Alk low.

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I started carbon dosing, and while I think I understand that it doesn’t affect alk, my apex trident was plugged and not making tests. I fixed that today and now have the following. Red Sea foundation tests
Red Sea S1000 260g mixed reef
Alk 7.0
Ca 430
Mg 1440

dosing Fusion 1&2 10ml/24hr


Red Sea XL525 139g mixed reef mostly softies but 3 small blasto, one candy cane, one Med trachy, nice sized pipe organ
Alk 7.3
Ca 430
Mg 1520
Nitrate 18.2
Dosing Fusion 1&2 5ml/24hr

Should I increase part 2 to increase carbonate alkalinity. And if so how much to not change to rapidly.
Was running mid 8’s per trident, added several corals and frags from last weekends sale.
Or do I need to test x # days in a row to see consumption first. Just don’t want to get too low before I make corrections.
Thanks

 

[Jekyl]

I started carbon dosing, and while I think I understand that it doesn’t affect alk, my apex trident was plugged and not making tests. I fixed that today and now have the following. Red Sea foundation tests
Red Sea S1000 260g mixed reef
Alk 7.0
Ca 430
Mg 1440

dosing Fusion 1&2 10ml/24hr


Red Sea XL525 139g mixed reef mostly softies but 3 small blasto, one candy cane, one Med trachy, nice sized pipe organ
Alk 7.3
Ca 430
Mg 1520
Nitrate 18.2
Dosing Fusion 1&2 5ml/24hr

Should I increase part 2 to increase carbonate alkalinity. And if so how much to not change to rapidly.
Was running mid 8’s per trident, added several corals and frags from last weekends sale.
Or do I need to test x # days in a row to see consumption first. Just don’t want to get too low before I make corrections.
Thanks

As long as inhabitants are doing well make the correction slowly. Slightly increase current dose and check over the next few days. Here is a calculator to help figure out dosage.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[vetteguy53081]

I started carbon dosing, and while I think I understand that it doesn’t affect alk, my apex trident was plugged and not making tests. I fixed that today and now have the following. Red Sea foundation tests
Red Sea S1000 260g mixed reef
Alk 7.0
Ca 430
Mg 1440

dosing Fusion 1&2 10ml/24hr


Red Sea XL525 139g mixed reef mostly softies but 3 small blasto, one candy cane, one Med trachy, nice sized pipe organ
Alk 7.3
Ca 430
Mg 1520
Nitrate 18.2
Dosing Fusion 1&2 5ml/24hr

Should I increase part 2 to increase carbonate alkalinity. And if so how much to not change to rapidly.
Was running mid 8’s per trident, added several corals and frags from last weekends sale.
Or do I need to test x # days in a row to see consumption first. Just don’t want to get too low before I make corrections.
Thanks

It will reduce available nurtrients for some coral as well as reducing precipitation with ca and alk

 

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It will reduce available nurtrients for some coral as well as reducing precipitation with ca and alk

Sorry I don’t understand. Are you saying if I increase #2 it will be negative?

 

[Spare time]

Carbon dosing should impact alk in that decreasing nitrate and increasing nitrate can raise and lower alk (I cant remember which is which).


However, only the alk is low in this scenario. The rest are fine

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Carbon dosing should impact alk in that decreasing nitrate and increasing nitrate can raise and lower alk (I cant remember which is which).


However, only the alk is low in this scenario. The rest are fine

Auto correct all was supposed to be Alk.

 

[Spare time]

Auto correct all was supposed to be Alk.

Ahhh my bad

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

I found this article by Randy Holmes-Farley.
From it I believe I need to increase both part 1&2.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.htm

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry I don’t understand. Are you saying if I increase #2 it will be negative?

Phos and nitrate will be negative. As for alk- bring up to about 8.5 but watch CA asyoure doing so as they balance together ad it may decrease CA

 

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Phos and nitrate will be negative. As for alk- bring up to about 8.5 but watch CA asyoure doing so as they balance together ad it may decrease CA

I’m shooting for 10-15ppm of nitrates. Without huge water changes. That is why I started dosing vinegar and vodka. I have read conflicting view points as to wether dosing affects Alk. I went up 1ml of both fusion 1&2 in smaller tank and increase 2ml each in the larger tank. Hopefully this will be slow. I’ll watch the trident and test to see how to progress. Thanks for your input.
What do you target for nitrate and phosphate. I think I’m .6 in one and .42 in other, have to look at my tests, I didn’t retest that today.

 

[Jekyl]

I’m shooting for 10-15ppm of nitrates. Without huge water changes. That is why I started dosing vinegar and vodka. I have read conflicting view points as to wether dosing affects Alk. I went up 1ml of both fusion 1&2 in smaller tank and increase 2ml each in the larger tank. Hopefully this will be slow. I’ll watch the trident and test to see how to progress. Thanks for your input.
What do you target for nitrate and phosphate. I think I’m .6 in one and .42 in other, have to look at my tests, I didn’t retest that today.

Some chemipure will help with phosphate

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m shooting for 10-15ppm of nitrates. Without huge water changes. That is why I started dosing vinegar and vodka. I have read conflicting view points as to wether dosing affects Alk. I went up 1ml of both fusion 1&2 in smaller tank and increase 2ml each in the larger tank. Hopefully this will be slow. I’ll watch the trident and test to see how to progress. Thanks for your input.
What do you target for nitrate and phosphate. I think I’m .6 in one and .42 in other, have to look at my tests, I didn’t retest that today.

Phos- .04 - .06
Nitrate - 5 to 12 range

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Some chemipure will help with phosphate

I have only used that for cyano in my XL350. I think I have read that it can possibly affect beneficial bacteria, and I don’t want to risk that in either reef. I set up the S1000 by moving everything but the sand from the XL525 in February and haven’t had any nuisance Algea ever (knock on wood) however I have nuisance Algea in the XL525 I think because I used dry rock when I reset it after the move. I’m also fighting it in my XXL750 predator tank. Started the dosing so I can try to save on salt as I was changing 200g between the three every 1-2 weeks. Hoping dosing will help with phosphates and am also using some Seachem Phosguard.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Phos- .04 - .06
Nitrate - 5 to 12 range

I wasn’t paying much attention to phosphates until now. Just watching nitrates. Got a Hanna tester for that about two months ago. Hoping dosing will lower them some. At this point my second method is the use of Seachem Phosguard. If my nitrates come down but phosphate doesn’t I’m considering gfo.
Is that a direction you would support, or is there another option that might be either more efficient or less expensive?
I have a couple of standard size media chambers that I loaded with matrix on a slow flow to try to fight nitrates, but hadn’t seen much of a change with them, so I could convert them to gfo.

 

[Jekyl]

I have only used that for cyano in my XL350. I think I have read that it can possibly affect beneficial bacteria, and I don’t want to risk that in either reef. I set up the S1000 by moving everything but the sand from the XL525 in February and haven’t had any nuisance Algea ever (knock on wood) however I have nuisance Algea in the XL525 I think because I used dry rock when I reset it after the move. I’m also fighting it in my XXL750 predator tank. Started the dosing so I can try to save on salt as I was changing 200g between the three every 1-2 weeks. Hoping dosing will help with phosphates and am also using some Seachem Phosguard.

Chemipure, not chemiclean. Chemipure comes in a bag like carbon does. Helps with phosphate and clearer water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree that it's certainly fine to increase alk dosing as needed, and unless calcium is already too high (it isn't), I'd recommend increasing the calcium part as well.