Tested for the first time in a while

[johnny4491]

These are my results
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 400
Alkalinity 179 ppm
Ammonia 0

How do i lower my alkalinity and what should I drop it too not sure if it's safe there

 

[jsker]

There are two ways of going about dropping your Alk, one naturally or switching to a lower Alk salt,
what salt are you using and how old is the system?

 

[Bob3655]

Unless I miscalculated your alk is just over 10dkh, not necessarily an alarming area but I would try to not let it go any higher. Are you dosing your tank with 2 part or just doing water changes. Also like jsker said your salt is going to play a factor. If your salt mixes to 10dkh you can do all the water changes you want but youre going to be stuck right around there. Personally I wouldnt dose or do a water change for at least a week and hopefully your system will uptake some of it and it will drop. If youre doing 2 part, cut back on the alk portion but maintain your calc. I would mix a fresh batch of salt water, let it mix for a good hour and test the readings so you know what your system is going to buffer to from water changes. Ive learned to not always trust the label of what its "supposed" to buffer out to.

 

[TbyZ]

These are my results
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium 400
Alkalinity 179 ppm
Ammonia 0

How do i lower my alkalinity and what should I drop it too not sure if it's safe there

Keep in mind Randy recommends alk at 130 to 200ppm. Although some people have trouble keeping sps at high alk levels with NO3 at zero

 

[johnny4491]

There are two ways of going about dropping your Alk, one naturally or switching to a lower Alk salt,
what salt are you using and how old is the system?

I buy it mix at my LFS and they use Red Sea Coral Pro salt

 

[johnny4491]

Unless I miscalculated your alk is just over 10dkh, not necessarily an alarming area but I would try to not let it go any higher. Are you dosing your tank with 2 part or just doing water changes. Also like jsker said your salt is going to play a factor. If your salt mixes to 10dkh you can do all the water changes you want but youre going to be stuck right around there. Personally I wouldnt dose or do a water change for at least a week and hopefully your system will uptake some of it and it will drop. If youre doing 2 part, cut back on the alk portion but maintain your calc. I would mix a fresh batch of salt water, let it mix for a good hour and test the readings so you know what your system is going to buffer to from water changes. Ive learned to not always trust the label of what its "supposed" to buffer out to.

Then what is causing this I want want sand to look nice and clean but this comes and goes

 

[Bob3655]

looks like cyanobacteria, it will come and go and is normal for a new tank to experience. I wouldnt take too much attention to it, vacuum it with your sandbed during your water changes. As long as your keep your parameters in check it will hopefully go away in a period of time. I find if you chase at it directly you are going to do more harm than good. Just keep phosphates and nitrates low, but make sure your phosphates arent truly at 0. I always like to target around .03 phosphates, you want a trace, but not completely zero. People that overdo carbon dosing and zeovit become plagued with cyano as it seems to thrive in truly 0 phosphate environments.

 

[Bob3655]

I buy it mix at my LFS and they use Red Sea Coral Pro salt

Ive never used red sea coral pro, but i believe everything in that salt is elevated. If im not mistaken I believe the dkh is around 12, so that could definitely be your reason for high alkalinity. i would do a salifert alkalinity check on the water you are getting from your lfs. more than likely its going to be around 11-12 dkh.

 

[johnny4491]

Ive never used red sea coral pro, but i believe everything in that salt is elevated. If im not mistaken I believe the dkh is around 12, so that could definitely be your reason for high alkalinity. i would do a salifert alkalinity check on the water you are getting from your lfs. more than likely its going to be around 11-12 dkh.

Ok I'll work on that so I don't have to worry about to coral then

 

[jsker]

The more coral you add you our system, the more consumption of Alk. Depending on the age of your system

Unless I miscalculated your alk is just over 10dkh, not necessarily an alarming area but I would try to not let it go any higher. Are you dosing your tank with 2 part or just doing water changes. Also like jsker said your salt is going to play a factor. If your salt mixes to 10dkh you can do all the water changes you want but youre going to be stuck right around there. Personally I wouldnt dose or do a water change for at least a week and hopefully your system will uptake some of it and it will drop. If youre doing 2 part, cut back on the alk portion but maintain your calc. I would mix a fresh batch of salt water, let it mix for a good hour and test the readings so you know what your system is going to buffer to from water changes. Ive learned to not always trust the label of what its "supposed" to buffer out to.

9.89 dkh here is a calculator link

 

[johnny4491]

The more coral you add you our system, the more consumption of Alk. Depending on the age of your system


9.89 dkh here is a calculator link

My system is like 2 years old

 

[jsker]

I would then suggest look at a salt that has a lower alk for your water changes.

 

[Waters]

You might want to consider switching to Red Sea Blue......it mixes up with an ALK of 8.4.

 

[johnny4491]

Ok thank u guys