Help! Alkalinity

[Alyciac327]

Hey!  I need immediate advice!!  I'm new to keeping corals.  My alkalinity was too high at like 13 the other day so I switched stores where I get my water.  I gradually changed the water a little more at a time over the last three days. My corals were looking great this morning and then looked horrible and haven't looked better since after the third water change today. My alkalinity is now too low-at a 6.  I plan to get some to dose into the tank tomorrow when the store opens.  Is it likely my coral will last the night?  Any advice at all is appreciated.

[Garf]

Please give more info on the tank, volume, other params, salinity, how long the tank has been established...

 

Large swings of alk are one of the worst things for corals. A swing of 7 over a couple days is not good. What type of water is it? Sounds like the Oceanarium boxed water, that can run high. If you can't mix your own, then you can use the natural saltwater, but always test from box to box, and adjust accordingly. I had boxes that tested around 9, then others that were over 13. If that is all you have access to, then adjust how much water you are changing so that you lower dkh by 1 or lower each day. 

 

I would test again to check that 6 dkh number, and also check salinity. Remember, alk is related to salinity, lower salinity will have lower alk.  

if you just changed water recently and have access to the higher alk water, i'd add some of that back in. 

 

Also, what are you getting more of at the LFS? Don't dose an alk buffer to raise it without checking other parameters! This is especially important with small volume tanks. 

 

What made you think 13 dkh is a bad number btw? 

[Derekd]

Edit: Garf posted right before me, but his last sentence is the one you should read, what made you think that 13dkh was bad?

 

They are doing this because of your change in water and subsequently the drastic change in Alk. They may live, but I can't give you any certainty. I'd personally switch back to your original water source but I keep a higher dKH than usual. It is likely you brought the dKH down to 9-7 when they were looking good and once it fell to seven and below they became stressed and after the final water change it just made it worse. Whats the tank size?

 

If it were my tank i'd just try to get to 7 until you resolve your water.

If you have some baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), I'd dose a small amount by dissolving a *teaspoon* (depends on tank size please google dosage rates) it into some DI or tap water then adding to the tank, and and see what your alk becomes. Baking soda is Sodium Bicarbonate, creating calcium carbonate in your tank and rasing your dKH. If you need to increase you pH as well you can bake the baking soda at 250F (120C), converting it to sodium carbonate which will allow it to raise your pH as well.

Have you checked you pH?

*Do this slowly, at this point the more change you create the more harm can done.*

 

I'd run your tests on the new and old saltwater you were using and compare, it seems like the new water you got is really low in dKH. Is it premixed salt water?

 

When it comes to tank chemistry, do your own research before doing anything any one says on a forum. =]

[Alyciac327]

I got it figured out. They sold me fresh instead of salt.   Im hoping they can replace whatever I may lose tomorrow

[Derekd]

1 minute ago, Alyciac327 said:

I got it figured out. They sold me fresh instead of salt.   Im hoping they can replace whatever I may lose tomorrow

That's a big oof and yikes from me.

Sorry to hear about that. Glad you figured it out though.

[Alyciac327]

2 minutes ago, Derekd said:

That's a big oof and yikes from me.

Sorry to hear about that. Glad you figured it out though.

Thanks.  Will definitely be tasting the water before bringing it home from now on