Parameter predicament!

[Gdk414]

Alk rising need help. Parameters out of whack! Here are some of the facts.

*Started the tank in april. 125g w trigger systems 30g sump w filter socks, skimmer and refugium

*reef crystal salt.

*test kit is red sea. Not expired and is a good test. (also have other tanks that test normal)

*Used old dirty nasty rock i washed in Muriatic acid, pressure washed, and then cured in barrell for 3 months.. then added to new tank seeded w 40lbs lr from my 29 tank break down.

*Let tank run w no dosing, no water changes for 6 months.

*Livestock- 1 yellow tang, 1 tomato clown, 2 bengais, 1 pajama, 1 harlequin tusk, 1 niger trigger, 1 sailfun tang, 1 decorated rabbit fish, 1 royal grama, 1 dragon wrasse, 1 onyx clown, 2 green cromis. About 30 frags mixed sps lps soft coral

*Alk, calc and mag slowly rising

*Last week, sept 27 i did a 50 percent water change and added a calcium reactor. My thinking was the water change would help. And the calcium reactor is my long term means of maintaining params

*99 percent of my coral looks great and is growing and fish are healthy.

Ive been trying to reserch this high alk issue because i am worried i did not rinse the rock enough and tge acid bath is screwing w my chemistry. Here is my basic log for both my tanks since i started the big tank. Please pardon my chicken scratch
Just tested tonight. Everything is climbing. I shut down the calcium reactor and am thinking about doing a 100 percent water change. I thought the last 50 percent water change would set it streight but no i was wrong or am definitely doing something wrong!

 

[Humblefish]

Have you tested your vat to see what the alk reading is of the freshly mixed saltwater?

What media are you using in the calcium reactor?

 

[Gdk414]

No i havent... I didnt think if that.. Im using carib sea arm media. Thanks. I feel like im on tge verge of a major crash and im litterly loosing sleep over it!

 

[Gdk414]

Corals look happy. Idk i would think they would all be dying. I did lose a frag or two within the last week

 

[Humblefish]

No i havent... I didnt think if that.. Im using carib sea arm media. Thanks. I feel like im on tge verge of a major crash and im litterly loosing sleep over it!

That media contains both calcium and carbonate, so it's capable of raising both your calcium and alkalinity. To decrease alkalinity in the effluent, allow more effluent to exit, or decrease bubbles per minute.

 

[Gdk414]

Thanks for the reply. So you are saying turn up the effluent drip rate and lower the bubble count? For tge week i had the reactor going i has about 30 bubbles and 30 drips per min. My drip goes into a smaller container w media. Holes drilled in it so the water then drips into the sunp.

But that still doesnt explain how my parameters were rising by themselves befire i did the reactor...

Could the Muriatic acid bath i did on the rocks somehow be leaching out contaminating the water raising the alk?

 

[Gdk414]

Please dont tear me apart guys im pretty new to the hobby and this is my first time using a calcium reactor. I just dont know why my alk would be getting so high even without a calcium reactor. My seahorse tank is steady around 8 or 9 and the only thing i do to that 44g tank is a 5 gal water change every other week

 

[Humblefish]

Could the Muriatic acid bath i did on the rocks somehow be leaching out contaminating the water raising the alk?

Acid would lower alkalinity, not raise it.

Read this: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/what-is-alkalinity.8/

I think the alk of your Reef Crystals salt (water changes) must be high. You haven't been adding baking soda to your tank or WC vat, have you?

 

[Humblefish]

Moved to Reef Chemistry forum

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

MANY people have problems with the Red Sea mag kit, getting readings that are too high. I would not assume magnesium is too high, and reactor issues would not boost it like that.

Don't do a 100% change. That is only needed by folks who don't understand chemistry.

How are you measuring salinity?
Have you used these kits on new salt water?

 

[Gdk414]

Thanks guys. Yes im still learning and i love it! My mag test is salifert. My cal is api. My dkh is red sea. Goid news is my corals look good. I just am trying to learn the chemistry thing lol. I kinda jumped into this head first! I will read the alk link above. Thank u. If there is anything i should do tonight what should it be? Thanks sorry for being so needy lol

 

[Gdk414]

MANY people have problems with the Red Sea mag kit, getting readings that are too high. I would not assume magnesium is too high, and reactor issues would not boost it like that.

Don't do a 100% change. That is only needed by folks who don't understand chemistry.

How are you measuring salinity?
Have you used these kits on new salt water?

Measuring salinity w a refractometer and the hydrometer both seem acurate as far as i know. Im an idiot and forgot to test the new water i mixed up. Im going to try that tonight w a sample in my mixing barrel.

 

[Gdk414]

I am also very carefull when i test and do 2 or three to make sure

 

[Bruce Burnett]

alkalinity, calcium, magnesium do not rise on there own. If you had that problem before the reactor then it has to be your makeup water or testing. Since all three were rising I think it is your makeup water. Many salt brands have boosted levels when you mix to 1.026 sg. Let your fresh batch of salt water mix for 24 hours then test it.

 

[Gdk414]

alkalinity, calcium, magnesium do not rise on there own. If you had that problem before the reactor then it has to be your makeup water or testing. Since all three were rising I think it is your makeup water. Many salt brands have boosted levels when you mix to 1.026 sg. Let your fresh batch of salt water mix for 24 hours then test it.

So i just got done testing a batch of new water in my regular mixing barrel, and it tested 8.5! I let it mix for 2 days. Im really scratching my head on this one... What in the world could be causing my parameters to be so high!?

 

[Gdk414]

Update: parameters still high. Tonight my alk was at 14.5. I dialed back my calcium reactor a little three days ago, but it is still running as my corals look fine. Not sure if it is wise to let it run...but thats why im here... To get input from the pros!

 

[Gdk414]

Test log. Keep in mind i am testing 2 tanks. My 44g and my 125g

 

[Gdk414]

Oh and the only thing i manually changed was the mag on august 30. Dosed brs magnesium

 

[Bruce Burnett]

So i just go done testing a batch of new water in my regular mixing barrel, and it tested 8.5! I let it mix for 2 days. Im really scratching my head on this one... What in the world could be causing my parameters to be so high!?

what are you using for top off from evaporation. Are you using plain RO/DI or salt mix as all makeup should be plain water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm confused. You are running a CaCO3/CO2 reactor and are concerned that alkalinity is high?

Presumably it needs to adjusted downward or just shut off for a while.