Alkalinity Woes

tljokerst · 06/09/2016, 07:30 PM

My LFS gave me some terrible advice and I ended up with my alkalinity way too high (somewhere over 15 dKH). I was just about to add fish to the tank when this happened. Would dosing Muriatic acid be okay on an empty tank like that to get my alkalinity down.

bertoni · 06/09/2016, 08:43 PM

To Reef Central
If the tank is empty, dosing muriatic acid is safe, although 15 dKH is fine for fish and corals, and I'd try to avoid handling muriatic acid. The alkalinity should drop on its own.

tljokerst · 06/10/2016, 07:34 AM

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I went ahead and dosed a small amount. Enough to get it down to measurable levels and I'm going to let it fall the rest of the way on it's own and through water changes. Thanks for the advice on being careful with the acid though. That stuff can be really dangerous.

oblio · 06/10/2016, 02:22 PM

You can absolutely use mur acid. The key is to watch the ph, once you get the ALK to your target, then airate/airate/airate till you ph comes back to whatever "normal" is for you tank. Once your ph is back your gtg.

Thomas462017 · 07/11/2016, 03:17 PM

Ok pretty new to the saltwater tank. 3 months in and my PH is 8.01 but my dKH is sitting at 20.0. How do you lower dKH or is that normal?? I have 40gal tank with 20gal sump, reef octopus 115, running Kessil 360W, UV sterlizer and just added a Fluval 306 for extra filtering.....I have fish, corals and anemone

bertoni · 07/11/2016, 03:40 PM

To Reef Central

Have any pH buffers been added to the system? They all add alkalinity, despite any advertising. 20 dKH is high enough that I'd do some water changes to lower the level, but the kit might be wrong. I'd probably get a second opinion before doing anything, as long as the animals are all doing well.

06/09/2016, 07:30 PM	#1
tljokerst Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 25	Alkalinity Woes My LFS gave me some terrible advice and I ended up with my alkalinity way too high (somewhere over 15 dKH). I was just about to add fish to the tank when this happened. Would dosing Muriatic acid be okay on an empty tank like that to get my alkalinity down. Last edited by tljokerst; 06/09/2016 at 07:41 PM.

06/09/2016, 08:43 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	*To Reef Central* If the tank is empty, dosing muriatic acid is safe, although 15 dKH is fine for fish and corals, and I'd try to avoid handling muriatic acid. The alkalinity should drop on its own. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/10/2016, 02:22 PM	#4
oblio Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brandon Fl Posts: 407	You can absolutely use mur acid. The key is to watch the ph, once you get the ALK to your target, then airate/airate/airate till you ph comes back to whatever "normal" is for you tank. Once your ph is back your gtg. __________________ Tank: 90Gal corner drilled, MP40, MP10, 2 Kessil 360we's, 2 39W t5 supplements, ReefOctopus DNWB150, 2 reactors, carbon and GFO, CadLights BR-1 media reactor w/EcoBak pellets

07/11/2016, 03:17 PM	#5
Thomas462017 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2	PH 8.01 dKH 20.0 Ok pretty new to the saltwater tank. 3 months in and my PH is 8.01 but my dKH is sitting at 20.0. How do you lower dKH or is that normal?? I have 40gal tank with 20gal sump, reef octopus 115, running Kessil 360W, UV sterlizer and just added a Fluval 306 for extra filtering.....I have fish, corals and anemone

07/11/2016, 03:40 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	*To Reef Central* Have any pH buffers been added to the system? They all add alkalinity, despite any advertising. 20 dKH is high enough that I'd do some water changes to lower the level, but the kit might be wrong. I'd probably get a second opinion before doing anything, as long as the animals are all doing well. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/10/2016, 07:34 AM	#3
tljokerst Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 25	Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I went ahead and dosed a small amount. Enough to get it down to measurable levels and I'm going to let it fall the rest of the way on it's own and through water changes. Thanks for the advice on being careful with the acid though. That stuff can be really dangerous.