Why is my alk so high??

[livinlifeinBKK]

Not complaining, just curious why my alk is so high...(it hangs around 11-12). This tank is about 4 months old and is very lightly stocked with only several inverts and no corals yet except for a black sun coral who seems to be doing great. I just don't understand how my alk can be so high when the salt I use (Red Sea blue bucket and for the past couple weeks AF Reef salt) mixes to alk levels of around 8-9...it's a nano tank and parameters are stable but I'd like to understand why this is so I can better understand what's going to be going on when I start adding corals. Anybody have any insight to share?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I don't know why this posted twice...sorry guys!

 

[J1a]

Do you dose anything in to the tank?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Bacterial supplements like probiotics, AF Life Source which is mud from Fiji, and I carbon dose...plus live phyto

 

[DE FISH]

Have you tried checking your batch number under the lid of the bucket with the Red Sea batch checker https://www.redseafish.com/mybatch/

Also are you buying the salt from lfs not in a bucket like in a bag ? Sounds like a stupid question but I only had this issue when I bought salt from a lfs not in a bucket and my alk rose from 8.7 to 10.7 basically killed my birds nest.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Declining nitrate will boost alk.

Are you tracking it?

 

[DE FISH]

Declining nitrate will boost alk.

Are you tracking it?

Hi Randy I also heard increasing nitrate increases alk is that true ?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Declining nitrate will boost alk.

Are you tracking it?

Yes, I haven't let my nitrate get above 10-12 in the tank and I test every day...right now I have it stable at about 5... should I stop carbon dosing? No fish either since I'm in a fallow period

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Have you tried checking your batch number under the lid of the bucket with the Red Sea batch checker https://www.redseafish.com/mybatch/

Also are you buying the salt from lfs not in a bucket like in a bag ? Sounds like a stupid question but I only had this issue when I bought salt from a lfs not in a bucket and my alk rose from 8.7 to 10.7 basically killed my birds nest.

No, I buy online so it comes in the bucket but I'll start testing all the water before I do water changes

 

[DE FISH]

No, I buy online so it comes in the bucket but I'll start testing all the water before I do water changes

Cool that rules that one out be interesting to see what the batch results come up as?

how you measuring your salinity. Is your meter calibrated ?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Cool that rules that one out be interesting to see what the batch results come up as?

how you measuring your salinity. Is your meter calibrated ?

It has been calibrated but I do need to check and make sure it's not "off" now! Thank you for thinking of that

 

[DE FISH]

@livinlifeinBKK No worries friend, do a quick batch test and recalibrate your meter let us know your results. I’m in a similar situation however I’m sure I wasn’t actually sold Red Sea blue bucket as it was unpackaged and I think the guy is struggling to keep afloat since the covid lockdowns before I was reading 8.7dkh per Hanna checker nowadays I’m reading 11.5 - 11.7 dkh at 34.5ppt I may as well switch to coral pro now based on my parameters. Only thing I’ve changed is my nitrates were reading 0 so I dosed nitrate till I reached 2.5

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy I also heard increasing nitrate increases alk is that true ?

When nitrate is consumed it adds alkalinity.

So decreasing nitrate concentration adds alk and increasing nitrate concentration depletes alk.

If you are dosing nitrate and keeping the level steady, balancing consumption, then that is adding alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, I haven't let my nitrate get above 10-12 in the tank and I test every day...right now I have it stable at about 5... should I stop carbon dosing? No fish either since I'm in a fallow period

No need to change the carbon dosing.

Steady alk (without dosing) is not changing alkalinity.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I'd

@livinlifeinBKK No worries friend, do a quick batch test and recalibrate your meter let us know your results. I’m in a similar situation however I’m sure I wasn’t actually sold Red Sea blue bucket as it was unpackaged and I think the guy is struggling to keep afloat since the covid lockdowns before I was reading 8.7dkh per Hanna checker nowadays I’m reading 11.5 - 11.7 dkh at 34.5ppt I may as well switch to coral pro now based on my parameters. Only thing I’ve changed is my nitrates were reading 0 so I dosed nitrate till I reached 2.5

Would it be an issue if my alk really was that high as long as I kept it stable?

 

[DE FISH]

When nitrate is consumed it adds alkalinity.

So decreasing nitrate concentration adds alk and increasing nitrate concentration depletes alk.

If you are dosing nitrate and keeping the level steady, balancing consumption, then that is adding alkalinity.

Thanks for your insight as always I’m very grateful. so if I’m always having dose nitrate to maintain nitrate from hitting zero how do I achieve stable alkalinity ?

 

[J1a]

10 ppm of nitrate reduction unlikely to cause 3dkh increase. Unless of cause the live phyto culture medium is full of nitrate.

 

[DE FISH]

I'd

Would it be an issue if my alk really was that high as long as I kept it stable?

No as Red Red Sea coral pro is 11 - 12 dkh however I’d keep an eye on your cal levels to ensure they are in check

 

[J1a]

You

Thanks for your insight as always I’m very grateful. so if I’m always having dose nitrate to maintain nitrate from hitting zero how do I achieve stable alkalinity ?

You can always dose ammonium

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

10 ppm of nitrate reduction unlikely to cause 3dkh increase. Unless of cause the live phyto culture medium is full of nitrate.

I doubt it since it's from a pretty reputable company...I've been noticing my alk hovering around 11 even when I first started with the Phyto anyway