Alk dropping

[Novicereefer]

Hi,

I usually dose 2 part, but since I've been running it around 10 (api test kit), and my corals seem to like it. However, my LFS said it may be better to slowly lower it so I can have more buffer room to around 8 so I stopped dosing. I last tested on Friday a day after my weekly 25% water change. I tested today and it came back as 9 and haven't dosed. It went from 10 to 9 in 3 days. Just confirming that my corals are absorbing it, correct? This is a good thing right? Also, if it continues to drop this fast, wouldn't that tick off my Acros?

-Mixed reef with mainly Acro frags
-bare bottom
-nitrate 5 ppm
-phosphate around 0.03 ppm
-alk 9

 

[fishski13]

So the test kit you are using isnt the most reliable as it only reads in whole numbers. Say you are reading 9 alkalinity but in reality it could be 9.8 or so on so that drop itsnt that fast. Especially with acros or any sensitive coral, I would look into getting a different test kit like salifert or aquaforest which are much more reliable.


Also if you corals were happy with the alkalinity you were keeping your tank at there is much of a reason to change it. But if you were going to lower it, it is best you keep your alkalinity at or close to the alkalinity value of the salt you use. Say you bring it down to 8 dkh and your salt mixed at 11, a 25% water change would cause a spike every time you do a water change.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Throw out that api test and get a salifert or Hanna to start and tbh a lot of people run 10dkh but right now I’m in the process of increasing mine to 8 and I think that’s where I’ll stay but if you want to lower it just let it drop reg then maybe dose a little less then maintained?

 

[Novicereefer]

So the test kit you are using isnt the most reliable as it only reads in whole numbers. Say you are reading 9 alkalinity but in reality it could be 9.8 or so on so that drop itsnt that fast. Especially with acros or any sensitive coral, I would look into getting a different test kit like salifert or aquaforest which are much more reliable.


Also if you corals were happy with the alkalinity you were keeping your tank at there is much of a reason to change it. But if you were going to lower it, it is best you keep your alkalinity at or close to the alkalinity value of the salt you use. Say you bring it down to 8 dkh and your salt mixed at 11, a 25% water change would cause a spike every time you do a water change.

Hmm thanks.i heard good things about Hannah test kit. I was trying to avoid spending $200+ for all the tests I'd need (phosphate, nitrate, pH, calcium, alk, etc). Do you think I can get away with just the alk and ph since those are the most important of all the listed parameters?

My LFS where I buy my Acros from have beautiful Acros and they run their alk at 10, but they're pros and I've only been doing this for 2 yrs with the 1st yr dealing with tank crash after tank crash so I thought having the extra buffer room at a lower alk would've been good. Am I thinking too much into it?

This tank has been solid for over a yr with growth and polyp extension. I just dove into Acros a couple months ago.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Novicereefer]

Throw out that api test and get a salifert or Hanna to start and tbh a lot of people run 10dkh but right now I’m in the process of increasing mine to 8 and I think that’s where I’ll stay but if you want to lower it just let it drop reg then maybe dose a little less then maintained?

Good idea. I just asked someone else can I get away with getting just the pH and alk Hannah tests instead of getting the entire package?

 

[Stephen8169301]

Good idea. I just asked someone else can I get away with getting just the pH and alk Hannah tests instead of getting the entire package?

I have Hanna alk only and use salifert for calcium and magnesium and nitrate

I don’t test ph

 

[Novicereefer]

I have Hanna alk only and use salifert for calcium and magnesium and nitrate

I don’t test ph

Good to know. Thanks. I'll see what my LFS has. I appreciate your help

 

[Uncle99]

Hi,

I usually dose 2 part, but since I've been running it around 10 (api test kit), and my corals seem to like it. However, my LFS said it may be better to slowly lower it so I can have more buffer room to around 8 so I stopped dosing. I last tested on Friday a day after my weekly 25% water change. I tested today and it came back as 9 and haven't dosed. It went from 10 to 9 in 3 days. Just confirming that my corals are absorbing it, correct? This is a good thing right? Also, if it continues to drop this fast, wouldn't that tick off my Acros?

-Mixed reef with mainly Acro frags
-bare bottom
-nitrate 5 ppm
-phosphate around 0.03 ppm
-alk 9

Yes to coral using both Alk and CA.
There’s nothing with 10 if it is stable. Alk must remain stable.
A drop more than half a DKH in 24 hours is not good. The DKH must remain unchanged, from day to day, it impacts the other levels.
I don’t like spending on test kits either, but, water Chemistry is king, you need them to get all of the main components to first, level, then to unchanging.

Your nitrate and phosphate are both fine provided those two are neither increasing or decreasing over say a week from the numbers you post, the 5ppm can be 5-15 for nitrate and 0.03ppm could be bumped to .1ppm. I always have some concern when phosphate is 0.03ppm or lower as with testing error, it could be zero. Bumping to .1ppm ensures no chance of zero. Zero in either is bad as everything living in your system needs these to live.

 

[Novicereefer]

Yes to coral using both Alk and CA.
There’s nothing with 10 if it is stable. Alk must remain stable.
A drop more than half a DKH in 24 hours is not good. The DKH must remain unchanged, from day to day, it impacts the other levels.
I don’t like spending on test kits either, but, water Chemistry is king, you need them to get all of the main components to first, level, then to unchanging.

Your nitrate and phosphate are both fine provided those two are neither increasing or decreasing over say a week from the numbers you post, the 5ppm can be 5-15 for nitrate and 0.03ppm could be bumped to .1ppm. I always have some concern when phosphate is 0.03ppm or lower as with testing error, it could be zero. Bumping to .1ppm ensures no chance of zero. Zero in either is bad as everything living in your system needs these to live.

Good point on the stability thing. It has been rock solid. I just hear everyone running their tanks at 8 or 9. I should just keep doing what's working for me - just wanted to prevent a disaster in the making if I could. I will surely get the Hannah checker though because you're right - I could crash my tank skimping on the test kit.

My phosphate at its highest has been 0.075. I wanted to get it lower to not have to scrape algae off the glass every day lol. Now I clean the glass about every 3 days or so but you're right - I'm flirting with starving my corals.

The deeper I get into this hobby the more I learn that I barely know anything lol. I love it and thanks for the help.

 

[Stephen8169301]

@Novicereefer make sure your lfs is selling the Hanna’s between 60 to 70 anything over is ripping you off my lfs sells them for 63

 

[Novicereefer]

@Novicereefer make sure your lfs is selling the Hanna’s between 60 to 70 anything over is ripping you off my lfs sells them for 63

Whao! Good to know!! Thanks!

 

[Stephen8169301]

Whao! Good to know!! Thanks!

Yeah so I’m luncky to have to reef stores with in 5 mins but the on up charges a lot he had a shrimp marked at 15 but charged me 20 also had a product I wanted charging 90 that I can get online for 60 needless to say I do t really go there anymore

 

[Uncle99]

Good point on the stability thing. It has been rock solid. I just hear everyone running their tanks at 8 or 9. I should just keep doing what's working for me - just wanted to prevent a disaster in the making if I could. I will surely get the Hannah checker though because you're right - I could crash my tank skimping on the test kit.

My phosphate at its highest has been 0.075. I wanted to get it lower to not have to scrape algae off the glass every day lol. Now I clean the glass about every 3 days or so but you're right - I'm flirting with starving my corals.

The deeper I get into this hobby the more I learn that I barely know anything lol. I love it and thanks for the help.

Phosphate number is great. If she’ll run at that consistently, I would not touch that.
Clean the glass every 3 days, that’s a good thing as you clean, you add it back to the water column for your living reef to consume.
For really clean glass, 3 days is normal, Ive been cleaning every 4 days in a 5 year system.
Always work towards keeping everything as unchanging as possible, in this environment, your system will develop faster.
It’s the stuff we can’t see which are the true processors of our water and are consumed by our corals, inverts and fish.

 

[Novicereefer]

Yeah so I’m luncky to have to reef stores with in 5 mins but the on up charges a lot he had a shrimp marked at 15 but charged me 20 also had a product I wanted charging 90 that I can get online for 60 needless to say I do t really go there anymore

Yea some places around me do that too. I only really go to 3 LFS...so for different reasons. 1 for Acros, 1 for cheap corals other than Acros and 1 for their $10 frag rack

 

[Novicereefer]

Phosphate number is great. If she’ll run at that consistently, I would not touch that.
Clean the glass every 3 days, that’s a good thing as you clean, you add it back to the water column for your living reef to consume.
For really clean glass, 3 days is normal, Ive been cleaning every 4 days in a 5 year system.
Always work towards keeping everything as unchanging as possible, in this environment, your system will develop faster.
It’s the stuff we can’t see which are the true processors of our water and are consumed by our corals, inverts and fish.

Hmm I didn't think of that...cleaning the glass helps out the other inhabitants. Yea once I added more flow and stabilized my parameters I noticed my corals were happier. Makes me look back at the corals I lost over the past yr because I was all over the place

 

[Uncle99]

Hmm I didn't think of that...cleaning the glass helps out the other inhabitants. Yea once I added more flow and stabilized my parameters I noticed my corals were happier. Makes me look back at the corals I lost over the past yr because I was all over the place

Yup, any changes are not going to make corals or anybody for that matter happy.
For SPS, big flow is great to keep boundary layers thin.
Find a maintenance routine that works for you and stick to it week to week always looking to lessen any changes.
Temp, Salinity, Alk, Nitrate an Phosphate are the big players.

 

[Knight420]

I'm going to say. From what I gather coral like stability over numbers. If they are happy with where you are at then stay where you are at. If it isn't broken don't fix it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

There are reasons the alk and CA will drop as they work together. False reading may play a role but there are generally causes to drop as simple as temperature and salinity.
Addition of calcium and high calcium can cause an imbalance and even the salt mix may be low in alk even if container suggests a higher number. When you mix another batch, test the alk Before it goes in the tank and see what alk reading you get. Other is to take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kit and see what reading they come up with.
Two part solutions such as ESV or BRS will balance both levels while you raise them.
When testing, allow at least 24 hrs before retesting