how to decrease alk?

[goldmaniac]

ok, I was a little impatient and put a bunch of self-made man-made live rock into my display. pH was good when I had the MMLR in buckets of fresh water (pH approx 8.5) but now my alk is high.

So I guess the rock isn't completely cured; carbonation is still going on to some extent.

What can I add to decrease Alk/Carbonate? baked baking soda? baking soda? I'll have to add a little every week until the MMLR is done curing (kuring).

water changes aren't an option, i've been doing 25% every 2 weeks for a while, I don't want to increase the % or frequency.

thanks all -
G.

[goldmaniac]

Kalkwasser? i dose w/ kalkwasser when I topoff for evaporation. But I don't have many stony corals, so it's minimal. I could upp the kalk....

or maybe Prestone Driveway Heat? these are the kind of supps I'm thinking of...

TIA

[goldmaniac]

test results are 16 dKH, about 280 ppm KH

[LobsterOfJustice]

kalkwasser, baked baking soda, and baking soda are all ways to RAISE alk. The only ways I know of to decrease it are to let biology use it up, do water changes, or purposefully overdose alk and Ca and have it precipitate out (probably dont want to do that).

[tmz]

Using calcium hydroxide (Driveway Heat or other products) is like using only the calcium part of two part . It will raise your calcium at some expense to your alkalinity and can be used to balance it off.
Baking soda,baked or unbaked increases alkalinity.Limewater adds both calcium(as calcium hydroxide)and includes a balanced poriton of alkalinity.

[goldmaniac]

right, I have Prestone Driveway Heat sitting in my garage because I've never found the other of the 2-part.

So I should just use the PDH half of 2-part supplementaion and that'll help? sounds good.

Hmm. I added kalk last night as part of a top-off. I really don't need to add it (just zoas and GSP's, and 'shrooms, mostly, in my tank). Should I cut it out for now?

thanks -

[tmz]

Limewater will add calcium and bicarbonate in a balnced fashion.

[barrman]

16 dKH isnt dangerously high by any means. if your livestock is doing fine, and your calcium levels are ok, you really don't have to do anything; it should fall on its own.

[mg426]

What are you mearuring PH with??? Dont add any Kalk at this time as it adds ca and alk in equal proportions. Stop dosing any kind of alk product and let it fall on its own.

[tmz]

What is your calcium level?

[goldmaniac]

pH = 8.4.

good to hear. I got some new little zoa's about two weeks ago, a couple aren't opening, i'm looking for problems, I guess.

I'll just let things work themselves out on their own. Thanks for talking me down. heh heh

[goldmaniac]

I didn't check Ca, it can't be much off 400, there aren't any stony corals in there, and I've been pretty good w/ water changes recently. 20% two weeks ago, 25% two weeks before that. Red Sea salt.

[tmz]

Yes, but alkalinity and calcium are linked. Too much of one can lead to too little of the other. Good Luck

[goldmaniac]

Gotcha. I'll check. thanks

[tmz]

Your wecome.

[luke33]

What test kit are you using to check your Alk?

[goldmaniac]

API

[luke33]

Just checking, my salifert was reading very high and is a bad kit, wanted to make sure you weren't getting false positive results. 16dkh isnt' the end of the world. Your zoo's may not open for a week or two until it goes down, or open up just a bit, as when my alk was high that was the only thing i really noticed.

[goldmaniac]

ok, thanks, good to know. The advice and the experience of others' who had alk that was not lethally high was exactly what I was looking for...

[goldmaniac]

and yes, test kits vary. I was using the SeaChem pH/Alk test kit, was very disappointed in it. lots of potential for human error, which I really don't need any more of, and the kit ran out of testing chemicals/solution for the alk test quite quickly.

I asked my LFS guys what they use, the API Carbonate test is what they suggested. I bought it yesterday and like it.