PH is 9.0 ALK is 4.0

Been dosing with Kent Superbuffer dKH.

From what I read that's at the top of the want to be list. So I figure I can stop and check water again in a day or two and see where it goes and try to figure out the balancing act.

I need to pick up a Calc test kit.

you need to pick up 2 part calcium and alk

I woul get a good alk and calcium test kit and use two part, b-ionic, brs,warner marine

PH is suppose to be 8.3 to 8.4 who said 9.0 And DKH is suppose to be 8-12 DKH who said 4.0

yeah i was thinking the same thing

Stop dosing your tank! The best thing you can ever do for your tank is STOP dosing everything and just let it be. Next time you need to dose calcium and alkalinity TOGETHER, can't do only one.

Do a water change, it will help bring your parameters back into check. And then don't dose anything.

+10 on water change, I would do a water change every 3 to 4 days until parameters are OK!:top:

Hmm... I went to a well liked store among the community and told them my ALK was low and the Kent product was brought to my attention.

This is only the second product I've ever dosed my tank with and apparently not going so well. Is 9 really that much more than 8.4? I guess it could be if we're talking PPM huh? And I read on RC that ALK was to be 2.5-4

Stolen from RC.

Calcium 380-450 ppm 420 ppm
Alkalinity 2.5-4 meq/L
7-11 dKH
125-200 ppm CaCO3 equivalents 2.5 meq/L
7 dKH
125 ppm CaCO3 equivalents
Salinity 35 ppt
sg = 1.026 34-36 ppt
sg = 1.025-1.027
Temperature 76-83° F Variable2
pH 7.8-8.5 OK
8.1-8.3 is better 8.0-8.3 (can be lower or higher in lagoons)
Magnesium 1250-1350 ppm 1280 ppm
Phosphate < 0.03 ppm 0.005 ppm
Ammonia <0.1 ppm Variable (typically <0.1 ppm)

Thanks for the quick replies.

that 2.5-4 meq/L

are your test kits in meq/L or dKH? they are 2 different calculations.... if your alk is 4dKH i'm sure your corals are probably dead or dying already... If it is 4dKH i would do a WC quick...

I believe it's meq/l because it says Milli equivalents per liter. So Do I do a water change now or am I good? I have water made already outside.

pH is a logarithmic scale--9 is a lot higher than 8.4 and well into the danger zone. I would certainly start doing some water changes, but don't rely on them to keep up your parameters. it sounds like you need to do some reading on chemistry...

+2 on what Wes says. read online about water chem!! very important.

+1 that makes +3

one important thing to add:

if your tests are way out of range (like your pH), test the test kit.

Kent super buffer works just fine, but it's really no better than baking soda/soda ash, which can be made for nothing, comparatively...

That water change will have to wait till after work. I just popped in to refill my coffee.
Thanks again for the help.
Wes. I was adding bakng soda and doing just fine with it. But then visited a store and they said not to. To use the Kent. So now I'm in my predicament.

First off, your PH is too high. there is a large difference between 8.4 and 9.0. The ph should drop on it's own in a relatively short order, but like has been suggested, water changes will help with this.

As for the ALK, if you are using SeaChem test kits, then yes, you are talking meq/l, that is the way their tests measure. Most all reefers use DKH rather than meq/l. To convert your meq/l to dkh, multiply by 2.8, so if your ALK is 4 mew/l then that is:
4 * 2.8 = 11.2 dkh.
Your alk is fine, but it sounds to me that whatever you used to adjust it also raised your PH. I say adjust because to me when you are trying to bring your water parameters to where you want/need them to be, that is adjusting, not dosing, dosing is to maintain parameters once they are where you want/need them.
I would suggest that you read Randy's articles, they are very informative.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
If you wish to raise your ALK and not raise your PH, then just use sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda). If you wish to raise your ALK and also raise your PH, then use sodium carbonate - this can be made by baking the baking soda on a cookie sheet at 300 for an hour.

I would also suggest that you get a calcium test kit and see what it tests to be.
Here is a good calculator to determine how much to add to adjust your ca, alk, and mg.
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html


So, to recap, either let your ph fall on it's own, or do water changes to get it back down.
Note that if you do water changes to get it down, you will possibly also see your alk drop with these water changes.

good luck

your water is to acidic do a W/C as often as posible use 2 part or BRS cal,alk& mag and use the water chemistry calculator.


http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

Popped in for lunch. I like what you say dwl, I feel good. Besides going all over the net and seeing that I think I am okay. Did that come out right?

Everything still looks great in my tank after almost 16 hours or more.

your pH reading was likely inaccurate. If you got that high, it is very likely that you would have a precipitation event. Since you didn't mention a milky tank, I'd assume that was wrong, unless you tested right after you adjusted and took the sample before letting it disperse.

Also whoever told you not to use baking soda/soda ash was flat out lying to you to get you to buy their product. please pm me to tell me who it was if you don't want to say it here, because I cannot STAND that sort of behavior.

you mean basic, and there's almost no chance that by now the pH is still that high.