Very high KH & Ca 17dkh and 520-600ppm

[Marine2149]

or lower the alk in your tap water before you add salt.

How do I go about doing that?

 

[tvan]

muriatic acid, sea-chem acid buffer, or I use ball's fruit fresh (untested in reefs) It's what I had on hand

 

[piranhaman00]

Muriatic acid

 

[Marine2149]

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I think I'm just going to get rodi water and slowly implemented in the tank

 

[tvan]

Good luck

 

[Marine2149]

Went ahead and bought the BRS 4 stage plus RODI kit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

muriatic acid, sea-chem acid buffer, or I use ball's fruit fresh (untested in reefs) It's what I had on hand

The fruit fresh is an organic acid like vinegar (it contains ascorbic acid and citric acid) which will not permanently lower alk. As soon as bacteria metabolize it, the alk comes back.

 

[Deezill]

Have no idea what's going on. Tank is super high. Starting to think those API tests just suck.

I'm using reef crystals. Only thing is I'm using tap and prime. I know people say use RO but that's just not an option right now. I live far from LFS.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

api does suck

Bad batch of salt?

Have you tested the salt water before you add it to your tank to see what it is?

I used to use API now I use Salifert for CA, MG, and hannah for alk. I also have a triton
I used to use RC too but now use Instant ocean. RC will have levels above average if you ask me. My Ca was always at 500 with Rc no issues but i like it at 415 - 450 anywhere in that range works for me.

 

[Deezill]

muriatic acid, sea-chem acid buffer, or I use ball's fruit fresh (untested in reefs) It's what I had on hand

White distilled vinegar is safer. muriatic splash on you and off to the hospital use vinegar.

 

[sdreef]

I would confirm your alk is that high before adding an acid. I agree with using RO water if it's an option. Maybe consider having a friend or the store test your water to confirm the results. I think it would be better to use a different test kit to make sure the results are consistent also.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

White distilled vinegar is safer. muriatic splash on you and off to the hospital use vinegar.

But vinegar is not suitable to lower alkalinity.

 

[Deezill]

But vinegar is not suitable to lower alkalinity.

AHAHA I got that from BRS thank you for the correction. All this time I thought it would.

 

[tvan]

Muriatic acid is heavier then water (goes straight to the bottom unless premixed in a separate container of water before added to the tank) the fumes displace all the oxygen over the open bottle and can harm the nose and lungs. It can cause burns as mentioned earlier.

 

[92Miata]

I guess I'll just buy a few drums and head down to the LFS.

I'll give it a try.

Any suggestions on buying my own?

An RO unit is like $100-150. You're going to spend as much on drums and water in the first month or two as just buying a unit.

 

[GainesvilleReef]

I have always used muriatic acid to do this in the past. But never for this much of a correction. Fumes and burns are a serious concern and the utmost caution is required. Also need to use an airstone to blow off the generated CO2. Glad to see the OP bought a RODI unit. In this case, it's the best longterm solution.

 

[Tony Thompson]

But vinegar is not suitable to lower alkalinity.

HI @Randy Holmes-Farley, hope you are well and safe. To be fair to BRS I think the idea of their video suggesting household vinegar, was only for use in an emergency situation, such as a kalk reactor or doser overdosing. The idea was to quickly counter the possible lethal effect to your livestock by temporarily countering Ph and high alkalinity, just so you had enough time to find a more sustainable source such as mixing up some new salt water batch to do a large water change.

Out of interest do you think this is viable, how long would it take for the bacteria to utilise the carbon source of the vinegar to metabolise the vinegar and produce more carbonate.?

Also I am a little confused by the other posts calculation of using 9 dKH source water and mixing it with Reef Salt from a bucket with a suggested average alkalinity of say 8 dKH would produce a water mix off 17 dKH. Would not averages apply in this situation not accumulation.? Seems a little confusing to me.

Best wishes from across the pond, stay safe.

 

[GainesvilleReef]

HI @Randy Holmes-Farley, hope you are well and safe. To be fair to BRS I think the idea of their video suggesting household vinegar, was only for use in an emergency situation, such as a kalk reactor or doser overdosing. The idea was to quickly counter the possible lethal effect to your livestock by temporarily countering Ph and high alkalinity, just so you had enough time to find a more sustainable source such as mixing up some new salt water batch to do a large water change.

Out of interest do you think this is viable, how long would it take for the bacteria to utilise the carbon source of the vinegar to metabolise the vinegar and produce more carbonate.?

Also I am a little confused by the other posts calculation of using 9 dKH source water and mixing it with Reef Salt from a bucket with a suggested average alkalinity of say 8 dKH would produce a water mix off 17 dKH. Would not averages apply in this situation not accumulation.? Seems a little confusing to me.

Best wishes from across the pond, stay safe.

Would carbonated water be a better approach for emergencies?

 

[h2so4hurts]

HCl is not scary. Use gloves. Wear a painting respirator. Pour carefully into a glass graduated cylinder. Aerate your water after addition to restore pH.

0.03 mL of concentrated HCl (get the 33% stuff, not the Eco safe - sold as jasco muriatic acid at lowes) per liter of saltwater per 1dkh
1.4mL per 10 gal per dkh

7mL per 50 gal per dkh

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Jasco-Muriatic-Acid/50298113

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Muriatic acid is heavier then water (goes straight to the bottom unless premixed in a separate container of water before added to the tank) the fumes displace all the oxygen over the open bottle and can harm the nose and lungs. It can cause burns as mentioned earlier.

The fumes are harmful, but displacement of O2 is not part of the issue. There is way to little to be significant. Evaporating water has a far bigger effect displacing O2.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Would carbonated water be a better approach for emergencies?

Carbonated water also has zero effect on alkalinity. It is one of the late Albert Thiel's incredibly stupid mistakes to claim in many publications that it did, and soem of these are unfortunately still on the internet.

No amount of adding or removing CO2 from seawater has any effect on alkalinity. It only alters pH.