alk is high, how do you bring it down,
- Thread starter poolguy
- Start date
jb909
Member
Just in case you think I may be crazy, I've tested multiple times.
flydan
Active Member
Hey,
Wish I had a better answer for you. Just be careful if you try and lower your alk because you'll probably end up lowering your pH as well. I believe if your pH is in a good range and STABLE you shouldn't mess with it. I'm no chemist, but if I understand correctly a high alkalinity prevents rapid pH swings. A good range in alk should be between 2.5 and 3.5 meq/L (or 7-10dKH if you use that scale). Adding kalkwasser raises it, that's why I was guessing your calc was high.
HTH,
Dan'l
Wish I had a better answer for you. Just be careful if you try and lower your alk because you'll probably end up lowering your pH as well. I believe if your pH is in a good range and STABLE you shouldn't mess with it. I'm no chemist, but if I understand correctly a high alkalinity prevents rapid pH swings. A good range in alk should be between 2.5 and 3.5 meq/L (or 7-10dKH if you use that scale). Adding kalkwasser raises it, that's why I was guessing your calc was high.
HTH,
Dan'l
jb909
Member
Alright, I have another 'newbie' question.
I'm running this question in another website's forum as well and I just want to check some info that I'm getting.
Am I or am I not supposed to add The A&B product everyday? Prior to adding it my pH was 7.8 max and my calcium was under 400. I started adding the product exactly 1 week ago and my pH has slowly crept to 8.1 or 8.2 (not sure exactly) and 420 on the calcium. So do I discontinue use of the product or keep using it?
Thanks, Jen
I'm running this question in another website's forum as well and I just want to check some info that I'm getting.
Am I or am I not supposed to add The A&B product everyday? Prior to adding it my pH was 7.8 max and my calcium was under 400. I started adding the product exactly 1 week ago and my pH has slowly crept to 8.1 or 8.2 (not sure exactly) and 420 on the calcium. So do I discontinue use of the product or keep using it?
Thanks, Jen
jess74
Member
Hey poolguy (and JB909) I too am a newbie, however I know that when my tank was about 1 1/2 months old I checked my calcium and it was low. I added a calcium supplement one time only and since then, with regular water changes, my tank's calcium level has been rising, it is currently at 460. I thought that was high, but after posting a question on here I was told that with my Ph, Alk, and calcium numbers were good in relation to each other (my PH is 8.2 and Alk. is 4.5 meq/L). :yes:
Kip posted a helpful chart of where is a good place for each of your readings to be, try this link:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/112498/rising-calcium-levels-ok
Near the end is a reply from Kip with that chart in it. Do you have any corals? If not then as long as your PH is stable I wouldn’t worry too much about it yet. Let your tank mature some more and if you plan on getting corals later on, then check all the numbers and worry about adjusting them. Now if you have Inverts. Then it would be helpful to have your calcium up, but I think it would be ok where you are at 420. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong here. Don’t know if that was any help or not, good luck with your tank!
Kip posted a helpful chart of where is a good place for each of your readings to be, try this link:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/112498/rising-calcium-levels-ok
Near the end is a reply from Kip with that chart in it. Do you have any corals? If not then as long as your PH is stable I wouldn’t worry too much about it yet. Let your tank mature some more and if you plan on getting corals later on, then check all the numbers and worry about adjusting them. Now if you have Inverts. Then it would be helpful to have your calcium up, but I think it would be ok where you are at 420. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong here. Don’t know if that was any help or not, good luck with your tank!
krowleey
Active Member
Originally posted by FlyDan
Hey,
Wish I had a better answer for you. Just be careful if you try and lower your alk because you'll probably end up lowering your pH as well. I believe if your pH is in a good range and STABLE you shouldn't mess with it. I'm no chemist, but if I understand correctly a high alkalinity prevents rapid pH swings. A good range in alk should be between 2.5 and 3.5 meq/L (or 7-10dKH if you use that scale). Adding kalkwasser raises it, that's why I was guessing your calc was high.
HTH,
Dan'l
NSW is 8 DKH so i think 7 DKH is wayy to low. i have heard 8-14 DKH is fine, and alot of ppl like thier DHK on the high end for coraline growth. jump in here anytime all
jb909
Member
Poolguy,
Found some intersting reading. Check this out. Some is way over my head, but there is correction information for what 'Zone' you're in. Good Luck!!
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry
Found some intersting reading. Check this out. Some is way over my head, but there is correction information for what 'Zone' you're in. Good Luck!!
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry
saltwaterdave
Member
It depedns upon your bio=load and what is being used up on a daily basis on what you need to add,that's why some people need to use a calcium reactor and some can get away with dripping kalk.16dkh is way to high I would stop adding the alk part of whatever you are adding to let things balance out.You need to keep testing and figure out what amounts works for YOUR tank,then go from there.Not everyone has the same bio-load so what the instructions say on the bottle will not work for everyones tank,some corals will take up more calcium than others,at the beginning it is kind of hard to get your tank dialed in because you need to test on a daily basis until you get the tank figured out.Once you get everything dialed in you will only need to test once every week or so,I test about once a week for ph,calcium and alk only I don't test for anything else.It can seem fustrating at first to get things just right but once you do it, it is usually smooth sailing from there and I also highly suggest you look into dripping kalk to maintaining your alk and calcium levels it makes life so much easier and it is cheap to do and easy.I hope this helps you out some as I sometimes have a hard time explaining myself in the written form.
saltwaterdave
Member
Originally posted by JB909
Poolguy,
Found some intersting reading. Check this out. Some is way over my head, but there is correction information for what 'Zone' you're in. Good Luck!!
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
That is the best information I think you can get from anyone,that guy is the expert!!Read all of those articles as you get the time.I have and there is nothing but a gold mine of free and valuable information!!
jb909
Member
Thanks Saltwaterdave. I think I may have began adding the product too early. I took the advice of a LFS which as we all know can be misleading. I have no bioload as of yet so there is nothing to deplete my levels.
But thank you to everyone that helped! And good luck poolguy.
Thanks, Jen
But thank you to everyone that helped! And good luck poolguy.
Thanks, Jen
saltwaterdave
Member
You mean an lfs told you to add this tuff to your tank daily even though you got nothing in it? If that was the case I hope you don't go back to that place man they will do anything for a dollar.The one closest to me would look at me and go uh?They don't even carry calcium test kits when I asked why they say they are'nt big sellers,I told them that's because in the 20 some years I have been going to this store I have never seen them.