Alkalinity iin my tank

I am in a bit a predicament. I have been using API test kits since i got my first tank over 8 years ago mainly cause i had no money and that what the lfs carried. Well i have moved my way up to a 120 gallon and the API test kits were working fine but decided to order some Red Sea test kits because they had good reviews and i had never compared my tests to anything but API. Well i got the Mag kits and it worked awesome, then i ordered the calcium....worked just as well, then i ordered the Alk cause i was just about out of the API kits. Well my test results are not close.

Red Sea = 7.8 Alk
API = little over 9

I figured the API was off so i started to raise my alk and my tank got super pissed off. I was raising it no more then .2 every week.

My question is what do i do. I know that Mag, Cal, and Alk all play a huge part in my coral growth but raising my alk is making my tank not happy. Is the API kits off or is the Red Sea?

 

Personally, I would trust the Red Sea over the API. I use the Red Sea for Mag, Calc, & Alk as well. Easiest thing would be to bring a sample to a LFS if you have one. Otherwise, just make sure you are going the Red Sea test 100% correct (which if you were successful with Mag & Calc, then I am sure you are fine since Alk is the easiest of the 3).

 

Just keep testing with both, and see if you get the same results. Then take a middle of road approach to what the number is. I would say the Red Sea will be much more accurate though.

Having Alk at 7.8 is not a bad thing btw. I would just be trying to maintain what you have now, and not try to raise it.

Because Raising Alk can be very dangerous to your corals. So be sure to do it very slowly if you do. And also realize that your mag and cal will be affected by raising or lowering your alk as well.

 

My philosophy is if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I would keep my dosing/water change practices the same and see how the Red Sea kit ranges and then reset my targets based on the Red Sea kit.

If your tank was happy at the old alk levels, then hold it there. You may need to readjust your targets (if you were at a 9 with API then target 8 with Red Sea), but ultimately it's the condition/growth of your corals that should guide you and not a number from the test kit.

 

Red Sea's new Alkalinity Pro Test-Kit - YouTube

This might help out since I use the same test kits and this helped out very much.

 

When you fill the syringe, do you fill it with the tip on it and put the stopper at 10? You should have an air gap between the reagent and the stopper as this accounts for the reagent in the tip. I assume so. If you weren't, I think it would be reading higher, not lower.

 

These are both excellent tips.

I had the exact same issue. Using API for years and changed to Red Sea Pro. The reason I changed is because I started loosing corals for no reason.
The difference in the Pro versus the API was about the same for me as well.
Since using the pro and dosing according to those values I have seen a steady increase in coral health and growth.
I dose ALK twice a day now and Ca once mid day.

What salt mix are you using?
You might consider trying RC to bump up the ALK instead of dosing, if you do not have a tank dominated by stony corals.

 

I have learned to read my corals and my tank as far as whats going on with them and whats the matter so i stopped trying to up the alk and let it settle back down to 7.8 and everything is happy again. My LFS only uses API test kits so i have no other way to test my results against any other kits.

I have gone over exactly how to fill the needles and calculate the titrant used. My only thing with the ALK kits is it gradually fades from blue to yellow and i think it got it but even if i were off a little it wouldn't compensate for the variance between the two kits. I have been testing for about a month now with the red sea and occasionally with the API and everything i get the same results.

I guess my main question is if i just leave everything how it is

cal -- 450
ALK -- 7.8
MAG -- 1460

will this affect my coral growth or will i have better results if i get my ALK up?

 

I am using RC and have been for years now. I dont do many water changes since i started running bio pellets but do once a month or so. About 25 gallons in my 120.

 

I think you would want to get it up to about the 9-10 range.