KH ALK off the charts. fish inverts still alive?

[convictblenny]

Got a test kit today and I am shocked at what I found. I used the salifert KH/ALK test kit. I used the entire dropper of KH and half again to get my color change. This does gives me a reading of like over 20 KH in DKH with about an 8 or 9 in ALK. I am horrible at chemistry but this appears to be way too hard and alkali for my tank to be reading. My tank is a fish and inverts, with loads of live rock but no corals. I use filtered water from store RO machine and I add 1 table spoon of buffer per five gallons when I change it. Usually about five gallons every two weeks. Should i dose with vinager or what? All life seems okay in tank. The only additive I add is a cap of essential elements every week, and a sea chem calcium block.

 

[DonW]

Got a test kit today and I am shocked at what I found. I used the salifert KH/ALK test kit. I used the entire dropper of KH and half again to get my color change. This does gives me a reading of like over 20 KH in DKH with about an 8 or 9 in ALK. I am horrible at chemistry but this appears to be way too hard and alkali for my tank to be reading. My tank is a fish and inverts, with loads of live rock but no corals. I use filtered water from store RO machine and I add 1 table spoon of buffer per five gallons when I change it. Usually about five gallons every two weeks. Should i dose with vinager or what? All life seems okay in tank. The only additive I add is a cap of essential elements every week, and a sea chem calcium block.

What salt and what buffer. Sounds like that is the issue. If your using a ph buffer it will increase alk. Dont do anything yet.

Don

 

[convictblenny]

Instant ocean was the salt, 1.025 is what my gravity box currently says. A little high, but prob not an issue. The buffer is Kent Marine Superbuffer dKH. I was foolishly adding this at every week or two without testing. I just thought it set and maintained, but it must have been increasing it. I checked the PH and it is about 8.2.

 

[DonW]

Instant ocean was the salt, 1.025 is what my gravity box currently says. A little high, but prob not an issue. The buffer is Kent Marine Superbuffer dKH. I was foolishly adding this at every week or two without testing. I just thought it set and maintained, but it must have been increasing it. I checked the PH and it is about 8.2.

Well that was easy. Now just start doing water changes. You will find that IO a 35ppt 1.026 is going to be a little low on ca and mg. Start doing water changes and that will bring down the alk. You will need to add ca chloride to the new salt water mix to get it balanced. If you dont have a ca test kit then just change water dont add anything.

Don

 

[convictblenny]

I just used the last of my instant ocean. And I will be going to fish store today, should I stick with it in your opinion? Is there another brand with higher ca and mg? Are the current levels of alk and KH toxic? I was just gonna do like 5 gallon change today (55 gallon tank). The levels should drop naturally anyway right?

 

[DonW]

I just used the last of my instant ocean. And I will be going to fish store today, should I stick with it in your opinion? Is there another brand with higher ca and mg? Are the current levels of alk and KH toxic? I was just gonna do like 5 gallon change today (55 gallon tank). The levels should drop naturally anyway right?

20 is way to high, so you need to fix it. It will drop naturally but so will everything else. By then you will have so low ca and mg your going to have other problems so just fix it. IO is fine and what I use. Reaf Crystals is IO with extra ca and mg. It a good option if you dont want to balance yourself.

Don