It's hard to make out from the previous posts but what's the deal with having a high Alkalinity? I've tested mine with two different kits and on one the reading is "High" and the other is showing over 300ppm, in fact its a little darker then the final color on the chart. My PH appears to be between 8.2-8.4. IS there anything I can do to reduce the Alkalinity, or is it even really neccessary??? I am using tap water...
Is High Alkalinity A Bad Thing?
- Thread starter Particleman
- Start date
I am by no means an expert but I have never heard of alk being measured in PPM (parts per million). I commonly see it measured in dKH. I have also seen it measured one other way that eludes me right now. Are you sure you are measuring alk and not calcium. Also PH is not a good indicator of alk. Maybe someone can correct me if I am wrong.
Doug
Doug
That works out to over 16 dKH (you divide ppm by 17.86 to get degrees).
How did it get so high- are you adding a buffer?
I got mine that high once by over reacting to a non-existent problem- my lesson was to always double check the test kit. If you are sure that is a correct reading it will come down on its own in time, but make sure your calcium stays up as well- in the 400 range.
And I'd try and figure out how it got so high to start with.
Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
How did it get so high- are you adding a buffer?
I got mine that high once by over reacting to a non-existent problem- my lesson was to always double check the test kit. If you are sure that is a correct reading it will come down on its own in time, but make sure your calcium stays up as well- in the 400 range.
And I'd try and figure out how it got so high to start with.
Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
High alkalinity can be be a problem--if it's too high, it can inhibit calcium uptake by corals, and cause calcium precipitation to get worse. Seldom causes a problem for fish or inverts, though. If you are adding supplements of any kind, please list what they are and how frequently you dose, and the parameters of the water you're using. Also--what salt mix do you use?
The only supplement being added is Amequel+. I just did a 75% water change as the tank just finished cycling a week ago. The measurement with 300 is what the number below the color chart said. When I did the drip test, with another kit it factored to around 13-14 dkh. I think my water is just naturally high in alk, the PH tests out of the faucet at 8.0-8.2. Will checking/adding the calcium help to bring alk. down? This is only a FOWLR tank...
No, adding calcium won't really reduce the alkalinity--though at the high alkalinity, the calcium will precipitate out very easily, potentially cloggin impellers and coating heaters. I think that it's the combination of the salt mix with the already hard water--using a filtered water would likely help out quite a bit. The high alk won't really hurt the fish--and gives you a very stable pH. Wouldn't be good for a reef setup though.
ITWMT--I'd use a mix of RO water and tap water, or all RO water. Although the high alk isn't a huge problem, it will mean more maintenance on your part, and you'd have to make a change before going with a reef setup. I'd also be concerned about what else might be in the water, and if that high alk is coming from carbonates, or boron, or what (alk tests detects a number of elements that contribute to this type of hardness).
ITWMT--I'd use a mix of RO water and tap water, or all RO water. Although the high alk isn't a huge problem, it will mean more maintenance on your part, and you'd have to make a change before going with a reef setup. I'd also be concerned about what else might be in the water, and if that high alk is coming from carbonates, or boron, or what (alk tests detects a number of elements that contribute to this type of hardness).
