Worries of big water changes

[Nick Steele]

Okay so I have been battling high alk in my tank and was making progress but alk randomly shot up a whole dkh over 48hrs (9.7 to 10.6) and I’m wondering if I can remedy this by a series of 2 50% water changes over the course of a week to bring me into more acceptable levels.

Currently tank is sitting at 10.6dkh. The first water change (Tuesday) would bring me down to 9dkh and then the following weekend water change would bring me down to 8.55dkh.

Currently most corals are doing well (zoas, lps, and a couple montis) but a birdsnest and green slimer are slowly dying. Would this sudden change be more worrisome then an advantage at this point?

Current tank parameters:
10.6 alk
470 calc
1350 mag
.08 phos
0 nitrate (can’t raise for my life. Feed reefroids daily and rods food to my clowns every other day)
7.9 pH
77-78F temp

Most recent full tank shot

 

[piranhaman00]

I would do nothing until it slowly drops until range. Alkalinity can’t shoot up for no reason, what are you dosing? How are you testing?

You can dose NO3 supplements instead of over feeding to raise it.

 

[blasterman]

What he said.

Alk doesn't just rise. Plus, different salt mixes have default dKH higher than where yours is at now and some lower.

 

[Nick Steele]

New salt water mixes at 8.1 dkh now. Dosing nothing but coral aminos by Brightwell. I’m testing with both Hannah and salifert test to double check them and they are both the same.

I just feel that at these higher levels I’m Pt getting the drop in any of them over time. Only when I do my water changes with the 8.1 dkh water.

 

[Ippyroy]

You can always dose white vinegar to lower Alk, but I would try to let it lower on it's own. Your corals seem happy, if they are, then just ride it out.