How do you lower your alk?

[Allyson]

For some reason my alk is at 14. This reading came after a 10% water change. How do I get it down?

[Minnreefer]

I would not worry about it too much, I would double check the test though. If the test is correct for sure you can carefully add some Kent turbo calcium which will raise your calcium but lower your alk. HTH

Jon

[schulz1616]

I just had a problem where my alk reached 22. I had a cleaner shrimp die along with a few snails and other things. The normal range of kH is between 5 and 10, but I have also heard 7-14. Use either distilled water or reverse osmosis water in your water changes and it will bring it down fast. Also if you are using a buffer make sure that it does not increase kH.

[Allyson]

Maybe that's why my cleaner shrimp died. I had added a buffer but not enough to raise it that much...from 9 to 14. (I usually keep it around 11) I meant to recheck it but haven't yet. I use a deionizer filter & have added at least a gallon of top off water since, so surely it's come down. Thanks!

[schulz1616]

I don't know if you know this or not, but I was told that the alk is the amount of minerals dissolved in the water, so if you are using water from the tap and you don't have a water softener or you do and it does not work very well then I recommend that you use only bottled water. Just get a good test kit and keep an eye on it. I use the Sera test kit, hey if it comes with 8 different languages it must be good.