Excess alkalinity   10/27/06
Folks; hope you're well.  I have an embarrassing problem and couldn't really find an answer on your excellent site.
My tank is a 46 gallon reef, running very well for 4-5 yrs, using two-part B-Ionic; parameters are usually "right on", but  I returned from a trip and somehow began interpreting my Salifert KH/alk test backwards(!) and have been adding excess alk. component of B-ionic so that now my dKH is almost 16 (hopefully not higher; that's the top of the range on the test kit).  Ca is 440; pH is 8.2. All fish, corals, and inverts seem totally fine, and I have no snowstorms.
<Best to just "back off" of the two parts here... adjust through regularly scheduled water changes>
How urgent is it to decrease the dKH?
<Mmm, not very>
  Should I step up h2o changes drastically, wait it out, add a buffer of some sort, or....?
<Just the regular...>
Thanks in advance!  I'll have my head examined as soon as my tank is back to normal!
<Heeeee! We might start a club. Excess alkalinity Hi...  Cheers, BobF>

75 Gallon FOWLR Alk   8/17/06
I have been cycling this tank for four weeks now and current levels are:
PH-8.2
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-20
Calcium- 520
<A bit high...>
Alk- 8 dKH
I haven't added anything to the tank chemical-wise.
<Odd that both your Calcium and Alkalinity should be so high... and your pH...>
All I have in it now is about 100 lbs live rock and 3 peppermint shrimp which already took care of a growing Aiptasia (sp?) problem. The substrate is AragAlive.
How could my calcium level have gotten so high?
<The salt mix and the initial porosity of the LR and sand>
I am worried about coralline growth down the road.
<Not to be...>
IS there a way to raise my Alkalinity without raising the calcium at the same time?
<Oh yes... a few ways... and this can/will likely occur with just time going by here in a while. I would NOT start trying to adjust, add anything here>
Or is this just normal in a new tank?
<Mmm, no... variable, depending on the nature of the substrates, water make-up, the "quality" of the new LR...>
Also there is some brown algae on the tops of some rocks and on the sand. I believe I read here that this is normal and will go away soon. Is there anything I should be doing to assure this? Thanks for the help.
<At this point... reading: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Brian

Baking Soda as a Buffer?   7/18/06
Hello WWM crewmatie,
<<Ahoy me heartie!>>
I have a question about using baking soda for buffering RO/DI top-off water.
<<Alrighty>>
I have a 125 gallon mixed reef tank with LS, 125 lbs. LR, calcium reactor and Milwaukee MSM 122 pH monitor.  My tank was established in May 2006.  Generally speaking, so far, so good.
<<A very young system...>>
I have not been adding anything to the RO/DI make-up water I have been using these past couple of months (5-10% water changes ~monthly and weekly for evaporation as needed).
<<Best to do so in my opinion>>
This could explain why my Xenia are not doing so good-right?.
<<Mmm no, more likely attributable to the "newness" of this system>>
I did read the article listed in your website by Anthony Calfo on "Understanding Calcium and Alkalinity" where he mentioned using baking soda vs. a retail product is generally not advised.
<<I actually "cut" the retail product with baking soda to stretch its use/my dollar>>
Since I can and do monitor my pH real-time, (1) can I use plain baking soda to prep my top-off water and, if so, (2) is it best to add the baking soda just before use or 24 hours before use while aerating it with a powerhead?
<<You can use plain baking soda to "buffer" your makeup water.  Just don't expect it to bring up your pH much past 7.8 without some help.  If you want it to increase pH as well you will need to spread it on a baking sheet and bake it in your oven to drive off the C02 used in its manufacture (300F for an hour I think, but check the Chemistry forum on RC to be sure).  As for when to add to the makeup water, do this at least 24 hours prior to use and aerate as you describe>>
I do monitor KH with readings between 10-14.  My pH has been ranging between 8.0-8.
<<...?>>
I realize I should be maintaining it at the 8.3 range and want to do so starting with buffering my replacement water.
<<Nothing wrong with 8.0, but if you wish to boost your pH you'll need more than just baking soda.  If you want to try my recipe...mix 1-part Seachem's Reef Buffer with 3-parts baking soda.  You can adjust the portions depending on how much of a pH boost you need>>
Installing an automated top-off system is my next project.
<<Very worthwhile>>
I'm no Homer Simpson, but every now and then I do deserve a "doh!" for pulling a you-know-what.
<<Indeed my friend...been there...done that>>
Gracias.
Steve
<<Cheers mate, EricR>>

Re: Baking Soda as a Buffer? - 07/18/06
Hi Eric,
<<Hello Steve>>
Great Advice.
<<Glad you like it!>>
A follow-on comment and question regarding pH.
<<OK>>
First, my pH has been ranging between 8.0-8.1.  Guess I was missing a digit in my initial email.
<<Ah, okay...and still an acceptable value>>
I have read that most RO/DI water made from tap water has a pH of around 7.0 or so.
<<Usually a narrow window to either side of the scale, yes>>
Last night, I checked mine (am using a 4-stage Spectrapure unit) and found the pH to be 8.5!
<<Have heard/read of this before, and my own experience is not too dissimilar...likely not a large concern>>
I live in Southern California and understand the water is particularly alkaline.
<<Indeed...have heard Bob mention more than once the "liquid rock" in that area>>
Is it unusual for RO/DI water to have such a high pH level?
<<While true one would expect pH to fall after passing through the unit consideration need be given to the elements/concentration of elements in the water, quality/age of the membrane, as well as the quality/age/suitability of the resins used.  With my own situation my tap water measures a pH of about 8.4 but my TDS consistently reads at about 80ppm.  Since the majority of aquarists (including myself) use a TDS meter to measure quality/useful life of a RO membrane, who's to say what may be getting through/keeping the pH elevated that we don't know/think about because it doesn't register on our TDS meters?  If your filter unit is up to snuff I wouldn't be too concerned re the pH of the effluent...If you are curious enough, you could talk to a chemist at the water company to try to determine the reason for the elevated pH after filtration.  And do understand, this is all my own opinion/observation>>
This might explain why my pH has been OK even while running a calcium reactor and maintaining Ca levels of 400 ppm without a drop in pH.
<<Yes, maybe>>
In any event, I did purchase some Seachem pH buffer and used it this morning.
<<A good product/manufacturer in my opinion>>
A salesperson at the LFS that I went to also mentioned putting baking soda in the oven and cooking it for a while.  She did not know why, but your advice answered that question.
<<Ahh...good>>
OK, one last question.  Since my RO/DI water has such a high pH, should I even bother with baking soda or a buffer like Seachem?
<<Probably, yes...you will still likely need to buffer/boost alkalinity...which should not be confused with pH>>
Thanks!
Steve
<<Happy to assist.  EricR>>

Lowering KH: Fish panting  7/14/06
Hello WWM Crew you guys are great! I have been reading through articles trying to find a Q&A about lowering KH found a lot of article but nothing to
specific.  I have a 55g SW FOWLR and cleaning Crew had my water tested at the LFS yester day Parameters Where;
<And were?>
Ph 8.3,
KH: 25,
S.G of 1.025
Ammonia 0,
Nitrite: Trace,
Nitrate: 10ppm
Temp stays steady at 80
I only have 2 Maroon yellow stripe Clowns and 2 Damsels (Velvet, yellow Tail)
1 sand sifting star and 1 Chocolate Chip Star Cleaner are 7 Nassarius, 9-12 Blue Leg Dwarf hermit, few scarlet reef hermits, 2 turbo snails
All the fish where... are slow moving and breathing heavy...
<Good observation, bad behavior>
How do I Lower the KH or is it even a problem for them I also am running a Berlin Airlift 60 Protein skimmer and power head with a with a wire wheel
and an airline mixing in some oxygen so I hope the power head was from a knock off SeaClone skimmer...
<Mmm, really, the best way, and with many ancillary benefits here, is to change out a good deal of your water (like a quarter) and replace it with new that is of a lower KH... do this every handful of days...>
  I also had a yellow tang die yesterday :-( my wife's fave. fish too!!! What could have caused this?
<... Life... No way to tell from here>
It had been doing well for almost a month.
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ytangdisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above... Anything look familiar?>
  Then no more than him hitting the sand for a sec about 6 Nassarius snails and three emerald crabs were on his poor dead body just
feasting is it normal for them to be so aggressive and fast at getting on the dead fish?
<Yes... a good sign that they're healthy, not overfed>
I fed frozen Mysis shrimp every other day and Seaweed to the tang every other day (was)... What am I doing wrong...? Help me please!!!
<Read on my brother. Bob Fenner>

ALK of Water   7/4/06
Hi Folks,
I thought I wanted/needed a Ca reactor. I just tested the water of my 12 month old 55 G aquarium for dKH for the first time to find results of 21 dKH.
<Yikes!>
My Ca++ is 400-420.
<...?>
Both tests use the precipitate method. I seem to need to soften my water rather than purchase a Ca Reactor?
<Mmm, no... but I would check these test results with other gear>
What alarms me is the hardness more than the Ca, although it too approaches high end level.
<This situation is anomalous... but also likely not what it appears>
I do not treat with anything except iodine once a week. I do a 5 G water change every week, no  extra buffers just IO salt mix & aerate a
few days before use. I also top with 5 G FW each week after aerating. I also use stability enzymes
<What are these?>
once per month. pH 8.2, everything else is 0 except PO4 which I am reducing with Phosguard ~ 2.0. Currently
exploring a whirlpool WHER 25 R/O for use...trying to find out if it reduces phosphates/silicate adequately enough.
<... should reduce to near zero. You have 2 ppm of soluble phosphate in the water exiting from this reverse osmosis device? Something is amiss here if so>
Ordered some ROWAphos to eliminate from incoming water and tank water till I install R/DI unit.
<Oh... go with the RO>
Is there something I should do today with these CA/ALK results or just continue as planned?
<Continue, try other testing equipment... the RO device. Bob Fenner>

Alkalinity Problem  6/5/06
Hello again.
<Hello Ryan>  I need to bother you again, sorry.  Anyway I am having problems with my alkalinity it is always too low about 1.7 meq.  I work at a saltwater fish store and the water is DO water which I read on your web site strips the minerals from the water.  I tested their saltwater (tropic Marin)  and the alkalinity is much higher than mine about 2.8 meq. and I change about 7 gallons a week on a 55 gallon tank.  So I don't understand what the deal is, alkalinity is a weird thing to me.  My PH is always really good about 8.2-8.4 but according to your web site it could crash at anytime.  I have been adding a buffer to raise the alkalinity but I was wondering if there was a long time solution to this problem.  Could this be caused by over skimming (remora pro)?
<No> Currently I have 80 pounds of live rock, 50 pounds of sand, kole tang, clown fish, Trachy brain, Favites brain, bubble tip anemone, mushrooms, green star polyps, finger leather, torch coral, and a couple small frags
of Montipora.  All doing well except for Favites which is showing a little recession.  Any advice would appreciated.  Thank you very much, Ryan Nienhuis.  P.S.  All my other water parameters are good calcium 400, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, phosphate .2,  PH 8.2.  I use tropic Marin bio calcium when I need to...not very often.
<Have you compared readings with a different test kit?  Would try this first.  Do take a dKH/me/q reading of your new water before doing the actual water change, see what that reads.  Excess CO2 in the make-up will lower dKH.  Do aerate the freshwater 24 hours before
mixing salt.  You may want to try a different brand of buffer such as Sea Chem's Reef Builder.  Do reply and we will go from there.
Thanks again.
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
 

Re: Alkalinity Problems    6/6/06 Hey thanks for the response. <You're welcome.> The saltwater I use is pre mixed at the store I work at and is stored in a 300 gallon tub that is currently mixing via a dolphin pump.  When I measured the alkalinity at the store it is exactly the same thing I'm putting in my tank and it is what they use in their tanks and they do not have any alkalinity problems.  I have used my own test kit and the test kit at the store and they both read the same.  Based on your reply it sounds like alkalinity can be affected by poor aeration, correct? <Yes, high nutrient levels will cause a drop also.  Watch your feeding.> I have plenty of flow in the tank about 9 gallons per hour being circulated, the powerheads are pointing on a upward angle so there is a lot of surface agitation.  To me it seems like when I add the saltwater to my tank something is either using (not the correct way to say this) all of the alkalinity (minerals) or it is somehow disappearing.  I am really stumped about this.  Since I am emailing you anyway I have another question.  The Favites brain I was telling you about (receding) is a different color.... more neon green than It was before and the tentacles are not coming out at night.  It almost looks as if it is covered in a thin layer of mucous. I tried to rinse it a little bit but that didn't help, any ideas? <I have none in this regard, Bob may inject something here.> 230 watts of pc lighting, about 10 inches below water line (lights on for 10 hours a day).  I will try and attach a picture. <Ryan, I believe you are borderline on lighting for this coral.  The green brains are usually found in shallower water and therefore require more light than the brown/red varieties.  Another point, they seem to do much better placed on a sandy substrate.  Another point, are you dosing moly, magnesium, strontium, iodine, etc? Occasional feedings of micro-plankton in the evening when the tentacles are out will also benefit the coral.   On the alkalinity issue, I've posted a link for you to read which will give you a better understanding of alkalinity. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alkalinity.htm Thanks, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)> Ryan.

Re: Alkalinity Problems  - 06/07/06
Once again thanks for the response.
<You're welcome.>
I do not believe that I am over feeding ( 1 pinch of pellets per day) but it is possible that I have a high nutrient concentration, because I have a lot of Aiptasia and bristle worms but my water quality (things I can test) are all 0, so if I was overfeeding shouldn't I at least have a higher nitrate reading (like I said it is 0 ).
<Sounds to me like excess CO2 in the make-up water and/or system.>
I have ordered the buffer you suggested and will try that.  Oh, yeah by the way I meant to say my water is cycling 9 times per hour via my powerheads not 9 gallons per hour.
<Yes, quite obvious.>
Thanks for your time I will leave you alone for at least a little while.  Thanks, Ryan Nienhuis.
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Re:  Alkalinity Problems   6/8/06
Ok now I'm really sorry for bugging you again, but you said that it sounds like excess CO2 in my system, how exactly can I fix this problem.  I have plenty of water movement, would lowering the salinity help
<Nope.>
(mines 1.024) or maybe lowering the temperature a couple of degrees
<Nope>
(79-80 currently)?
<If you are using a sump with a drip plate, that should take care of any excess CO2 in the display tank.  Do aerate your freshwater 24 hours before adding the salt.  Use the aeration feature on your mixing powerhead.  If your using a deep sand bed with little or no critters to stir it up, the hydrogen sulphide emitting from the bed will also cause a drop in dKH.>
Thanks,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Ryan.  P.S I will see if I can find anything on your website about this.
<More than likely in the FAQ's.>

Raising dKH   6/1/06
Hello WWM Crew,
<Hello Colin>
This is the first time I contacted you with a question. Your great site has provided me with tons of useful knowledge. My livestock and I wish to say a most sincere thank you.
<You're welcome, and thank you for the kind words.>
Now then, on to business. My tank is a 125 gal mixed reef, which I consider to be quite healthy. All my parameters are well in the norm, and my bio load is quite low. I'm more into corals than fish.
I recently began using Kalkwasser with my top offs. I've followed the instruction, and setup a slow drip system using minimal amounts until I can determine the ideal amount to maintain my calcium levels.
My question is basically how Kalkwasser will affect my dKH? My dKH is down to 8 from 9 or 10. I'd like to have it a little higher. Can you please explain in simple terms, a safe way to raise my dKH. I'm concerned a buffer might work against the calcium I'm constantly adding. Am I way off here?
<Colin, I use Sea Chem Reef Advantage for doing this.  Have not seen any lowering of CA in doing this.  Levels of 8-12 dKH are quite acceptable.>
Thank you much,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Colin Deveau

When adding sodium bicarbonate fails... seesawing alk. and Ca concentrations  - 4/11/2006
Dear Crew
  <Mike>
Thank you so much for the Knowledge you have given  me.  I have gathered tomes of information in my first year as an  aquarist.  Thank you!  Now for the fun part :)
  <My fave>
I  have heard that if you use baking soda (cautiously) you can increase  your dKH levels.  
<Mmm...>
I have tried this method to no avail.  Even  when putting a teaspoon of baking soda (Arm & Hammer brand - 100%  sodium bicarbonate) in a gallon of water (from a water change) and  testing that gallon one hour later, the results show (for both my test  kits) 0 dKH.  How does that work out?
  My tank is suffering from 0 dKH.
<0?>
  Specs are as follows:
    55gal   nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, phosphate, all at 0.  
  calc is 475ppm
<... source of precipitation of your alkalinity>
  trace silicate (< .1ppm)  
  My PH varies wildly (as I would expect) but always on the high  side.  night readings in the 8.3 area - day readings nearing 8.8  
  No corals (yet), livesand 4" deep, 1 maroon clown (in QT now, soon to be added), few crabs and snails, lots of live rock.  
  I do not use an RO/DI unit as my tap water is near perfect.  It  has no phos, nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia, and has high calcium (in  fact, I don't dose calc and still maintain 475ppm).  Is my lack of  water filtering perhaps the problem after all?
  <Mmm, not likely>
I have tried  mixing my make-up water (my weekly change - 10%) with two teaspoons of  baking soda (as prescribed by the forum members and LFS) but still  haven't seen an increase in dKH.  I was previously using Kent  Marine Superbuffer-dKH in the same fashion with the same results.   I've Been doing this for about 2 months now.  What else can be  done to increase dKH and stabilize my PH?
  <... a bunch>
One other thing  that might be worth mention (suspect #1 on my list) is that fact that I  am not sure what material my sand bed is.  I originally bought a  cheap sugar-fine type of white sand (specifically for marine tanks -  not "play sand") though, sadly I do not recall the brand name.   Would slowly adding a few more inches of an aragonite sand help my  issue?  
  Thank you again for your time, effort, and inspiration.  
  Sincerely,
  Mike Price.
<... Mike, please take a read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
and the linked files above. You are "this close" to the momentum/understanding... and Antoine's article ought to bring some light. Bob Fenner>

Alkalinity Control    4/4/06
Hi Crew, <Hi Leif>
I'm hoping you can help me out. I have been reading through all of your alkalinity FAQs and read Anthony's article several times and have
gained what I think is an understanding of my problem, but would like to check if I may?
I have been adding calcium to my marine tank for several months (Tropic Marin Bio Calcium) and had been maintaining a calcium level of around
350-400 ppm without problems. Recently I have noticed that the coralline has stopped growing and is receding and bleaching. I tested calcium,
which was around 200 ppm and have recently bought an alkalinity test kit (Aquarium Systems) which shows my Alk as 6.5 meq/l (18dKH) which I now
realize is drastically high and more than likely the reason that my calcium has dropped. <Yes.> I think, from reading your FAQs, that the best way
for me to remedy this is to perform some extra water changes. ( I had been adding sodium bicarbonate to buffer my RO water for water changes
but I will now have to monitor this much closer as I had never tested alkalinity until yesterday.) <Not good.>
My question, other than asking for confirmation that I understand the above correctly, is, will this high alk affect my other livestock?  <Should
not.> I have mushrooms, polyps, snails, shrimps, crabs, some brown, red and green macro algae and a few fish. I have noticed that the polyps haven't
been doing too well lately and look a bit shriveled and not opening fully like they used to. Could this be due to the high alk? <Don't think so.>
Also I had a few snails die mysteriously last week, could this too be due to high alk?  <Again, don't think so.  May have lived out their lives or other water parameters amiss.>
I change out at least 10% of the water weekly and put new PolyFilter and carbon in the canister monthly. There is plenty of water movement
and about 30lbs of live rock with about a 1cm covering of crushed coral substrate.
My other specs are as follows;
30 Gallon,
Ammonia + nitrite 0,
Nitrate 10ppm
pH 8.4 - stable (never changed and I test regularly)
Calcium - 200ppm
Phosphate - trace.
Lighting is 2 x 30watt - 10,000K Ocean sun (zoo-med)
1 x 30 Watt Phillips Coral Life (purple coloured).
<Purple, assuming it is an actinic tube?  You're lighting is border line for keeping soft corals.  Suggest at least 120-150 watts of lighting.>
Any help or clarification would be much appreciated.
<You can reduce the alkalinity by using SeaChem's pH reducer (freshwater product).
Do not follow dosing instructions on bottle.  Use 1/2 recommended dose and only dose once daily till dKH levels drop to 8-12dkH.>
Thank you,  <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Leif
Re: Alkalinity and Calcium levels    4/4/06
FYI
I found out why my Alkalinity was so low. The test kit went bad:-( I bought a new kit and tested the values of my tap, RO and tank water. All are just fine. That is a new lesson learned for me!   <Ah, good to hear. Thank you for the follow up.  James (Salty Dog)>

Alkalinity Problem (I'll Say!) - 03/22/06
I have a 20 gallon reef tank with only some yellow polyps and a gorgonian in it.  I also have 7 or 8 small gobies in the tank, which are around an inch each.  I have calcium levels around 420 and my alkalinity is really high 20meq or higher.
<<Yikes!!!>>
How do I lower this?  Please let me know.
<<Mmm...are you adding supplements?  If so...why?...considering your tank inhabitants.  But I think your test kits are suspect...I seriously doubt your calcium and alkalinity are that high and you're not having other issues (rapid and catastrophic precipitation of the earth elements from the water volume).  But to be safe, perform a couple large water changes...then retest with new/different test kits (both calcium and alkalinity).
Thanks...
Robin
<<Regards, EricR>>

Alkalinity Problem (I'll Say!) II - 03/24/06
I have been adding Reef Buffer (Seachem) because every couple of days my pH drops and if I so not add that it will keep on dropping and the fish will be dead.  When I first put the buffer in the pH is 8.3 but in a few days 7.9 to 8.0.
<<7.9-8.0 is not as bad as you may think.  Did you validate your test kit readings?  If so, I recommend you stop using the buffer.  It has its uses but in this instance I think it may be being misused/overkill (not necessarily your fault).  On a 20 gallon tank, with the inhabitants you listed in your previous email, I think you will be much better served to do a 20% water change weekly to maintain pH, trace/earth elements, etc..  The water changes also have the added benefit of removing/reducing pollutants and keeping calcium/alkalinity in balance...something the buffer can't do. Regards EricR>>

Re: hi alk and hi calcium  - 03/12/2006
> > Just following up with your recommended changes on the high alk/calcium condition I have from last week.
> > I took Bob's suggestion to read and after spending hours scavenging over FAQ's and related articles on your website I still have NOT found any clear answer to my issues, but I followed Bob's recommendations and several website recommendations and so far had little success.  This is what I have done.  1-removal of some or all of substrate as Bob recommended-I removed roughly 60% of my crushed coral substrate over my plenum-about 3". 2-removed some bio stars out of my Rena xp3 filter because
> > one FAQ stated once there is an established  plenum or substrate, bio material out of the filter can be slowly eliminated to reduce the nitrates
<This is so... in an otherwise stable, established system>
> > that the filter naturally produces.  My nitrate is hovering around 40ppm prior to changing out the bio stars and replacing them with more carbon.
I  need to wait and see on this one since it was only done two days ago.
<Yes>
> > 3-increased salinity to 1.025 from 1.021 slowly over one week and so far all corals and starfish are doing fine except for my mushrooms! 4-lowered tank temp from 82-77.  My tank fluctuates approx. 2-3 degrees through the course of an 8 hour 250x2 metal halide lighting cycle and I heard on the FAQ's that this is NOT a big deal but please reconfirm.
<Should be fine>
Now the tank is at 77 at night
> > and 79-80 prior to the lights going out. I performed water changes over a one week period I changed over 50% of the water but maybe I should change more?
<I would likely not change more>
> > Readings for alk 15 dKH, calcium 500ppm.  I checked my Salifert check kits by checking r/o and top off water and they are o.k. and relatively new plus the alk did come down about 3 points.
<Good>
> > The only other suggestions Bob suggested or that I read in the FAQ's that I haven't done yet are;
> > 1. removal of all substrate/plenum and replace with live sand.
> > 2. add a fine sand over top of existing coarse coral/plenum like Carib-sea Special grade. (approx. 2-3")This would obviously be the easiest thing to do and I would hate to remove all corals, live rock etc to take the plenum out.
> > 3. change R/o filters which I have on order but I was told I need a TDS test kit
> > to properly measure dissolved solids and I should not just refer to nitrate readings of 10ppm that I have now with current aged filters.
<Mmm, you could take a sample of water into a business that specializes in water treatment (see your "Yellow Pages") and have them test...>
> > 4.  continue with massive water changes.
> > 5.  switch from Red Sea to Instant Ocean salt.  It seems like quite a few aquarists have done this.
<Yes>
> > I am at a loss now and would like any further suggestions.
> > regards,
> > Al Standaert
<Really just what you've done and listed... and time going by. Bob Fenner>

Alkalinity question   2/9/06
Hi Guys!!! <And gals!>
Greetings from Canada! <And from Michigan.> I was wandering whether you have a spot in your busy schedule for few questions.<Just found one.> So, here is what I worry about. I have quite a new tank, about 3 months old. Only at the beginning of January I start adding live stock to it (http://www.math.ubc.ca/~barannyk/Aquarium/FishTank.html). Last weekend I did routine tests and decided to check Ca+ level. It used to be ~400 ppm (Aquarium Farm.) but now it is 370 ppm. Still in the appropriate range according to the article on your site. <It's fine.> So I decided to check Alkalinity as well, just in case. Though I never perform that test. So I bought a Salifert kit and did a test yesterday, it showed 4.23 meq/L It's higher then 3, the number indicated in the article by Anthony Calfo). But I am not sure that it is high enough. Would you suggest to perform any steps at this point or should it stay as it is? <Your meq/L reading converts to 11.8 dKH which is fine.  I like to keep dKH in the 8-12 dKH range.>
The another question is actually about my anemone, it seems like it does not feel good and honestly I don't have any idea what is wrong with it. <Anemones are difficult to keep long term to begin with.  Do you do 10% weekly/20% bi-weekly water changes?  Are you dosing strontium, iodine, etc?  You don't mention what kind of anemone it is or type/wattage of lighting you are using.  Most require intense lighting to survive.> I feed it once every three days. <Do read here.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm>
And the last one is connected with the first question. I observed strange white spots on the shell of my red shrimp and emerald crab. Could this be connected with the lack of calcium in the system? <No on the calcium issue. I'm thinking there is a lack of iodine in the system and these animals are trying to molt and require iodine supplements to help this process along.>
That is probably it.
Thanks in advance  <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Alex

dKH problem  - 01/12/2006
I currently have a 65 gal tank  ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10 sal 1.024 temp 76.4 phos 0, but currently my dKH is up to 14 and the calcium is at 480
I'm not really sure what happened but what can I do to fix this or  
will it subside safely back to  normal level. FOWLR tank <Don't do anything, it certainly won't increase any and will lower with time.  James (Salty Dog)> <<Mmm, how did these values get to be so high? RMF>>

Lowering my Alk  1/1/06
Greetings..<Hello Bruce> Have learned a lot from your site. a lot of good information posted.  So much so that I'm getting a little confused.
I have a 55 gallon tank that has been up and running for about a year.
For the longest time I used the Kent Calcium Supplements (1 cap full a day). Tank was doing well I was happy.
Then I changed to the Tropic Marine Bio-Calcium about a month ago.
After a week of using this new product I noticed a white substance on the water heater and was told by my local fish guy that I had a Calcium/Alkalinity problem.
I did a Calcium Test and got a number of 120.  Didn't have a dKH tester at the time.
For the last two weeks I have done about 3 water changes (approx 25%)
Tonight did a water test:  Calcium 225, Alkalinity dKH 18+ Ph is 8.4. water source is RO.  Also, there still is a little bit of white stuff on the heater (Calcium build up?)
After reading all of the articles, I understand that I need to do a water change in order to lower (dilute) my dKH #
But how much of a water change should I do? (25%, 30% or 50%) and if your recommending a 50% change is that over the course of a week or same day?
Also. a water change should also mean less Calcium in the water too right?  
. I'm just unsure what to do next after I've done the water change.   Add more Bio-Calcium or go back to the Kent products?
Ugh. I'm so confused. as I can tell my tank is stressed. I liked the article about the marbles that helped  me understand the relationship between Calcium and Alkalinity. <Bruce, don't add anymore calcium until you get your dKH down.  The high dKH is just depleting the calcium.  It isn't totally necessary to change water to resolve this.  What you want to do is buy some SeaChem Acid Buffer (freshwater). DO NOT follow the dosing directions on the bottle, divide that by half, we don't want sudden ph drops.  Use daily and this should lower your dKH by 0.3 per day.
The idea here is to start taking some of that buffer out of the bank by means of introducing acid into the system.  James (Salty Dog)>

Water so hard you can chew it - 4/12/05
Hi Crew,
I hope someone responds quickly in case I need immediate action. 
<How's this?>
I prepared two five gallon containers of salt water a week ago for a small water change. I checked the pH of the mixed salt water and it was slightly low as was the Alkalinity in my tank, so I added buffer to the two containers of pre-mixed salt water.
<Good to use the buffer to address low alkalinity... but not pH alone.>
I mixed well and aerated with a small power head and added to the tank. The buffer evidently was not dissolved and the entire tank clouded up.
<As in "went milky" with cloudiness? It sounds like you had an imbalance in calcium/alkalinity -- calcium too high for the water to be able to support this additional input of carbonates. The result? The whole darn lot falls out of solution in a self-perpetuating reaction.>
I mixed 3 teaspoons in each five gallon container (instructions were 1 teaspoon per 80 liters of water).
<This is a lot of buffer to add to five gallons of water.... too much.>
I have added before to make up water without any problems, but this time it did not dissolve. I know the salt water was well mixed as it was aerated for a whole entire week. My tank is 250 gallons in total capacity. I have added carbon to try to clean, but do you think I have a big problem? It seems to me I heard somewhere that if buffer does not become soluble, it can precipitate something and cause a big problem. I used Kent super dKH buffer. Please let me know if I really messed up.
<Do you add calcium supplements? If so, you do need to be testing for calcium in addition to alkalinity. In addition, you should only add an amount of buffer that the water can support -- whether this be your change water or the tank water.>
Thanks for your quick response.
<I would let the reaction run its course. Once the "cloudiness" has disappeared altogether, you will likely find you have very low calcium and alkalinity. A series of water changes will help to bring them back up.
Steven
<Best regards, John>

Water so hard you can chew it - II  12/5/05
John,
Thanks for your quick reply.
<Welcome!>
Update: water cleared completely and I checked the Alkalinity and ph. The alkalinity is a color chart (no numbers) and it read almost exactly the color that is the highest alkalinity. Ph is right about 8.3, this is also with a color chart. I have a reagent style Red Sea test kit which is relatively new.
<Sounds good. You need to get some decent (reagent or electronic) test kits>
I added a calcium, iodine and strontium supplement as you indicated my calcium may be low. I don't have a test kit for calcium; however I will try to get one tomorrow. 
<I think you misunderstood my previous response... an imbalance of alkalinity or calcium is what is causing you these problems. You need to be testing for both calcium and alkalinity.> 
Any chance this event was toxic to the fish, snails, or crabs? They seem to be acting "normal" grazing off of the live rock and ate some sea veggie sheets I fed after the water cleared.
<Unlikely>
I had thought it was normal to buffer pre-mixed salt water, but I guess not the case here. I am assuming there was too high of a calcium level in the salt water I mixed to sustain the buffer as you indicated. I will buffer in the future if needed using the top off water, as I have never had any problem doing so. The water is double carbon pass, double RO pass, double UV pass, and then deionized so it is doubtful there was an issue with the water.
<Yes, it is normal to buffer it slightly.... but three teaspoons per five gallons is an insane amount of buffer to add to pre-mixed saltwater.>
In any case I hope all is well here and with you. 
<Very well. Thanks for writing... John>
Thanks, Steven 

Saltwater Chemistry 10/31/05
I've had fish in my 40 gallon tank for a month now (after a month of 30 lb of live rock cycling). Future plans call for soft corals.
<Okay>
For the past month, pH has been 8.2 -8.3, temp 75, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, specific gravity 1.023 - 1.024. Calcium started at 330 and I've slowly increased it to 450 with Kent liquid calcium. My Mardel test kit lists alkalinity at 240 (which is the middle of their buffer zone). How does this alkalinity scale relate to dKH?
<Is one measure... carbonate hardness... generally principal component of total or general hardness... often described as alkalinity: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1968&articleid=2765 >
Before finding your web site, I chose 1 1/2 inches of dolomite as a substrate. It is about 3mm diameter. I'm considering replacing it with 1 inch deep of aragonite.
<Dolomites are compounds of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate... Aragonitic material is principally calcium carbonate... more soluble...>
I thought I would leave a couple inches of the dolomite around the live rock (whose foot print is about 40% of the tank floor) to avoid major stirrings of the tank. Is this a practical move with fish already in the tank?
<Mmm, yes>
Does algae grow on aragonite more or less than dolomite?
<Less in most circumstances>
I've read "Conscientious" a few times and have "Reef Invertebrates" (Calfo & Fenner) and "Aquarium Corals" (Borneman) on my Christmas list.
<Good books. Bob Fenner> 

Alkaline test kits  9/21/05
Bob, <James today>
Great website and you guys do a great job.  I have a question regarding Alkalinity Tests.  I'm using a Nutrafin KH test (titration).  I dropped 40 drops and multiplied this number x10 (as per test instructions). Why do I see a reading of 400mg/L and a lot of your website's conversations refer to numbers in the low double digit range?  Should I be converting my results by some formula? <Allan, if my memory serves me right, I'm thinking you have to divide this number by 50 for a dKH reading.  If I'm incorrect, Bob may insert something here.  James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks,
Allan

Re: alkaline test kits  9/22/05
Thanks.  That dKH reading would still  be around 200. <Allan, 400mg divided by 50 = 8>  Does that make any sense?  Also, I recently switched a 125 gallon over to marine.  I've been "trying" to cycle the tank with 80 lbs. live sand and 100 lbs. cured live rock for exactly two weeks.  I have off-chart ammonia reading since this past week with 0 nitrites. <You will have.  There is a tremendous amount of die off in live rock.  A recent tank I did took three weeks for the ammonia levels to start dropping.> I added 6 ounces bio-Spira because I believe in fantasies.  All visible live forms on the rocks have died (contributing to the ammonia, I believe).<They (most of) will come back>  Is the ammonia level so high that it will kill nitrifying bacteria and no start cycling?  I've been referring to my non cycling tank as DEATH VALLEY! <If there was a good colony of bacteria present the ammonia level would have dropped.  You have to remember that ammonia levels in a established tank doesn't require a huge bacterial colony to denitrify.  I a new live rock situation, as you've experienced, the ammonia levels are off the scales.  It will take longer for a large enough bacteria colony to develop to handle the large load.  Have patience my friend.  Patience will be the #1 thing going for you in this hobby.  If you are low on patience, this hobby is not going to be rewarding for you. And, read, read, read.  James (Salty Dog)>
HELP!
Thanks,
Allan

Alkalinity additives part 2 8/12/05
Thanks Adam, I like your method. Would it be ok to add the part B-Ionic while the lights are off? I leave my house at 4:30 AM so it would be difficult to try and space them out in the same day when I returned home from work. Or do you think it would be a better idea to dose the tank using alternating days. Part A one day and part B the next? Thanks again for your help! <Adding the alkalinity component before you leave for work would be ideal since this is when the tank pH is the lowest.  It is OK that the lights are off.  You could then add the Ca component in the evening.  Alternate days are OK too, but easier to lose track of.  Best Regards.  AdamC.>

Alkalinity too high?
Hey boys,
< And girls... but boy tonight. >
I have a bit of a dilemma and I'm hoping any of you could help me out.  Here it is, my 155 gal has been running for about five months.  During the first few months I was listening to my LFS and dosing baking soda in my water change.  < Not a bad idea, but usually new tanks are not in need of such additives. > As a beginner, I thought that my LFS knew what he was doing. Fortunately, I didn't loose any stock and the last four months I'm trying to correct the alkalinity problem with regular weekly water changes.  Here's the thing, I'm not able to bring the alkalinity down from 5.5 Meq.  < Don't worry, that level is perfectly fine. > I've tested the kit ( which is accurate), the tank water with a test kit at my LFS. My tap water reads 0 alkalinity but my new salt water is 5.5 Meq.  So, I've found the source which is my water changes.   I use Instant Ocean salt mix and I use RO/DI water with an air pump and a heater and let it sit in a garbage can for two days. < wow you do all the stuff you should. > Right now, I think that there maybe remnants of baking soda in the garbage can.  So I rinsed and scrubbed out everything I can.  Do you think it's the salt mix?  < Instant ocean is a little high in alkalinity, which is why I use it. > This is my second tub of Instant Ocean and both waters have the same reading.  As of now, my calcium is 300 and my alkalinity is 5.5Meq (=15.4kH).  As of now I would really like to get my calcium levels higher so I can add some hard corals and stimulate coralline algae. < I really don't think you have a problem.  In fact I would love to be in your situation. > I still have a fair amount of algae.  Any thoughts would be appreciated. < Okay ready?  Here is what you do.  You need to start adding a small amount of a Calcium only additive.  Something like turbo calcium.  But do not add a two part solution like B-ionic.  Just slowly bring your calcium up to 400 and keep it there.  Your alkalinity will slowly come back down over the next few months (as things in your tank use it up).  Just try to hold your calcium where you want it.  And trust me, high alkalinity is far better than low alkalinity. >
Nilesh
<  Blundell  >

Alkalinity
I have just purchased a Hagen KH test kit. The instructions are to multiply each drop by 10 to obtain reading in mg/l or ppm.  They state a final reading of 125 mg/l or ppm is unusually high.  I have a reference book I use written by John H Tullock and it quotes the readings to be between 9-12 dKH or 160 to 220 ppm. I am now confused why there is a big difference regarding this statements. Most likely I have gone wrong with some conversion. Just want to double check before i continue. At present I have stopped at 9 drops
Regards
Alan <<Mmm, perhaps a difference of opinion... maybe a statement re freshwater versus marine... RMF>>

Alkalinity
Hey Bob, <James, today>
Jason here.  I have been reading various articles on your website regarding pH, KH in dKH & CA.  I have reefkeeping for almost 10 years now and I rarely have issues with my  test readings.  During the past week or so my KH reading is 4.8 and it normally averages around 11-12.  Ph is 8.2, Ca is 350 and KH in dKH is 4.8.  If everything else is testing ok, what would make the KH go down if Ca & ph are fine?  Also, what can I do to lift it?  All inhabitants are looking fine.  0 nitrate, 0 nitrite & 0 ammonia.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I am presently using a Salifert KH/alk test kit.  Thanks!!! <Jason, one thing that will lower dKH is CO2.  My preferred method of making up new water is to aerate the freshwater with a powerhead with an  aerating feature such as the Hagen's.  This will rid any CO2 from the makeup water.  You don't mention what kind of alkalinity booster you are using.  I find Sea Chem's Reef Builder to work very well.  Excess nutrients in the system will also cause this along with an overstocked system.  James (Salty Dog)>

Confusion On Alkalinity - 06/09/05
Hello,
<<Howdy>
I've been reading your FAQs for months now and couldn't do without it!
<<Lots of good info there, yes.>>
I have a couple of questions.  First I have a 55 gallon tank that has been cycling with LR for about 4 weeks.
Ammonia .25
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
pH 8.4
Salinity 1.023
Temp 80
I've notice my LR is starting to turn white in several places.
<<A common occurrence...bleaching of the calcareous algae that was on the rock when shipped/received.  It will recover/be replaced with new in time.>>
I did the following tests:  General hardness and got 16 dKH  and Carbonate hardness and got 1dkh.
<<Mmm...I would use carbonate hardness to test/measure your alkalinity...and get a new/different test kit, I don't think that reading is correct.>>
I'm wondering if I should try and take care of this hi/low problem now or wait until the cycling of the tank is finished.
<<Not a high/low issue here...don't make this harder than it needs to be by trying to measure GH/KH against each other; use carbonate hardness as your measurement for alkalinity and retest with a new kit.  And yes, I would wait till the tank finishes cycling before trying to supplement/make corrections with additives.>>
I used tap water that has been dechlorinated and that has sat for at least a week.  Could this be part of my problem as well?
<<Not sure you have a problem here, but I would recommend looking in to some type of water filter (R/O, Kold-Steril, etc.), and buffer all water used for evaporation replenishment and saltwater prep.>>
Oh, I have no substrate in the tank yet.  Planning on sand and crushed coral, will that help too?
<<Yes>>
Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!
<<You'll find some useful info here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alkalinity.htm and at the related links in blue.>>
Anne
<<Regards, Eric R.>>

High Alkalinity - 06/04/05
Greetings WW Crew
I hugely appreciate WWM and all the effort you put in to sustaining a well informed , thoughtful, AQ community. Your work is important and should accompany every tank sold as required reading.
<<Wow, high praise indeed...the Crew thanks you.>>
I have recently ( 3 mo.s) taken over husbandry of a 100 gal reef tank with the following population: Live rock, 3" aragonite bed, two open brains ( 3" dia) , one hammer coral , 10 or so small Caulastrea polyps , two small mushrooms , one large mushroom (3"), some zoo's, two clowns in a green carpet anemone , 1 blue damsel , 1 watchman goby, 1 Pseudochromis and assorted cleanup critters. It has a Turboflotor 1000 skimmer and about 10x/hour cycling through the system with an additional 10x flow from a second current pump. For the past 2 months I've been wrestling with getting my Alk / Ca balanced , well , a little more balanced.
<<Should not have to "wrestle" with this.  Let's see what we can do...>>
Ca hovers around 300 ( never lower , sometimes a little higher, Seachem test) and my Alk is consistently in the 14.5 - 15.5 range (Salifert test) , varying up and down over the course of 10 days.
<<Have you tried a different test kit for both?  Either a new kit or even  a different brand, just to validate your readings.>>
I use Instant Ocean salt and commercial R/O water for 20 gal water changes every 2 weeks.
<<Very good.>>
R/O water tests as almost zero alk. I haven't added Kalk for a while (once in last month) as I assume it'll push the alk even higher.
<<Maybe...but should be of little concern if monitored and applied correctly.>>
I've trawled through the FAQ's and while there's a wealth of info on raising ALK there seems to be a dearth on how to lower it.
<<"Raising " does seem to be the more common problem.>>
Everything in there seems to be doing fine and seems stable.
<<Yes...your readings (if accurate) are not as bad as you may think...stability here is the key.>>
However I'd like to be able to raise the Ca and slowly steer the tank over the next year toward SPS rather than the mixed population it has currently but am not sure how to proceed safely.
Any advice or a redirect to a good source of info would be very welcome. Let me know if you need to know more about my setup.
<<I'd start with a large (70%) water change.  Be sure to aerate and BUFFER your R/O water before adding your salt mix.  You might want to test this before adding it to the tank to see what is going on here.  Test your calcium and alkalinity after the water change and see if things are more "balanced."  Considering your current stock list, once balanced, you should be able to maintain your calcium and alkalinity with the water change schedule you mention.  As odd as it may seem, not buffering your R/O water may be what's throwing things askew.  You can use simple baking soda for this, though I like to mix mine 3 to 1 with Seachem's Reef Buffer for the added boron.  I'd also having a peek at the Reef Chemistry Forum (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=112) on Reef Central...lots of good info to be found.>>
Thanks, Dan
<<Regards, Eric R.>>

High Alkalinity...Thanks - 06/06/05
Thanks for your reply - I've got more water coming tomorrow so I'll try the adjustments you suggested over the next few days and let you know. Interesting about the buffer...
Thanks again, Dan
<<Much welcome.  Do write back to let us know how things progress.  Eric R.>>

- Buffering and Kole Tang Feeding -
Greetings to all,
1.  I have been adding RO water to my tank on a regular basis, about a gallon every two days to replenish evaporation.  I have  looked at the pH of this top off water and noticed that it is typically below 7.0, usually between 6 and 7.  To adjust the pH I have been adding baking soda to bring the pH to about 8.2 (per red sea kit).  I was wondering if this is appropriate or does the baking soda stay behind when the water evaporates like the other salts in the synthetic sea water. <No... buffers in your water are used up over time. Buffering your top-off water with baking soda is the best approach.> If  it does would the pH continue to rise or does the pH get "used up". <The latter.> I do weekly 10 gal water changes and the tank is an 80 gallon tank.  Have not had any water quality problem to speak of but have noticed a tendency of the pH to drop over time but I was not adjusting top off water back then. <Is typical.>
2.  Recently purchased a yellow eyed tang (Kole tang).  Fish is healthy and all but so far has not been feeding.  He/she has found a spot in the rockwork that faces the rear of the tank so it is difficult to observe. The fish has been in the tank about 3 and 1/2 days. <Give it some time, with some luck it will feel more at home in the tank and decide to come out more.> I do have a  fair amount of micro algae on the back glass. <Is this truly micro algae or Cyanobacteria - the tang won't eat Cyanobacteria.> Other residents are a fox face, ocellaris clown, skunk cleaner shrimp and a pair of emerald crabs along with some snails.  Feeding a sheet algae product to the fox face and pelletized food to the clown which the fox face also eats.  Looking for suggestions for the tang and for an idea as to how long this guy can go without eating. <Not more than a week or two... would try and get some algae down to where it lives as it might fear competition with the Foxface.
Cheers, J -- >

High alk?
Hi crew,
Just wanted to start by saying thanks for all the help. It's nice to have somewhere to ask questions without someone trying to sell you something.
I notice that just after I do a water change, my alk goes really high. I did a water change Sunday night and today my alk is reading 16dKH(5.71 meg/L). It usually settles down to around 14dKH after a week. My calcium is also about 380ppm. Is this too high?
<Mmm, not too high, but the alkalinity is on the high side>
If so, what can I do to correct it.
<I would not "do" anything...>
The only thing I add is I drip Kalk at night. If it matters, I use Red Sea salt in my tank. I keep hearing of people having trouble getting alk up but never trying to lower it.
Any advice would be great. Keep up the good work.
Thanks
Larry
<Thank you Larry. Try cutting back on the Kalk habit and see if this has any discernible effect in a week or two. Bob Fen