Acceptable day to day changes in parameters?

[DOJOLOACH]

For a lps tank filled with favias, acans, chalice, zoas, and gsp, what is considered an acceptable day to day change in parameters? such as:

Alk
Cal
Nitrate
Phosphate
Mg

I see people always preaching stability, but stability means different things to different people.

 

[christopher.lauwers]

Not to Hijack the thread but I would 2nd this but for SPS. I am running a CaRX reactor and am seeing my alk rise at night. Debating turning off the CO2 feed at night and then back on before the lights turn on.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Following, interested as well.

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Perhaps someone has a good article on it or just some experience?

I'm also thinking that nitrate and phosphate would be the least easy to control as well. Day to day at least, .03 to .05 is a huge change % wise

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Not to Hijack the thread but I would 2nd this but for SPS. I am running a CaRX reactor and am seeing my alk rise at night. Debating turning off the CO2 feed at night and then back on before the lights turn on.

Isn't alkalinity uptake change with ph? I know co2 ran at night would decrease ph

 

[christopher.lauwers]

Isn't alkalinity uptake change with ph? I know co2 ran at night would decrease ph

I am thinking that by stopping co2 then the reactor media would not melt hence no more ALk.
I was at 8.14 at 10 PM last night, and am at 8.44 as of 8 AM this morning.

Not sure if that's to big of a swing, I know ALK can fluctuate quite a bit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For a lps tank filled with favias, acans, chalice, zoas, and gsp, what is considered an acceptable day to day change in parameters? such as:

Alk
Cal
Nitrate
Phosphate
Mg

I see people always preaching stability, but stability means different things to different people.

Unless salinity is changing drastically for reasons besides evaporation, none of those will change enough in one normal day to be a concern to me, except alkalinity.

 

[christopher.lauwers]

Unless salinity is changing drastically for reasons besides evaporation, none of those will change enough in one normal day to be a concern to me, except alkalinity.

What range of a ALK swing would concern you

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Unless salinity is changing drastically for reasons besides evaporation, none of those will change enough in one normal day to be a concern to me, except alkalinity.

Any of your articles you recommend for the topic? Do you have number values or percent change that you consider is acceptable? Do you think people with heavy alkalinity uptake would need to dose more than once per day?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any of your articles you recommend for the topic? Do you have number values or percent change that you consider is acceptable? Do you think people with heavy alkalinity uptake would need to dose more than once per day?

I do not know of any article that specifically addresses such issues for all of these ions, but in general, alkalinity is the main thing folks focus on for stability. It is a limiting factor for calcification by corals, so its level is important to them.

Calcium and magnesium, on the other hand, are not limiting factors when present in normal ranges (say, 400-550 ppm calcium, 1250-1500 ppm magnesium) so do not generally impact coral growth within those ranges. They also change much more slowly than alkalinity, on a percentage basis.

There is very little data on variations in nutrients day to day under normal circumstances and how that impacts a reef, but I expect it is not an issue as long as you are not dropping to undetectable levels that may risk dinos and may limit organism growth.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you think people with heavy alkalinity uptake would need to dose more than once per day?

Yes, folks dose multiple times per day to stabilize alk when the demand is high. Using dosing pumps, usually. I'd spread out dosing if is was 0.5 dKH or more per day. Maybe even a bit lower. Some folks using automated alk dosing based on testing thing they see improvements in the tank compared to ordinary times dosing.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Yes, folks dose multiple times per day to stabilize alk when the demand is high. Using dosing pumps, usually. I'd spread out dosing if is was 0.5 dKH or more per day. Maybe even a bit lower. Some folks using automated alk dosing based on testing thing they see improvements in the tank compared to ordinary times dosing.

I've just recently started the Red Sea 4-day intake calculation and was really surprised at the speed my Alk decreased. Now I have a better idea of why lol

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Yes, folks dose multiple times per day to stabilize alk when the demand is high. Using dosing pumps, usually. I'd spread out dosing if is was 0.5 dKH or more per day. Maybe even a bit lower. Some folks using automated alk dosing based on testing thing they see improvements in the tank compared to ordinary times dosing.

So would you agree that a day to day fluctuation of 25ppm cal or mag is acceptable? Just throwing a number out there

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So would you agree that a day to day fluctuation of 25ppm cal or mag is acceptable? Just throwing a number out there

There's no possible way that magnesium will vary by 25 ppm in a day unless you are letting the salinity vary. Real magnesium consumption is typically 0-2 ppm per day, about 1/10th of the calcium consumption, or less). Calcium will only drop that much in a high demand tank, where alk is dropping more than 3 dKH per day.

Boosting calcium or magnesium by 25 ppm in a day is fine, assuming it is a reasonably pure supplement.

 

[christopher.lauwers]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

What range of a ALK swing would concern you

Wondering if you had thought on the Alk swing question?

What range of a ALK swing would concern you

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley


Wondering if you had thought on the Alk swing question?

What range of a ALK swing would concern you

If you have SPS, more than 0,5 dKH per day is undersirable, IMO. Less is likely better.

If you do not have SPS, it may matter a lot less. But if I needed to dose more than 0.5 dKH per day, I'd split it up.

 

[rmurken]

Some folks using automated alk dosing based on testing thing they see improvements in the tank compared to ordinary times dosing.

Count me in this group.

 

[X-37B]

I am thinking that by stopping co2 then the reactor media would not melt hence no more ALk.
I was at 8.14 at 10 PM last night, and am at 8.44 as of 8 AM this morning.

Not sure if that's to big of a swing, I know ALK can fluctuate quite a bit.

Imo, a .3 daily alk swing is better than most even if its a full sps systems.
That is within most test kit error.
I run a carx and thats about where mine sits and I have never had an issue.
A properly tuned carx will not affect the ph of your tank.
When I dosed 2 part, once a day in my 120, my alk could vary .5-1 daily and still no issues.
My alk parameter range is 7-7.5.
My salinity stays at 1.026.

 

[Ferrell]

Following along. Just starting to see consumption in my 30L LPS tank and trying to decide on dosing. Thinking kalk may be the answer and easiest to start with.

 

[fisherc92]

I've just recently started the Red Sea 4-day intake calculation and was really surprised at the speed my Alk decreased. Now I have a better idea of why lol

How do I find where to do this