Alk dropping very fast with only a couple frags

[bryanfuel]

In 6 hours my alk dropped from 7.7 to 7.1 as measured by 3 different test kits. Any idea what could be happening?

 

[pigmo]

bf, double check to make sure your

1 dosing line is connected properly and in the liquid. our cats have pulled out our tubes before.

2 double check your doser is working. we've had random heads go funky or stop working altogether.

3 get a bigger tank haha

good luck!

;Clown

 

[Gareth elliott]

If there is a lot of coraline, that will also uptake alkalinity. Also some maybe precipitating.

 

[ScottR]

I’ve noticed when adding large amounts of SPS frags, the same thing happens to me. Have to compensate for awhile. Mine stabilizes after a week or so.

 

[DWTS1975]

Are you adding a lot of calcium? Excess calcium could bind with the alk ions and be precipitated out if your magnesium is low.

 

[bryanfuel]

bf, double check to make sure your

1 dosing line is connected properly and in the liquid. our cats have pulled out our tubes before.

2 double check your doser is working. we've had random heads go funky or stop working altogether.

3 get a bigger tank haha

good luck!

;Clown

I've just been hand dosing. And I check right after and the level goes up. Then when I test a couple hours later, the alk has plummeted.

If there is a lot of coraline, that will also uptake alkalinity. Also some maybe precipitating.

How would I know if it's precipitating? I have noticed a hard white deposit near the rim of the tank that isn't salt creep. could that be it?

I’ve noticed when adding large amounts of SPS frags, the same thing happens to me. Have to compensate for awhile. Mine stabilizes after a week or so.

Maybe I'm just being too impatient. I'm just worried I'm going to kill the frags I just got.

 

[DWTS1975]

What are your calcium and Magnesium testing at? This could have a bearing on your Alk readings.

 

[ScottR]

I've just been hand dosing. And I check right after and the level goes up. Then when I test a couple hours later, the alk has plummeted.



How would I know if it's precipitating? I have noticed a hard white deposit near the rim of the tank that isn't salt creep. could that be it?



Maybe I'm just being too impatient. I'm just worried I'm going to kill the frags I just got.

My reefing buddy wanted to clear some SPS once. I took home a bunch of acros, monti digi, poccilopora and a giant monti. My alk went from 8 something down to low 6 in 2 days. Here’s the catch...

 

[Gareth elliott]

try spacing the dosing of alkalinity and calcium out a bit more see if that helps if it’s precipitation.
An article by someone who is an expert on chemistry.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In 6 hours my alk dropped from 7.7 to 7.1 as measured by 3 different test kits. Any idea what could be happening?

Is there coralline on that rock? It can use what you posted.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are you adding a lot of calcium? Excess calcium could bind with the alk ions and be precipitated out if your magnesium is low.

calcium is less of a driver of precipitation than is pH and alkalinity. You’d have to jump calcium from 420 to 840 ppm to have the same tendency to precipitate as pH rising from 7.9 to 8.2.