Alkalinity in my tank

Question
I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank.I've had it since 4/08 Everything was fine until we lost power for about 2 days. My alkalinity has spiked out of this world and I've tried all I know to bring it down.  I and now down to 2 fish in my tank.

Answer
Hi Beth,
That's odd. Actually I can't think of a reason Alkalinity would spike. Do you perhaps mean "Ammonia" instead?

With high alkalinity usually means a raised pH as well. The only way to really raise the alkalinity is if calcareous rocks are added to the tank or some other "buffering" compound.

The best thing I can say is do start doing 30% daily water changes. Always remember to treat the replacement water with a conditioner and make sure the temp is equal to or just a bit warmer than your tank.

Best of luck and I hope you can get your problem fixed... ;-)
Karen~