Noob Chemistry Question - Good pH + high dKH?

[dbowman5]

hi again, the vinegar might be useful in confirming your test results instead of dosing the tank. you might use a volume of tank water and dose that and retest.

remove my thoughts about vinegar, truly sorry. RHF is the go to guy for chemistry

 

[CK00020]

Sodium bisulfate to lower alk ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sodium bisulfate to lower alk ?

Yes, both sodium bisulfate (NaHSO4) and muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid; HCl) will lower alk and pH. The bisulfate, being a solid, is easier to deal with than hydrochloric acid.

 

[ShrimpBandit]

Did you possibly make the salt water from tap water? That can add a lot of alkalinity.

No, I've been using artesian water (near Lake Superior) for the last few months, and it's been pretty neutral on all the tests so far.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'll close this thread to limit discussion to the other one:

Normal pH + high dK

My pH has been stable at 8.2, but I just tested my dKH with a new kit and it read at 20 dKH - twice. What the heck is going on? If it's not a faulty test kit, what could cause this and how can I fix it?

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