Help With Alk!!!!!!

Hi all, I need help with Alk. I just tested my water and these sre the results:
salt--- between 1.024 and 1.025
Ammonia---between 0 and .25
Nitrite--- 0
Nitrate---2.5
Mag.---1440
Cal.---420
Alk.---?
DKH---?
I have a salifert tester for DKH/ALK and for those who know how it works, I emptied the 1m/l syringe completely and the color still didnt change. Meaning that my alk is higher than 5.71 and DKH is higher than 16.0. I dont understand whats going on???? Can anyone try to explain? :-[ :-/

 

Have you been adding buffer, Purple Up or any other type of supplement?

 

Yes, I just realized that the ph buffer also rises the alk, so I quess I'll have too do a water change now. duh

 

curious, what's your pH?

 

hey sushiman, I posted this thread a while back, I dont remember the ph. sorry

 

A water change will help. I believe it is Seachem that makes an additive that will raise your pH and not affect your ALK. Kalkwasser has a pH of 12 so that may be a thought as well, but as mentioned above...what is your pH?

 

whats up coral reefer, as of now, my ph is 8.07. I do have the seachem ph buffer and thats the one that also raises the alk. thats the one that got me in trouble in the first place.

 

Hi lunatic 69! Was thinking of something else. Yeah that raises alkalinity... Alkalinity
Hope this helps somewhat!
Wetweb media has alot of great articles.

 

What supplements are reefers using to keep their alkalinity around 8.0? I use Kent Marine Superbuffer dKH for my water changes and top off water. I can get the KH to stay at 8.0 for a day or two but then it does down to 5.4. My calcium is 425 and my magnesium is 1350. The pH is 8.26 (Hanna instruments), phosphate is 0.092 (ROWA Merck Phosphate Test Kit) and strontium is 16. What could be the problem? Are the corals absorbing the alkalinity?

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Hey yellowbelly, I cant speak for anybody else, but what got my alk so high to begin with was I was using the B-ionic two part system( alk and cal buffer) every single day and not testing for both. I thought it was to be used every day b/c of the heavy bio load that I have. Another thing that has raised my alk is using Seachem Marine Buffer to raise my ph. It says that it will raise your ph to 8.3 no matter what, even if you overdose. What it also does is that it raises your alk by 1meq/l after each dose. what is your salt level at? do you have a fish only or a reef tank? does your tank get any direct sun light at all?