High Alk

[Earl Karl]

So my alk. is about 17 dkh, which is really high. Even though it's a macroalgae tank, I do plan to put some bounce and jawbreaker mushrooms in there that I have in QT. I heard muriatic acid (or hydrochloric acid) is a way to bring down alk., but I don't know the dosage. I want to bring it down to at least 10 dkh, preferably 8. It is a 29 gallon if it helps. I am against water changes, but if I have to, I will.
By the way, is this harmful to inverts? I just have a couple of cleaner shrimps, hermits and snails.

 

[dbl]

It's an old post but may answer your question...or at least get you closer. I would recommend lowering over time and not all at once.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...lower-alkalinity-like-you-can-with-ph.188293/

 

[Finhead]

Have you double checked your results? I would suspect a falty test and double check with a different test kit before doing any adjustments. Red Sea or Aqua Forest are both really good kits IMO.

 

[Earl Karl]

It's 17-18. I even had my lfs test my water.

 

[Earl Karl]

So according to @Randy Holmes-Farley, you can use Seachem Acid Buffer, which I have in hand for my planted tanks. Is the dosage the same for saltwater? Or do I have to adjust?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Both muriatic acid and Seachem acid buffer will cause the same massive pH drop. Way, way down, maybe below 6.

Neither is really a good way to do a big alk drop in an active display tank, unless you do it VERY slowly (over a week or more).

How did the alk get to 17 dKH?

 

[Earl Karl]

Well, kinda messed up when I was raising the pH (faulty kit tricked me). I do run an airstone and the tank is a macroalgae tank (with a giant ball of chaeto that has a diameter of 2 feet) with a 6000k flood light led, so hopefully the pH will go back up if I dose the tank properly.
I guess I will adjust measurements. Over a period of a week or so is nothing. I got time.
Do you have any suggestions on how much I should start dosing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is there any daily alk demand from the tank? That would be by far the best way.

Dropping the alk by 1.4 dKH from 7 dKH will instantly drop the pH below 7, but since you are starting much higher, the drop will be less (twice the starting alk would mean you could drop 2.8 dKH and then hit the same lower pH.

Do you know whether you want to use muriatic acid from a hardware store or the Seachem Acid Buffer (or buy sodum bisulfate from a store)? Seachem doesn't advise how to use it to lower alk, so I'll have to calculate.

 

[Earl Karl]

No, unless macroalgae such as chaeto consume alk., this is just a macroalgae tank that I plan to add some bounce and jawbreaker mushrooms in the future. I plan to use the Seachem Acid Buffer since I already have it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No, unless macroalgae such as chaeto consume alk., this is just a macroalgae tank that I plan to add some bounce and jawbreaker mushrooms in the future. I plan to use the Seachem Acid Buffer since I already have it.

I just wrote up amounts in this thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...in-new-salt-water-or-in-display-tanks.362825/

 

[Earl Karl]

Ok, let's say this route was impractical for me. Are there any cheap corals or organisms that will consume alk. fast? I can put these in a reef tank after it served its purpose.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

not really.
how long has it been high?

 

[Earl Karl]

For a few days. I decided to wait for a week to see how it goes. Most likely I need to dose Acid Buffer. Thanks for the help.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sounds good.

Happy reefing.

 

[Dragon52]

Sounds good.

Happy reefing.

How would you go about fixing 13.5 dkh with 7.8 PH. I've been struggling with my alkalinity up to 15dkh & low PH, Have Kalk but it raises Alk PH & Calc so I;ve been afraid to do anything other than a 45gl water change in my 185 DT to try & lower the alk but it didn't work, I changed the socks in the sump, started an air stone in the tank & it's dropped to 13.5 in about 3 days. Not sure what else to do. Calcium is about 480 & mag is also high at 1500.

 

[Earl Karl]

Just do a 100% water change. You'll waste more money trying to fix the problem then just to do a water change. Unless you have a bad water source like I do. Even an RO/Di unit can't help me. The TDS of the ro/di fresh water is 0, but has 8-9 dkh (proven with multiple test kits) after been stored in a clean water container (have tried brand new multiple containers) for a while. Which messes up my water. Don't know why this happens.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just do a 100% water change. You'll waste more money trying to fix the problem then just to do a water change. Unless you have a bad water source like I do. Even an RO/Di unit can't help me. the TDS is 0, but has 9 dkh (proven with multiple test kits). Which messes up my water. I think its because of the air in my house that causes my water to spike up in alk.

Sorry, that is an error of some sort, RO/DI water with zero ppm TDS simply cannot have 9 dKH. [emoji30]

 

[Earl Karl]

Ok, maybe like 2ppm at most, but I still have high alk. for some reason. Can you explain alk. to me? I thought I understand what it was, but this thing has been messing me up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How would you go about fixing 13.5 dkh with 7.8 PH. I've been struggling with my alkalinity up to 15dkh & low PH, Have Kalk but it raises Alk PH & Calc so I;ve been afraid to do anything other than a 45gl water change in my 185 DT to try & lower the alk but it didn't work, I changed the socks in the sump, started an air stone in the tank & it's dropped to 13.5 in about 3 days. Not sure what else to do. Calcium is about 480 & mag is also high at 1500.

There is nothing you can dose that raises pH and does not raise alk. Lowering CO2 by aeration with normal to low CO2 air will raise pH,

I’d let the alk drop on its own. A water change won’t work if the new salt water matches the tank in alk, which some do. If you really want, you can drop the alk to zero in new salt water if you want to correct the alk by water change.

 

[Dragon52]

Just do a 100% water change. You'll waste more money trying to fix the problem then just to do a water change. Unless you have a bad water source like I do. Even an RO/Di unit can't help me. The TDS of the ro/di fresh water is 0, but has 8-9 dkh (proven with multiple test kits) after been stored in a clean water container (have tried brand new multiple containers) for a while. Which messes up my water. Don't know why this happens.

i don;t have an RO/DI system & don't have enough containers to get it from the LFS so that's not really an option. LFS keeps his saltwater at 1.021 salinity so I drove to Columbia SC to get water from Guy @ Fishy Business which is 1hr away but he runs his water at 1.024, closer to my 1.025. Didn't want to get a salt mix & use my tap water.