Where is my alkalinity going?

authentic · Jul 5, 2016

Mixed a 50 gal with aquaforest reef salt (very dissapointed)alkmesured 2.5 at 1.026 salinity.
Magnesium 1450,calcium 360.added alkalinity (2 part )this morning and brought it up to 8.0
Stopped my pump and returned home,checked my alk on Hanna and salifert and it's back to 3
What's going on?
Thinking of dumping the whole thing and buying red sea again

Also..the aquaforest bucket was a solid block when I opened it!had to scrape it out a cup at a time

authentic · Jul 6, 2016

Dumped the entire batch,starting over,would very high magnesium keep alkalinity from rising?.

redfishbluefish · Jul 6, 2016

Once moisture gets into your salt and it turns into a brick, it's shot. Pitch it.

Salsa777 · Jul 6, 2016

I read once, that new calcium carbonate surfaces, like brand new white live rock or sand, can suck a lot of the alk out of the water. I'm not a chemist, just some weird thing I have seen before. It was from a pretty legitimate source; I think it was a red sea product manual.

But if it tested 2.5 before adding it to the tank, that sounds like an issue

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 6, 2016

Salsa777 said:
I read once, that new calcium carbonate surfaces, like brand new white live rock or sand, can suck a lot of the alk out of the water. I'm not a chemist, just some weird thing I have seen before. It was from a pretty legitimate source; I think it was a red sea product manual.

But if it tested 2.5 before adding it to the tank, that sounds like an issue

It cannot take it that low (2.5 dKH) in seawater, but precipitation in a salt bucket might.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 6, 2016

authentic said:
Mixed a 50 gal with aquaforest reef salt (very dissapointed)alkmesured 2.5 at 1.026 salinity.
Magnesium 1450,calcium 360.added alkalinity (2 part )this morning and brought it up to 8.0
Stopped my pump and returned home,checked my alk on Hanna and salifert and it's back to 3
What's going on?
Thinking of dumping the whole thing and buying red sea again

Also..the aquaforest bucket was a solid block when I opened it!had to scrape it out a cup at a time

Is that 2.5 dKH, and you are sure you re using the kit correctly? Did it previously give higher results?

KingBlingTX · Jul 6, 2016

I thought you meant 2.5 meq/L. Is it dKH?

authentic · Jul 6, 2016

authentic · Jul 6, 2016

Also kept adding alkalinity supplement and it wouldn't hold

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 6, 2016

authentic said:
Also kept adding alkalinity supplement and it wouldn't hold

How much of what in dKH per day were you adding?

Tanks cannot normally consume alk down below about 5 dKH.

authentic · Jul 6, 2016

This was my 50 gal container for automatic water changes I added at least 24oz of alk per calculator
Raised to 7.3... When I turned off mixing pump it reverted to 5-6 and the water was extremely clouded

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 6, 2016

authentic said:
This was my 50 gal container for automatic water changes I added at least 24oz of alk per calculator
Raised to 7.3... When I turned off mixing pump it reverted to 5-6 and the water was extremely clouded

Yes, that is a precipitation event.

Why did you add buffer to water change water? That is not usually desirable. It can push alk way to high, initiating precipitation which can take it below where you started.