alkalinity question...
- Thread starter chadman
- Start date
frankthetank
Active Member
I'd like to know this too... I own a red sea test kit, and my alk tests high. Red sea alk tests don't read numbers, but just low, normal, or high. is high bad? It's weird because I use tropic marin, ro water, and my ph is a perfect 8.4. I wonder why my alk is high?
jfcat
New Member
What are the rest of your water parameters? Looking at only one result, in a vaccum, leads to chasing numbers. I'd check magnesium, if it's low bring it up. If it's high water change till it's right (test your change water before you add it). Once your magnesium is set right then recheck your alk, if it's still high, then check your calcium. It'll probably be low, add it up and that should bring your alk down. If, the calcium is high then I'd look at the water you're using and the salt you're using.
Alk and calcium have an inverse relationship, magnesium determines how tight that relationship is.
As was said elsewhere on this site, check and record ALL your water parameters for a few weeks until you see the paterns of life cycle that your particular tank goes through. Once you see the whole picture then you can make small adjustments to stabilize it for the long haul. Makeing knee-jerk reactions to any one particular test probably isn't the best aproach to long term sucess. If things look really screwy, or something is at a dangerous level, water change, water change, water change, but, be sure the water you are changing with is good with all parameters. That's why RO warter is so important. It gives us a known start point to add our salt mix too.
Hope that didn't sound like a ranting lecture. Just trying to be informative and give reasons to why to do things, rather than just "do this or that".
Alk and calcium have an inverse relationship, magnesium determines how tight that relationship is.
As was said elsewhere on this site, check and record ALL your water parameters for a few weeks until you see the paterns of life cycle that your particular tank goes through. Once you see the whole picture then you can make small adjustments to stabilize it for the long haul. Makeing knee-jerk reactions to any one particular test probably isn't the best aproach to long term sucess. If things look really screwy, or something is at a dangerous level, water change, water change, water change, but, be sure the water you are changing with is good with all parameters. That's why RO warter is so important. It gives us a known start point to add our salt mix too.
Hope that didn't sound like a ranting lecture. Just trying to be informative and give reasons to why to do things, rather than just "do this or that".
chadman
Active Member
Originally Posted by jfcat
What are the rest of your water parameters? Looking at only one result, in a vaccum, leads to chasing numbers. I'd check magnesium, if it's low bring it up. If it's high water change till it's right (test your change water before you add it). Once your magnesium is set right then recheck your alk, if it's still high, then check your calcium. It'll probably be low, add it up and that should bring your alk down. If, the calcium is high then I'd look at the water you're using and the salt you're using.
Alk and calcium have an inverse relationship, magnesium determines how tight that relationship is.
As was said elsewhere on this site, check and record ALL your water parameters for a few weeks until you see the paterns of life cycle that your particular tank goes through. Once you see the whole picture then you can make small adjustments to stabilize it for the long haul. Makeing knee-jerk reactions to any one particular test probably isn't the best aproach to long term sucess. If things look really screwy, or something is at a dangerous level, water change, water change, water change, but, be sure the water you are changing with is good with all parameters. That's why RO warter is so important. It gives us a known start point to add our salt mix too.
Hope that didn't sound like a ranting lecture. Just trying to be informative and give reasons to why to do things, rather than just "do this or that".
we do use ro water...i do not have a mag test...but my calcium levels are around 500....thanks for the info though...
What are the rest of your water parameters? Looking at only one result, in a vaccum, leads to chasing numbers. I'd check magnesium, if it's low bring it up. If it's high water change till it's right (test your change water before you add it). Once your magnesium is set right then recheck your alk, if it's still high, then check your calcium. It'll probably be low, add it up and that should bring your alk down. If, the calcium is high then I'd look at the water you're using and the salt you're using.
Alk and calcium have an inverse relationship, magnesium determines how tight that relationship is.
As was said elsewhere on this site, check and record ALL your water parameters for a few weeks until you see the paterns of life cycle that your particular tank goes through. Once you see the whole picture then you can make small adjustments to stabilize it for the long haul. Makeing knee-jerk reactions to any one particular test probably isn't the best aproach to long term sucess. If things look really screwy, or something is at a dangerous level, water change, water change, water change, but, be sure the water you are changing with is good with all parameters. That's why RO warter is so important. It gives us a known start point to add our salt mix too.
Hope that didn't sound like a ranting lecture. Just trying to be informative and give reasons to why to do things, rather than just "do this or that".
we do use ro water...i do not have a mag test...but my calcium levels are around 500....thanks for the info though...
frankthetank
Active Member
I hope I'm not hijacking the original poster's thread, but we may have the same problem.
My calcium levels have always been 400-450 every test I have performed. So my calcium levels are great.
I have never owned a magnesium test in all my life. Perhaps I should buy one and read what it says.
My calcium levels have always been 400-450 every test I have performed. So my calcium levels are great.
I have never owned a magnesium test in all my life. Perhaps I should buy one and read what it says.
aztec reef
Active Member
agree, the reason for that is that Magnesium is depleted by algae growth and also by the use of excessive kalkwasser or by going far beyond natural salt water's calcium levels..
frankthetank
Active Member
Well, I guess I will invest in a magnesium test and go from there.
What are the consequences of high alk? Keeping in mind that calcium levels are always good.
What are the consequences of high alk? Keeping in mind that calcium levels are always good.
aztec reef
Active Member
if calcium are in good levels you should also have good alk levels. cuz calcium & alk play a part together....
jfcat
New Member
The other factor in this equation is pH. Magnesium set the relationship between the alk and Ca. Alk and Ca set the pH. If your magnesium is right, this allows your alk and Ca to be right which puts your pH where it should be.
This, of course, is a very simplified explanation. Actual water chemistry would take a book to explain and is far beyond my understanding.
All I know is don't chase one number without looking at the others, and set magnesium first. Also, if mag, alk and Ca are good your pH almost has to be good.
This, of course, is a very simplified explanation. Actual water chemistry would take a book to explain and is far beyond my understanding.
All I know is don't chase one number without looking at the others, and set magnesium first. Also, if mag, alk and Ca are good your pH almost has to be good.
N
nereef
Guest
a Ca reading of 500 would give a high alk like that. you aren't adding Ca or alk buffer are you?