What exactly is 'alkalinity' ??

jester805

jester805

Member
I have a 75 gallon display tank with a 20 gallon sump. I have 80 pounds of LS and about 65 pounds of LR. I've had a nitrate problem for several months and do weekly RO/DI water changes and cut way back on my feeding. (I only feed 1 cube of frozen mysis twice per week).
Anyway, I did about a 40% water change on Saturday. The tank has been up for just over 1 year. I was looking at my Watchman Goby and he didn't look good at all. He ended up dying so I tested my levels.
NitrItes: 0
NitrAtes: 40
Alkalinity: 80
pH: 7.8
Temp: 80
My other livestock:
  • 1 Blue-fin damsel
  • 2 Percula clowns
  • 1 Spotted cardinal fish
  • 1 Green chromi
  • 1 Strawberry fish
    1 Flame scallop
    1 Long-spine urchin
    1 Horshoe crab
    1 Sand-sifting sea star
    Misc. small snails & crabs
This is the first time I've had a low alkalinity. I'm not even sure what that is or how to fix it. Can you guys please give me some advice??
Thanks.
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
Thats a " very " low ppm reading for alk. Unless its a borate reading. Your salt brand should do better than that.......
Need to use a better brand or add a DKH/Alk buffer.
 
volcom69

volcom69

Member
You could add buffer to ur system to raise ur p.h and ur alk at the same time cause ur ph is alittle low so i would add a buffer either from seachem or kent, and use that to help out the problem.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
That is a very low alk. I would recommend using Kent's Super dkH buffer to bring it up. Fixing this level will fix your pH problem.
This is an exerpt from an article written by Anthony Calfo. I think he sums everything up very well:
Understanding Calcium and Alkalinity
...Calcium is easily learned and applied by most aquarists (simple dosing and test kits), but alkalinity is rather less clear. Alkalinity and pH, however, are distinctly different from each other, although their definitions and functions can be easily confused.
For those of you as uninformed about water chemistry as I was when I first entered the hobby, know that Alkalinity is a measure of water’s ability to neutralize acids and resist change with a reserve of “hard” minerals (pool of dissolved buffers). On the contrary, pH is a measurement of the concentration of hydrogen ions in water in terms of acidity or alkalinity. So, the alkalinity of water in terms of pH merely refers to the basic end of a pH scale (alkaline) in contrast to the acidic end of the scale. It is a separate matter, however, from Alkalinity as a measure of water hardness.
There are several minerals that commonly contribute to the overall hardness of water, but calcium and magnesium are the primary elements. A higher measure of water hardness (Alkalinity) translates to a higher buffering ability, and subsequently a lower chance of a pH change in the system...
 
barebucta

barebucta

Member
Test your calcium levels as well....depending on the reading (usually if Calcium is high, Alk is low) dose daily with baking soda...but slowly and gradually the 2 will even out (Alk and Calcium) and your PH will be within range.
 
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