you by chance calibrate a refractometer with RODI?