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Alkalinity issue (1 Viewer)

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WillyD530

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Apr 25, 2025
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Minnesota
Alkalinity is barely registering at .5. PH is normal @ 8.3, Phosphates are .71 and dropping, Calcium is normal @ 440. Any ideas on what is going on and how to normalize my ALK?
 
I’ve heard those eggs can go bad. I would tend to agree that I don’t see any possible way that’s a real reading if your pH is truly that value. Do you have a second test kit you can try it against? Like a salifert?
 
I’m not sure where you’re located in Minnesota, but I live over in Hudson. I’d be happy to loan you a Salifert test kit so you could try it. Or my Hanna egg so you could compare.
 
WillyD530 said:
Alkalinity is barely registering at .5. PH is normal @ 8.3, Phosphates are .71 and dropping, Calcium is normal @ 440. Any ideas on what is going on and how to normalize my ALK?
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Is it 5 or .5 … phosphates are 0.71? Did anything change. When did you test it last.
What Salt are you using. I was going to say do a water change but while you are at it I would check the alk of your salt.
 
Also what do you mean phosphates are 0.71 and dropping… dropping from what
Thanks for the background
 
Your test is bad. It's physically impossible for pH to get that high if alk was 0.5dkh.
If you had been at full equilibrium with fresh outdoor air, your ph would be barely above 7!
Hanna checkers aren't any more precise than api. Here is a handy link which uses Hanna's own specs to show the margin of error. This site also has a lanthanum calculator which is very very good.
APi is ballpark, but it is reliable. Salifert if you want precision.
http://larryl.emailplus.org.user.fm/fish/test-kit-calculators.html

https://hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/EquilibriumPh.php
 
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