Alkalinity ?

[Brian Kramer]

My alkalinity is around 5.5-6 meq/l on the salifert kit. I know it is
on the high side, but will it cause me any problems. My tank is a 46
gallon with 45 lbs live rock, a false percula, a small hippo tang
(which will be given a new home when he gets larger and a hammer
coral...and some assorted janitors...I use esv for calcium/alk.

[Marc Levenson]

No, but I wouldn't add any more Alk for the next 24 hours to 48 hours. Just
keep dosing your Ca as usual.

Marc


Brian Kramer wrote:

> My alkalinity is around 5.5-6 meq/l on the salifert kit. I know it is
> on the high side, but will it cause me any problems. My tank is a 46
> gallon with 45 lbs live rock, a false percula, a small hippo tang
> (which will be given a new home when he gets larger and a hammer
> coral...and some assorted janitors...I use esv for calcium/alk.

--
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[Brian Kramer]

I've tried that in the past and it doesn't seem to lower the
alkalinity....where could the high alk be coming from. I'm using
RO/DI water.

My alk was high before the esv, though I was using seachem stuff
instead.
Marc Levenson > wrote in message >...
> No, but I wouldn't add any more Alk for the next 24 hours to 48 hours. Just
> keep dosing your Ca as usual.
>
> Marc
>
>
> Brian Kramer wrote:
>
> > My alkalinity is around 5.5-6 meq/l on the salifert kit. I know it is
> > on the high side, but will it cause me any problems. My tank is a 46
> > gallon with 45 lbs live rock, a false percula, a small hippo tang
> > (which will be given a new home when he gets larger and a hammer
> > coral...and some assorted janitors...I use esv for calcium/alk.

[Boomer]

You can't increase Alk unless you add something, buffer, calcium reactor or some other
type of addition, unless you have some DIY home-made rock. That doesn't seem to be any of
your problems, so that leaves only 4 possibilities

1. Your test kit is bad. Try it against a new batch of salt or compare it to the alk at
the LFS with their kit. And are you sure you are using it correctly ?

2. The alk is really high do to the seachem and your alk demand is low and will take a
long period for it to go down once you stop adding it, which you seem to have done. The
tank also seems new with few animals.Also your new fresh sand maybe keeping it up. How old
is this tank ?

3. ESV bottle for Ca mis-labeled and is a Ca bottle.What is your Ca and when you use the
Esv bottle for Ca does it go up as expected?

4. The salt you are using. Who's salt are you using. Some salts have been found with very
high Alk lately, such as IO.


I would favor #1

How long has the Alk been this high ?

If it is no the kit just leave it alone, it will come down in time. It is not so high you
need to take any drastic measures.You may want to do a water change. --


Boomer

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"Brian Kramer" > wrote in message
om...
: I've tried that in the past and it doesn't seem to lower the
: alkalinity....where could the high alk be coming from. I'm using
: RO/DI water.
:
: My alk was high before the esv, though I was using seachem stuff
: instead.
: Marc Levenson > wrote in message >...
: > No, but I wouldn't add any more Alk for the next 24 hours to 48 hours. Just
: > keep dosing your Ca as usual.
: >
: > Marc
: >
: >
: > Brian Kramer wrote:
: >
: > > My alkalinity is around 5.5-6 meq/l on the salifert kit. I know it is
: > > on the high side, but will it cause me any problems. My tank is a 46
: > > gallon with 45 lbs live rock, a false percula, a small hippo tang
: > > (which will be given a new home when he gets larger and a hammer
: > > coral...and some assorted janitors...I use esv for calcium/alk.

[Brian Kramer]

I have done 10% water changes with a slight effect down from 6+ to
around 5. I don't believe I am doing anything wrong with the test
kit. It is pretty straightforward. Add a drop of reagent, start with
1 ml of titrate and see how much is required to change the color
adding a drop at a time.

I am using instant ocean. Tank is 4-5 months ld.

Calcium is around 425-450 typically.

The ESV is definately labelled fine since one precipitated out during
shipping and took a while to go back into solution...just as it said
it might on the bottle. The other didn't.

What would I expect it to be for plain new salt water mix. Maybe I'll
test that for comparison sake.

"Boomer" > wrote in message >...
> You can't increase Alk unless you add something, buffer, calcium reactor or some other
> type of addition, unless you have some DIY home-made rock. That doesn't seem to be any of
> your problems, so that leaves only 4 possibilities
>
> 1. Your test kit is bad. Try it against a new batch of salt or compare it to the alk at
> the LFS with their kit. And are you sure you are using it correctly ?
>
> 2. The alk is really high do to the seachem and your alk demand is low and will take a
> long period for it to go down once you stop adding it, which you seem to have done. The
> tank also seems new with few animals.Also your new fresh sand maybe keeping it up. How old
> is this tank ?
>
> 3. ESV bottle for Ca mis-labeled and is a Ca bottle.What is your Ca and when you use the
> Esv bottle for Ca does it go up as expected?
>
> 4. The salt you are using. Who's salt are you using. Some salts have been found with very
> high Alk lately, such as IO.
>
>
> I would favor #1
>
> How long has the Alk been this high ?
>
> If it is no the kit just leave it alone, it will come down in time. It is not so high you
> need to take any drastic measures.You may want to do a water change. --
>
>
> Boomer
>
> Want to talk chemistry ? The Reef Chemistry Forum
> http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/index.php
>
> Want to See More ?
> Please Join Our Growing Membership
> www.coralrealm.com
>
> If You See Me Running You Better Catch-Up
> "Brian Kramer" > wrote in message
> om...
> : I've tried that in the past and it doesn't seem to lower the
> : alkalinity....where could the high alk be coming from. I'm using
> : RO/DI water.
> :
> : My alk was high before the esv, though I was using seachem stuff
> : instead.
> : Marc Levenson > wrote in message >...
> : > No, but I wouldn't add any more Alk for the next 24 hours to 48 hours. Just
> : > keep dosing your Ca as usual.
> : >
> : > Marc
> : >
> : >
> : > Brian Kramer wrote:
> : >
> : > > My alkalinity is around 5.5-6 meq/l on the salifert kit. I know it is
> : > > on the high side, but will it cause me any problems. My tank is a 46
> : > > gallon with 45 lbs live rock, a false percula, a small hippo tang
> : > > (which will be given a new home when he gets larger and a hammer
> : > > coral...and some assorted janitors...I use esv for calcium/alk.

[Boomer]

Some batches of IO have been higher than 11 meq / l. Normally IO should be around 2- 2.5
from a fresh mix.

The water changes seems to be doing what one would expect, the Alk going down.Your kit
seems Ok. It may just have been the buffer you had used, especially if was SeaChems Labs
"Marine Buffer".You also may want to watch that Ca, it seems to be creeping up on you. You
want to be around 400-425 mg / l Ca ++. 450 is Ok, but anything higher is not a good idea.
Take a 1/2 liter of water from the tank and add 1/2 liter with new water and check the
Alk again. It should be around 4 meq / l

--
Boomer

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If You See Me Running You Better Catch-Up
"Brian Kramer" > wrote in message
om...
: I have done 10% water changes with a slight effect down from 6+ to
: around 5. I don't believe I am doing anything wrong with the test
: kit. It is pretty straightforward. Add a drop of reagent, start with
: 1 ml of titrate and see how much is required to change the color
: adding a drop at a time.
:
: I am using instant ocean. Tank is 4-5 months ld.
:
: Calcium is around 425-450 typically.
:
: The ESV is definately labelled fine since one precipitated out during
: shipping and took a while to go back into solution...just as it said
: it might on the bottle. The other didn't.
:
: What would I expect it to be for plain new salt water mix. Maybe I'll
: test that for comparison sake.
:
: "Boomer" > wrote in message
>...
: > You can't increase Alk unless you add something, buffer, calcium reactor or some
other
: > type of addition, unless you have some DIY home-made rock. That doesn't seem to be any
of
: > your problems, so that leaves only 4 possibilities
: >
: > 1. Your test kit is bad. Try it against a new batch of salt or compare it to the alk
at
: > the LFS with their kit. And are you sure you are using it correctly ?
: >
: > 2. The alk is really high do to the seachem and your alk demand is low and will take a
: > long period for it to go down once you stop adding it, which you seem to have done.
The
: > tank also seems new with few animals.Also your new fresh sand maybe keeping it up. How
old
: > is this tank ?
: >
: > 3. ESV bottle for Ca mis-labeled and is a Ca bottle.What is your Ca and when you use
the
: > Esv bottle for Ca does it go up as expected?
: >
: > 4. The salt you are using. Who's salt are you using. Some salts have been found with
very
: > high Alk lately, such as IO.
: >
: >
: > I would favor #1
: >
: > How long has the Alk been this high ?
: >
: > If it is no the kit just leave it alone, it will come down in time. It is not so high
you
: > need to take any drastic measures.You may want to do a water change. --
: >
: >
: > Boomer
: >
: > Want to talk chemistry ? The Reef Chemistry Forum
: > http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/index.php
: >
: > Want to See More ?
: > Please Join Our Growing Membership
: > www.coralrealm.com
: >
: > If You See Me Running You Better Catch-Up
: > "Brian Kramer" > wrote in message
: > om...
: > : I've tried that in the past and it doesn't seem to lower the
: > : alkalinity....where could the high alk be coming from. I'm using
: > : RO/DI water.
: > :
: > : My alk was high before the esv, though I was using seachem stuff
: > : instead.
: > : Marc Levenson > wrote in message
>...
: > : > No, but I wouldn't add any more Alk for the next 24 hours to 48 hours. Just
: > : > keep dosing your Ca as usual.
: > : >
: > : > Marc
: > : >
: > : >
: > : > Brian Kramer wrote:
: > : >
: > : > > My alkalinity is around 5.5-6 meq/l on the salifert kit. I know it is
: > : > > on the high side, but will it cause me any problems. My tank is a 46
: > : > > gallon with 45 lbs live rock, a false percula, a small hippo tang
: > : > > (which will be given a new home when he gets larger and a hammer
: > : > > coral...and some assorted janitors...I use esv for calcium/alk.