IS apple cider vinegar reef safe?

Unitylover · Mar 17, 2022

my alk is a bit high, so I want to lower it. Is apple cider vinegar reef safe or not?

Sharkbait19 · Mar 17, 2022

Depends on how much you like your reef tank…

HuduVudu · Mar 17, 2022

Unitylover said:
my alk is a bit high, so I want to lower it. Is apple cider vinegar reef safe or not?

I am using distilled vinegar to bring my alk down. Just go easy on it and don't pull it down too fast.

I have not seen any carbon dosing effects (cloudy water from bacterial blooms) but TBF I have an 8 year old tank.

Also go low dosage at first so you don't get a big pull downward. I was going to put 5ml in my ~60 gallon tank, I decided to go a little lower at 3ml. It worked quite well. It pulled my alk down 0.3dKH. I will be doing this weekly until I reach my target.

PlumbTuckered · Mar 17, 2022

Unitylover said:
my alk is a bit high, so I want to lower it. Is apple cider vinegar reef safe or not?

How high? Best to leave it alone and allow it to come down naturally.

Unitylover · Mar 17, 2022

PlumbTuckered said:
How high? Best to leave it alone and allow it to come down naturally.

I have no corals. Its around 11. I want it like 9

HuduVudu · Mar 17, 2022

PlumbTuckered said:
How high? Best to leave it alone and allow it to come down naturally.

There are many cases where it won't come down naturally.

Though I agree the number chasing isn't good either.

BrandonS · Mar 17, 2022

would water changing it down not be safer and simpler?

fastest302 · Mar 17, 2022

What salt are you using?

HuduVudu · Mar 17, 2022

Unitylover said:
I have no corals. Its around 11. I want it like 9

Make sure that you know how it got to this level. Otherwise the vinegar will be a perpetual band aid.

Unitylover · Mar 17, 2022

BrandonS said:
would water changing it out not be safer and simpler?

good point. just did one tho

Unitylover · Mar 17, 2022

HuduVudu said:
Make sure that you know how it got to this level. Otherwise the vinegar will be a perpetual band aid.

i did kinda stall on my weekly water change, and I also changed my filter cartridige. beyond that, I have no clue

HuduVudu · Mar 17, 2022

BrandonS said:
would water changing it down not be safer and simpler?

Depending on the salt. His also pretty high it will take a lot of water changes to do this. Not that that is necessarly bad, but for me my tank absolutely doesn't like water changes.

Unitylover · Mar 17, 2022

HuduVudu said:
Depending on the salt. His also pretty high it will take a lot of water changes to do this. Not that that is necessarly bad, but for me my tank absolutely doesn't like water changes.

wdym pretty high? its more like 10ish. I water changed cause it was 14

BrandonS · Mar 17, 2022

Unitylover said:
good point. just did one tho

are you dosing anything? new tank? dry rock?

HuduVudu · Mar 17, 2022

Unitylover said:
i did kinda stall on my weekly water change, and I also changed my filter cartridige. beyond that, I have no clue

Nitrate conversion through anaerobic decomposition will create a lot of alk. I was dosing calcium nitrate and that is what caused mine. Good time for research.