PLEASE HELP, ALK @20.0

[A$AP-Reefer]

Test the alk if your top off water.

Do you dose nitrate at all?

The cloudiness could be calcium precipitating with the increasing alk.

I don't dose nitrate, I didn't no that was a thing to do to be honest. Any time I make a salt batch I always test it and it sits between 8.5-9dkh with my batch I always make since I have to mix all chemicals my self with ESV with my root water.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

Test the alk if your top off water. If something is getting through your RODI and say you have alk in your ATO then it will rise in your tank.

Do you dose nitrate at all? The tank consuming Nitrate raises alk. Not sure if it can this fast but something to consider anyways.

The cloudiness could be calcium precipitating with the increasing alk.

I will test my RODI water I have made right now to check if there is even any alk in that water.

 

[Tamberav]

I don't dose nitrate, I didn't no that was a thing to do to be honest. Any time I make a salt batch I always test it and it sits between 8.5-9dkh with my batch I always make since I have to mix all chemicals my self with ESV with my root water.

I am talking about the alk of the freshwater you top off with. Not your salt mix.

Edit: oh ok sorry just saw your post above.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

I am talking about the alk of the freshwater you top off with. Not your salt mix.

Edit: oh ok sorry just saw your post above.

I just tested my all of my RODI water straight from the TAP , it tested 0.2

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

So it's been about an hour since I did the 25gallon water change, assuming my tank water volume is at 63-64gallons Gove or tank out of 69 without anything in the tank. It was at 20ppm the water I had gotten from the store was 8.5 tested 2x.

I just tested my water after the hour and it's at 14.1, will test again in another hour or 2 to see if it goes up or down still. I took 6 whole points from 20 to 14 with that water change. Didn't dose anything such as micro bactor just a straight shot water change. No buffer anything.

 

[Tamberav]

Alk should be 0 in RODI top off so there is something in that water although IDK if 0.2 is enough to see the effects you are seeing. It is adding some alk with top off though.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

I top my tank off manually 1x a day and it's at night. Maybe half gallon if that , I do see where you are coming from, but this is a new thing. I've had this unit for 2 years now and it's about 70gallons old into the new media, carbon filter , sediment filter and membrain as well do resin.

 

[Tamberav]

Yeah I don’t think it is enough to explain this but I am out of ideas. Rapidly decreasing Nitrate, improperly cured fake reef rock and contaminated top off are all I could think of. Hope to find out the cause so we can all learn something.

Some foods increase alk but idk how much you would have to feed or if you even changed your feeding regimen.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

Okay, so I did the water change. From 20ppm to 14.1ppm which is the tank sitting at right now. I did not add any RODI water if that were the case of my problem but I don't think it is cause it's raised 11ppm within 3 days. So I am gonna not top off and see what it sits at around 6 hours from now. It shouldn't raise at all, if it does which I have a feeling it will... since it's been doing that then I have no clue or the solution to what is going on . To send out a ICP test and get results will take ages and I'll probably end up breaking down by then.. meaning myself , not the tank. I've never felt this frustrated and upset in a long time.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

Yeah I don’t think it is enough to explain this but I am out of ideas. Rapidly decreasing Nitrate, improperly cured fake reef rock and contaminated top off are all I could think of. Hope to find out the cause so we can all learn something.

Some foods increase alk but idk how much you would have to feed or if you even changed your feeding regimen.

Indeed, I would love to know what in the world is going on, cause I've though of everything I can think of from past mistakes and nothing can compare to what is going on right now.

 

[Henryb9]

That is unbelievable, who else is in the house? Could it be possible someone dumping some in there? In the mean while keep doing water changes.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

That is unbelievable, who else is in the house? Could it be possible someone dumping some in there? In the mean while keep doing water changes.

No it's Definitely not someone putting anything into the tank it's me and my apartment! =/

I am not weird on how often to do a water change and how much I did about a 40% just now the first big eater change I don't wanna screw up the bio with doing to big of eater changes and start a new cycle then I'm really screwed. I mean I'm screwed as it is I guess...

Any tips brotha ?

 

[laverda]

With your ALK that high your PH should also be very high. You said a bunch of times you are not dosing anything, but then you said you raised your CA a whole bunch.

Calcium was low, it was low when I first tested the all at 13. It was sitting at 204 I raised it to 390 . I tested last night it was at 444 with 15dkh.

From 204 to 444 is a huge increase! Enough to cause all sorts of problems! What did you use to raise your Calcium? My guess is you used Kalk. If you used Kalk that would raise your ALK. and that would explain everything. I think it would be good to know your Magnesium level as well. Magnesium affects Ph and stability of ALK although I don't know how it would raise it.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

With your ALK that high your PH should also be very high. You said a bunch of times you are not dosing anything, but then you said you raised your CA a whole bunch.


From 204 to 444 is a huge increase! Enough to cause all sorts of problems! What did you use to raise your Calcium? My guess is you used Kalk. If you used Kalk that would raise your ALK. and that would explain everything. I think it would be good to know your Magnesium level as well. Magnesium affects Ph and stability of ALK although I don't know how it would raise it.

Yes I did that on when I noticed my cal was low when I tested cause I seen my alk raised. I only put 50ml in spurts to raise it throughout the day.

 

[laverda]

Kalk raises your ALK too! That is the problem! 50ML of Kalk is a lot for a tank your size. I think the best way to get your system back in balance is more large water changes.

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

Kalk raises your ALK too! That is the problem! 50ML of Kalk is a lot for a tank your size. I think the best way to get your system back in balance is more large water changes.

I don't dose KALK. I dose ESV ALK & CAL. 50ml of that brings it to 420 from 204. in a matter of a day.

 

[laverda]

Ok Still your dosing ALK with the CA and even if you were just dosing CA that is way too much in such a short time!

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

I haven't dosed anything.... it's been 1 week , also I don't dose . I only dosed cal to make sure my levels were in point

 

[A$AP-Reefer]

Ok Still your dosing ALK with the CA and even if you were just dosing CA that is way too much in such a short time!

Me just dosing that isn't gonna make my ALK go rapidly like that over a few days and continue to go up and up and up .

Something is wrong with my tank and I can't figure it out.

 

[Henryb9]

I don't dose KALK. I dose ESV ALK & CAL. 50ml of that brings it to 420 from 204. in a matter of a day.

It must be something to do with the esv, to be honest I never used this product. Is this similar to the balling method of aqua forest?where you have to dose equal amounts? If so this might be your culprit, I would just stop dosing everything and keep doing water changes. That should be sufficient for your tank, until everything is in control. Hopefully, someone here that uses this product can give in insight, if either even the calcium one as alk buffer added?