Akalinityl questions

[Budman's Corals]

Does your alk really swing this much, 150gallon setup

Nov 3-7.99 Did a 15 gallon water change
Nov 4-7.93
Nov 5-7.48

6th-7.21
7th-6.64
9th-6.95 dosed 30 minutes mixed baking soda then read on thethe next day
10th- 6.48

Seems like its slowly working its way back down,does this mean i have to start dosing daily something
and what would be a good amount to start dosing

 

[Budman's Corals]

Oh yeah Cal is around 490 ,if that matters,Not sure why its way up there..I use Read seal Pro Salt and havent dosed Calcium in over a months

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Should not swing that much. What is your mag at?

 

[Budman's Corals]

should not swing that much. What is your mag at?

checking right now

1300..

 

[_Alex_]

Do you have an auto top off? Adding straight RO with out dKH buffer can also slowly bring it down.


-Alex-

 

[Budman's Corals]

do you have an auto top off? Adding straight ro with out dkh buffer can also slowly bring it down.


-alex-

i have a kalk wasser stirrer my ato runs through,thought it would keep it stable but not
sorry for the caps

 

[mixer911]

Need some more info about your tank first. Are you currently dosing 2 part of using a reactor? Any coral in the tank?

If your not dosing regularly, then it sounds like the alk is being consumed.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

checking right now

1300..

mag around 1400 will help stablilize ca and alk levels. raise your mag and see if that helps. kalk/lime dosing will raise alk as well.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

what salt do you use? a 10% water change isnt much at all. that amount shouldnt have effected your parameters.

 

[Budman's Corals]

OK sorry let me tell ya bout system
Change 10% every 2 weeks Red Sea Coral Pro
120 display 30 gallon frag tank
Doing no 2 part dosing ,only using a kalk stirrer thru my ATO
change 15 gallons every 2 weeks

Phos .03
Nitrate 0
Ph as of now is 7.8
Mag 1300
Cal 500
Alk 6.6

i do have alot sps frags that been in tank about 4 months and all have encrusted and are starting to branch out probably about 26 sps in display with a couple that are over 3 inch colony now and a bunch of softies/rics/acans/monti caps in frag tank. Only recently is when i have been having prob with alk Is it becuase of growths from the frags..

 

[mixer911]

It sounds like you need to start dosing to keep up with the alk demand. Dosing too much of a calcium supplement (kalk is basically calcium with a small amount of alk), you will drive down alkalinity as you get precipitation of calcium carbonate in the tank. I would stop the kalk until you get the alk stable again. They should then balance out again.

Your corals are starting to consume more alk than your water changes can provide.

 

[Budman's Corals]

It sounds like you need to start dosing to keep up with the alk demand. Dosing too much of a calcium supplement (kalk is basically calcium with a small amount of alk), you will drive down alkalinity as you get precipitation of calcium carbonate in the tank. I would stop the kalk until you get the alk stable again. They should then balance out again.

Your corals are starting to consume more alk than your water changes can provide.

Thanks for the help, I need to get the alk up to around 8 or so then start a daily dosing .
Guess i need a digital timer especially i dont have a controller YET..but ill go look at the recommend starting dose and go from there

Thanks again and i hope it helps,cause i know swings are not good

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

As your coral grow they will consume more elements, but your decline was very rapid. Imo, the decline had to do with other unknown issues. I also recommend that you dose up and then keep a daily log to monitor things. Then you can determine if you need to dose, and how much.

 

[Budman's Corals]

As your coral grow they will consume more elements, but your decline was very rapid. Imo, the decline had to do with other unknown issues. I also recommend that you dose up and then keep a daily log to monitor things. Then you can determine if you need to dose, and how much.

i been checking now for 10 days straight and everyday seems to be dropping even though im using kalk to try to keep it level its not working .

so by my 10 day chart im assuming i need to do something to keep it from falling ,about 3 weeks ago i lost a 6 inch colony of birdsnets and this made me worry about the alk swing and the day i lost it the alk was down to 5.5 idk if that killed it or had RTN

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

How long has your tank been set up and running kalk with stable parameters? Ime, larger tanks will need to be dosed eventually when they have heavy coral loads. I believe the effects of kalk will only work up to a certain point.

 

[Budman's Corals]

How long has your tank been set up and running kalk with stable parameters? Ime, larger tanks will need to be dosed eventually when they have heavy coral loads. I believe the effects of kalk will only work up to a certain point.

been running about 2 years now..
but only the last 4 months had all these frags

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Since you are administering via ato, another factor could be evaporation rate. Has the humidity or ambient temp in hour house changed? Less ato water means less kalk.

 

[Budman's Corals]

Here's some photos right now what's in tank

 

[Budman's Corals]

Left out the frag tank

 

[mixer911]

Tank looks great!


Using more Kalk is going to lower your alk. That coud be your issue here.

Just hold off on the kalk for a few days and see what happens. Dose some alk to get it up or some water changes. Red sea pro is a high alk salt.