opiniuns on my test results?

ok my tank has been unbalanced for a couple months and i been slowly balancing it and had to get all kinds of test kits an stuff.here is my present results.
ph 8.6
calcium 420 ppm was 460
magnesium 1275 was low but brought it up before i had the test
alkalinity 4.8dKH or 1.71 meq/L was around 1
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ammonia 0
temperature 78

 

ph is a lil high, drop a little bit of vinegar in there to drop it down a bit. Everything else looks good.

 

i was going to use wardleys ph down but it says it lowers alkalinity and i think the alk needs to go up some more?i'm a lil reluctant to add vinegar.is it for sure safe?if it works without lowering the alk any more i'll do it.if not,then i guess i'll lower it with water changes

 

Everything that lowers the pH, simultaneously lowers the alkalinity levels! pH and alkalinity are coupled!!! Vinegar should be ok!

 

I also think that your test results look fine, I keep my alk at the same level. Your ph is a little high, but with some water changes it shoild lower a little. You could also raise the cal and that will lower the ph too. How did you get the ph so high in the place? Man, my ph is always at 8.1 -/+, but then again, I dont have a refugium and if I remember correctly, you do.

 

I think your ALK is very low. NSW is about 8 DKH. Typically when you raise ALK you will drop PH. what are you using to dose?

J

 

Agreed. First thing I noticed. I always went for 4 meq/L with alk.
Even the magnesium could come up a bit, but it's in the range for sure. I used to shoot for 1400. The alk needs to come up though for sure.

 

+3

NSW is about 2.5 meq/l. Your reef aquarium should be around 4 - 5 meq/l alkalinity.

Jim

 

wow you guys are very helpful.karma is deserved.way back someone convinced me to raise my ph so thats how it got like that.i will let it come down with water changes.i will continue to slowly bring up the alk,maybe mag,and i'm now adding kalkwasser for the calcium.i may need to add a calcium reactor later but for now i'm avoiding it.chemistry can be confusing and a little boring.has anyone noticed how difficult the salivert alk test is?i would go back to the red sea test but it has slightly vague results.

 

I was thinking KH, not dkh....