Best way to lower Alk

[bigreefnutt]

I have a 180 mixed reef with mixture of softys, LPS to 4 SPS corals. I am also vodka dosing. My main goal is to get to a more SPS dominated system.
Ever since I started my vodka dosing my experience with SPS has gotten better. BTW I am 12 weeks in to my dosing regimine. But necrosis is still hapening but at a much slower rate. Along with the colors of my sps starting to comeback from a blaa brown color.

My current water specks are

PH 8.2
ALK - 14dkh
Calcium - 420ish
Mag - 1275
Nitrate -10ppm and slowly going down
Phosphate <.01


Only thing I can think of is that my DKH is high which is causing my SPS to necrose. My salt mix is IO (I dont do any other dosing except vodka). There are no pests or anything like that irritating my sps. Can someone please point me in the right direction to what I should be doing.

[bigreefnutt]

My Makeup water is also high in DKH and yes I use RODI water and my tap waters DKH is 9.6 and out of my RODI it is barely detectible by my Salifert kit

[Sport507]

14dKH is not harmful, I would bump the mag. up to about 1320 and just let the Alkalinity come down on it's own.

[bigreefnutt]

Now do you think that will help with my slow necrosing of the SPS. Or do you think the necrosing is from the high nitrate level.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why is your top off water high in alkalinity? Are you using tap water?

Ever add any other additives?

[Sport507]

I find it highly unlikely that necrosis (used as an intransitive verb) would be caused by 14 dKH alkalinity and I don’t think that 10 ppm Nitrates would have that effect either. JMO I’m still learning about the art of reef keeping.

I shall pass the possible answer to the others posters. Maybe Randy or others has your answer.

[bigreefnutt]

My tap is 9.6 dkh (probably due to lovely wisconsin water) but my rodi topoff is undetectible

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

OK, so if you are topping off with that RO/DI, the alkalinity will likely decline on its own over a day to a week or more if you add none.

Water changes can reduce alk if you use a low alk mix, but waiting is likely easier.

[bigreefnutt]

As far as any other additives. I havnt dosed anything but vodka. I have never dosed any two parts or anything like that since this tank has been setup. In its new location and that has been about 2 years now.

[bigreefnutt]

Randy now do you think that the Alk has a part in my SPS necrosing

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy now do you think that the Alk has a part in my SPS necrosing

I do not know. Complaints about high alk usually are "burnt tips" in SPS corals in ULNS systems.

I'm surprised the alk is this high with no additives. Have you used this kit on your new salt water to see if it is reading correctly?

[bigreefnutt]

Yes I have and I also used a new kit and it reads the same. So I am assuming everything is reading correctly. Honestly I wouldnt say mine right now is an ULNS.

[bigreefnutt]

I know I am surprized that my IO saltwater mixes are this high as well. So I honestly dont know what to tell ya.

[Sport507]

I know I am surprized that my IO saltwater mixes are this high as well. So I honestly dont know what to tell ya.

How high are they?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, the point was that IO shouldn't be 14 dKH, so maybe the kit is reading high, the salinity is higher than you think, or possibly you have an off batch.

[bigreefnutt]

That could possibly be an off batch. My SG is 1.025 with my refractometer.

[Sport507]

That could possibly be an off batch. My SG is 1.025 with my refractometer.

We are trying to help you figure out what is the cause of your 14dkH alkalinity. Mix a fresh batch of IO saltwater at 1.025 SG and check the alkalinity in that.

[oscar.millan]

I would do two things:

1. Double check your refractometer. A faulty reading say 1.025 (when actual is 1.030) would result in much higher alk. Use one from another reefer.

2. Double check your test kits. Be absolutely sure of this.

What test kits are you using?

I find it very difficult to believe your ALK is that high. Unless you're dosing, or adding Kalk to your top off, that would be pretty hard to do.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[bigreefnutt]

I would do two things:

1. Double check your refractometer. A faulty reading say 1.025 (when actual is 1.030) would result in much higher alk. Use one from another reefer.

2. Double check your test kits. Be absolutely sure of this.

What test kits are you using?

I find it very difficult to believe your ALK is that high. Unless you're dosing, or adding Kalk to your top off, that would be pretty hard to do.

Good luck and keep us posted.

1. Did it and it was accurate

2. I used an old kit along with a brand new kit and both read the same

Salifert is the only Brand that I use


I ADD NOTHING TO MY TANK EXCEPT VODKA

[Sport507]

We are trying to help you figure out what is the cause of your 14dkH alkalinity. Mix a fresh batch of IO saltwater at 1.025 SG and check the alkalinity in that.

What are the results of the above test?

Never mind I'm not sure you will ever find an answer.

Good luck!

[bertoni]

Have you tested some freshly-mixed IO? If new saltwater reads high in dKH, at this point, I might guess that the IO is bad.

[oscar.millan]

My IO mixes are always spot on with Alk. 8.6 to 9 for me. Never had a batch test higher. Perhaps some contamination.

Who knows, I'm throwing in the towel on this one. Best of luck.

[bigreefnutt]

I have another new unopened box of IO I will make a new mix with that and see what it is.

[tmz]

I'm not sure if 14dkh would contribute to stn. FWIW I run mine at 9.6 along with vodka and vinegar dosing.10ppm NO3 would not ,ime.

A rapid PO4 drop to <.01 ppm could have something to do with it.

Pests like red bugs and coral Acro eating flatworms are often very hard hard to see.

Sometimes once stn starts it just keeps going even when conditions are improvemd unless you frag off dead tissue.

How much are you dosing?

Has the ph dropped?

Temperature issues?

May need more flow?

Light adjustment from clearer water may also bean issue.

[ivans75]

14 dkh is bad, i killed blastos, jardineis, and a few cynarinas with 11 dkh. Now I keep it at 7 and everyone is happy

[bigreefnutt]

I wish I could get a straight answer about the DKH levels. Only things that are effected are the sps.

[bigreefnutt]

I'm not sure if 14dkh would contribute to stn. FWIW I run mine at 9.6 along with vodka and vinegar dosing.10ppm NO3 would not ,ime.

A rapid PO4 drop to <.01 ppm could have something to do with it.

Pests like red bugs and coral Acro eating flatworms are often very hard hard to see.

Sometimes once stn starts it just keeps going even when conditions are improvemd unless you frag off dead tissue.

How much are you dosing?

Has the ph dropped?

Temperature issues?

May need more flow?

Light adjustment from clearer water may also bean issue.

Po4 was never really that high.
Ph is Stable at 8.2
Temp is stable at 78
Flow I dont think is the issue
Now clearer water now that may cause burnt tips but could also be a possible cause. I am thinking of fragging some peices to see how they do. As for the bugs I dip everything before it goes into the system. So I dont think that is an issue

[bertoni]

Nobody has a straight answer about alkalinity because people's experiences differ a lot. Lots of people run tanks at that dKH and higher and have no problems. Other people seem to have tank problems at even lower levels, but even then, it's hard to prove what caused the problems.

Enough people running with carbon dosing have problems at higher dKH levels that it seems there might be some issue there.

[bigreefnutt]

Basically its one of those things to find out what will work and tweek your system