High Alk help

[kendon91]

One of my customers has:
A 90 gallon tank w/ over 100lbs of live rock, approx. 70lbs of sand.
Fish:
Blonde Naso, Yellow tang, Sixline, 2 Green Chromis, 1 Percula, Solarensis Fairy Wrasse
A couple blue leg hermits, a couple Emerald crabs, one or two sand stars
Corals:
Toadstool, Frogspawn, Mushrooms, Green star polyps, Long tentacle plate, Red Trach, Green zoos
Red Sea Berlin X2 Turbo Skimmer
4x96watt PCs
Parameters are:
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate undetectable
pH 8.4
Calcium 300ppm
Alk 16dKH!!!!!!
Salinity 1.023
There was definately Calcium fallout at one point. Nothing is being dosed right now, for the past Month there has been 2 30gallon water changes done which has lowered the Alk from 17 to 16dHK. I would like to know what I can do to lower the Alk so we can get the Calcium back up. The only thing that has seemed to be affected by this is the green zoos. All the other corals are doing excellent. Thanks.

 

[notsonoob]

I'd try topping off with RO/DI or distilled. If you do distilled make sure that it is nursery water, as copper pipe systems may be used to manufacture distilled water.
I'd do some more water changes more frequently. Also, test your water before you mix the salt.

 

[dennis210]

Just keep doing water changes, what is the alk like in newly mixed water?

 

[gatorwpb]

If it only changed 1 dKh with 2 33%+ water changes, Id bring it to your LFS to have them test it just to rule out a bad test kit. Whats the alk test of your salt water?
But Id dose calc and not alk during this time. YOu dont want the calc to drop too low. Also, theres worse things then high alk, like low alk

 

[kendon91]

Thanks for all the info guys! I know it's not a bad test kit, I tested 2 other tanks with the same test kits and got correct parameters. I do believe however, it was a bad batch of IO Salt. I tested the alk on a second bag/batch (never tested the ones I had been using on his tank), and it was well over 20dKH. So with the 2 30gal water changes, I have been using Red Sea salt for now and that has been testing fine. I did have him dose last night with calcium. I wanted to be safe rather than sorry, and had him only dose half the normal amount, and I will be going tomorrow to test all over again. I guess I will keep you guys posted and let you know what happens tomorrow! Thanks again!

 

[kendon91]

So, he added a half dose of calcium on Wednesday and Thursday. Today I tested the water and the Calcium came back 340ppm and the Alkalinity 17dKH. The Alk went back up one, but the Calcium went up also...any more input would be great. Thanks.

 

[cranberry]

You're still not using the salt mix with the alk of 20, are you?

 

[kendon91]

Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/2799841
You're still not using the salt mix with the alk of 20, are you?
Definately not. We switched from Instant Ocean to Red Sea for the time being. After the tank straightens out...if it ever does, we will go from there. I really am not a fan of how they package the salt, it's hard as a brick.

 

[kendon91]

Alright, just tested the water after a normal dose of Liquid Calcium yesterday. Everything is as follows:
Ammonia, Nitrite 0ppm pH 8.2 Salinity 1.023 Alk 16dKH Calcium 360ppm
Would it be ok to continue to add Calcium to the tank? I'm just worried that if we do that, that the calcium will fall out again because the Alk is still so high?