Lowering Alkalinity

[derrick orosz]

Anyone have any tips to lower Alkalinity besides water changes...ive been doing more frequent water changes but its not droping very fast at all.

 

[EricTMah]

What's your alk at now, and what products are you using in your system?


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[derrick orosz]

a couple days a go I accidentally knocked some alk in the aquarium...i was gonna add a little and just slipped... it went from 10 to 13.8 currently....all the corals look great still but i want it down...ive done three 10 gallon water changes this week but it has hardly droped from the 14.1 it was at after my dumb ass mistake

 

[EricTMah]

Ouch! That's a huge swing.

Just keep doing your WC's and they'll come down eventually.

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[TORX]

Check your ph as well.

 

[derrick orosz]

So theres nothing I can add to lower alk? these water changes dont seem to be doing much

 

[TORX]

Water changes do not do that much in some cases. If you are talking about your 100gal tank, a 10gal water change is only 10%. If the ALK in that new salt water was 0, then your ALK would only go down by 10%. Seeing that the ALK in that new salt water should be higher, your ALK would essentially only go down a few points per water change as the new water has ALK in it as well. Making any sence?

Example, if ALK was 100 and you took out 10% and added water with 0 ALK, then you would be still at 90 ALK right. However the water you are adding is relative to 5 alk for example, and therefor your new test would be 95. You are taking out high alk and adding low alk and all you will see is the minute difference in that.

You could use muriatic acid or sulfuric acid, but I think that is more risk then anything. I would hit it with a 40-50% water change or 2 40-50% as the most effective answer. Be sure to test you PH though, and ALK swing can spike your Ph.

 

[Pistol]

vinegar will reduce alk safely, just don't reduce it too fast, 1 dkh per day

 

[Boga]

It depends where your Calcium is at. I would check for Ca and then make correction per article at this link. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

 

[scubasteve]

wc, wc, and more wc trying to add anything to correct it would most likely cause something else to swing or worse a cycle...... i would mix up some plain saltwater without all the additives till you get it managable will make wc do more

 

[saltyair]

Best thing to do is just let it drop in its own slowly. Dropping it to fast is just as bad as rising it fast. Don't dose this week and skip a wc if ur salt is high in kh

 

[derrick orosz]

did a 20 gallon water change last night which dropped it from 13.8 to 13.2...ive mixed up another 20 gallons today which i was going to change tonight and hopefully it will get it to 12.5ish

 

[derrick orosz]

This morning it was sitting at 12.3 so getting closer to the 10 ish I want it at. Luckly everything seems to be doing great still. Guess I won't be mixing Alk near the tank anymore haha

 

[EricTMah]

Good to hear.

You're lucky you didn't lose anything with such a high swing in ALK in such a short time.

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