High alkalinity

I am having a hard time lowering my alkalinity. I have a 54gal with sump and protein skimmer.... mostly FOWLR and a few inverts that are doing well.

I do a weekly water change of 5 gal.

My parameters are as follows:

sg: 1.024
ph: 8.0
Ammonia, Nitrite, nitrate are all 0
calcium: 260
KH: 14
Phosphate:0.5

My KH is down this week from around 17, but my pH has also dropped from 8.4 a month ago to 8.2 two weeks ago and now is 8.0. I need to bring my pH up a little but I am afraid to use the 8.2 buffer as I think months (and even years) ago I relied on it too much to control my pH and I am afraid that buffer is what raised my KH so high. Just a month ago, I bought a RO/DI unit so that should eventually lower my phosphate with the gradual water changes.

Should I continue to leave my pH stay at 8.0 or should I try to raise it back up? (and if so how, buffer, etc.).

Also, when I do my water changes, should I get the pH of the new water at 8.2 as well. I have not been as I have been trying to gradually bring the pH down from 8.4. But now since my pH has dropped, I am worried about future water changes. I do not want to lower if even more.

Confused. Many thanks!

 

Water changes should help bring your alk down to normal. How much ph buffer were you adding?

 

Don't add anymore buffer. A ph of 8.0 is fine. The buffer was probably adding alkalinity and with no demand from corals the alkalinity isn't depleted.

 

Makes sense, but what do I do if future water changes lower my pH below 8.0 if I dont use the buffer???? I am going to try my luck with some beginner corals now... got a ZOA frag to see how that goes.

 

Not at home to look at teh exact amounts. It was just the recommend dose to bring the pH back up.

 

pH of 8.0 if fine. I would not add any buffer, check your test kit though. Alk tends to come down pretty fast on it's own from that level. If it dosn't the test kit is probably inacuruate. If you really have 8.0 pH and kh14, you probably have a lot of CO2 in your house. Some people solve this issue by running the air intake tube, for their protein skimmer out a window, as the protein skimmer is where most gas exchange occurs. If this isn't feasible, you can build or buy a CO2 scrubber, to run in-line with the protein skimmer.

 

My skimmer is enclosed under the tank into the wall. It is closed off with not much air flow. Could there ba buildup of CO2 gas there? I may try opening the door to my sump to get some airflow.

I have slowly been getting my tank back in order. I hate to admit it but I have neglected it somewhat and things got out of kilter. Things are getting better now except for a high kH.

 

With all due respect; Water changes should never be used to "cure" or rectify an imbalance in your tank. You give no Mag. The Alk is high due to low Cal. Here is a composition of sea water for you to go by;
Composition of seawater

 

Wow, I read the 260 as 360 260 is extremely low. The pH though is still likely due to CO2, assuming your tests kits are correct. I would double check the readings before doing anything else.

 

CO2 is pretty much always high in most houses. I don't think it has anything to do with being in the cabinet. Just a part of the environment we live in. Letting things slack happens, if your diligent, it will come back.