Can't get alk up from 5.5dkh. Help please.

[jda123]

Just change some water with a high quality salt. Instant ocean is high in Mag, Alk and lower in Calcium.

 

[jda123]

What salt are you using?

 

[J.guokas]

Is this what You're referring to?

 

[Smiley]

thats a ph buffer...not a dkh buffer

 

[J.guokas]

That it is. Just figured I'd ask to see if it would help

 

[J.guokas]

Kent marine from elite reef

 

[Shaunv]

Mix a batch of fresh water with a bit of the Alk Increaser in a small cup and measure that to make sure the Alk Increaser is good.

 

[Jeremiah]

But it doesn't make sense that it went down after just an hour after I dosed. How much is too much to dose at once and could it be possible that the amount I'm dosing just doesn't make it into solution? I dosed about 1fl oz.

I have recently tried to be more diligent about testing / dosing. I am currently using Reef Fusion 2(raises carbonate alk), I can't does the other part because my calcium never budges and my Mg is fine. Hopefully after a few weeks i'll have a good understanding of what is being used and i can go down to just testing once or twice a week.

These are my numbers when I started: tank is an IM nuvo 16, probably have like 12-13 gallons of water at most (subtracting for rock/sand)
Mg 1350
Ca 470
Alk 5.1 dkh

Here are the results....dosing only the reef fusion 2 (ALK)
10/28 night +3ml - 7.0 dkh (find it odd that it jumped almost 2 points on the first dosing, but i it could be testing error or something)
10/29 tested in morning was still 7.0 dkh / dosed +2ml retested 1 hour later 7.7 dkh / retested at night 7.3 dkh / + 2ml retested 7.7 dkh
10/30 morning +1ml tested 8.0 ml / night +2ml (didn't test)
10/31 morning +1ml / night +2ml test 7.7
11/01 morning +1ml / night +2ml test 7.7
11/02 morning +2ml / night +2ml test 8.0 - then did a water change 4 gallons retest 8.3
11/03 morning +2ml / night +2ml test 8.3
11/04 morning +2ml / night +2ml test 8.0

I plan on doing the 2ml day/night and testing at night. I'll test Mg/Ca/Alk this weekend before my water change. Then I'll test Mg/Ca/Alk again a few hours after my water change. Let me know if you want me to update you with my numbers. If not i'll just keep it to myself

Directions state:
Add 1ml of Reef fusion per 6.5 gallons of water. (DO NOT EXCEED A DOSE OF 4mL IN 6.5 GALLONS PER DAY)
This does contributes 0.176 meq/L.

I figure according to instructions I can dose about 4ml more per day and still be in what the instructions say is safe.

EDIT: I figure i have a light/medium coral load mostly zoanthids, the only thing that uses calcium really are my 10 heads of hammers and coraline.