Please help with high Alk

[theishkid]

Hello, I'm using a TetraTest KH test kit and my alkalinity is way to high (I think). I'm testing 5ml of water from my reef and it took 15 - 16 drops to get a change from blue to green. My turbos aren't moving around much at all... my xenia all look shriveled up... and I only have a couple of sps but some of them (such as my green slimer) are showing RTN.
I just did one water change tonight but it's been a couple of hours and it's still at 15 - 16. Is there anything I can do to help get it down? Could I turn on the fan that blows across my sump to aerate it a little bit? Or do I just need to do another water change tomorrow?

[Billybeau1]

I am not fond of that test kit. What does 15 to 16 drops mean ?

What brand salt mix are you using, where is your specific gravity at and how do you measure.

[theishkid]

15 - 16 KH is what it means. When it should be 9 - 10. I usually use instant ocean salt. And it is currently at 33 - 34 (thanks to tonights water change). I know how the alk got so high... I accidentally dosed to much reef builder a couple of days ago. I'm just trying to figure out how to get it back down now as quickly and as safely as possible.

[Billybeau1]

Ahhh, the missing link. :D Reef Builder.

If your livestock looks ok, just let it drop on its own as it will rather quickly.

If your livestock looks bad, a couple of water changes may be in order.

How's your calcium and magnesium ?

[theishkid]

Calcium is about 400... I'm not sure on magnesium. I'll do another water change tonight when I get home then I'm just going to leave it alone. I think I have definitely lost a few sps but hopefully everything else will be fine. At least my clams are not freaking out... Yet.

[Billybeau1]

Sounds like a plan. If you have some calcium chloride, you could bump your Ca++ up a little. That should help also.

Good luck. :)

[SJimmyH]

I wasn't aware that 16 dKH was a problem. (translation=I doubt it will hurt anything as long as your pH is ok.) Yeah, its a little high, but IME its like calcium... as long as its available, you should be ok. Calcium has a wide acceptable range. So does alkalinity.

People with high CO2 levels in their houses will need a higher alkalinity to maintain pH. If you drop your alkalinity to where you want it and your pH goes down to unacceptable levels, I would pick the optimum pH over the optimum dKH. Most current literature tells us 2-5 meq/l is optimum. dKH is meq/l x 2.8. So, your not even 6 meq/l yet. I wouldn't be too concerned.

[theishkid]

Well I wouldn't be to concerned either... except that I have lost 3 or 4 corals over the past 3 or 4 days and a few others are not looking very good. Plus some of my inverts are not moving around very much.

[Billybeau1]

Too much too fast, me thinks.

I'd do a water change in the morning if you can.

Jimmy, I disagree. 16 dkh IS a problem if the tanks inhabitants have been used to 9 or 10 then all of a sudden got thrust into 16.

Acceptable range is a relative term. Sudden changes in water chemistry is another story.

[Billybeau1]

kid, if you are not already, I would probably run some good quality carbon are well. Just to make sure nothing got into your tank by accident. :)

And for goodness sake, get another brand alk test kit. :D