Alk question...

twilliard · Nov 9, 2015

h8z2luze said:
Yea it seems like my corals do. Get pale. I wonder if that's why. I recently started using acro power and also feeding coral frenzy and oyster feast thinking maybe it would help with the color. Maybe I need more n03?

Yes if your at a true 0 no3 then adding it just does wonders!

h8z2luze · Nov 9, 2015

Would it be better to downsize my Chaeto?

h8z2luze · Nov 9, 2015

Would that help get more no3?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 10, 2015

h8z2luze said:
Would that help get more no3?

Yes, but IMO, chaetomorpha is not likely driving nutrients undesirably low for hard corals and it may not be an advantage to reduce it, regardless of what your kit reads (assuming you are not also using GFO or other phosphate binders, or are using organic carbon dosing).

h8z2luze · Nov 10, 2015

I do run gfo in a reactor to keep p04 down.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 10, 2015

h8z2luze said:
I do run gfo in a reactor to keep p04 down.

If your coral's do not seem to look pale (from lack of nutrients), then I personally wouldn't change anything. If the chaeto is growing, or even just surviving, there are likely enough nutrients available for corals.

twilliard · Nov 10, 2015

Thank you Randy!

h8z2luze · Nov 10, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If your coral's do not seem to look pale (from lack of nutrients), then I personally wouldn't change anything. If the chaeto is growing, or even just surviving, there are likely enough nutrients available for corals.

They do seem to lighten up when I put them in from friends tanks and I can't figure out why.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 10, 2015

h8z2luze said:
They do seem to lighten up when I put them in from friends tanks and I can't figure out why.

OK, then its a fine plan to experiment with less Chaeto, less hours lit, or less GFO.

djbetterly · Nov 10, 2015

I was worried my chaeto wasn't doing its job as my nitrates starting going back up. I thought I'd give it a shot and run my fuge light for 24hrs. In about 48hrs my nitrates have dropped by almost 50%. Could have been a fluke, by I always test twice. Nitrates were between 6-8pm and now they are between 4-6ppm.

h8z2luze · Nov 11, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
OK, then its a fine plan to experiment with less Chaeto, less hours lit, or less GFO.

I actually am noticing better color now after I've used acropower and started feeding and really staying on top of my levels. I'm just going to see how it holds up now before changing anything else.

Aka7180 · Nov 11, 2015

Hi guys keep my alk between 8-9 hi kh does makes things grow faster but grow more brittle

FranklinDattein · Nov 11, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If your coral's do not seem to look pale (from lack of nutrients), then I personally wouldn't change anything. If the chaeto is growing, or even just surviving, there are likely enough nutrients available for corals.

I keep a small ball of Chaeto mostly because it works as live visual nutrient monitoring. (also, because of reverse light cycle)
GFO and Vinegar do the nutrient export and Chaeto tells me that nutrients are too low, by fading. When it thrives it means nutrients are accumulating.
That is when I run NO3/Po4 tests and adjust GFO/Vinegar accordingly.

Usually, Chaeto visual response happens a week earlier than coral response, which gives me enough time to dial the nutrient export system, before the corals start fading.

Regarding the OP's question, my system runs on the parameters below.
Alk: 7.6
No3: .025
Po4: .03

SPS growth is very very slow - deliberately - and the coloration has never been better (I also dose dosing amino acids).

When I bump alk up to 8, I see an occasional burn tip and SPS growth starts to be noticeable.

TDTA1181 · Nov 12, 2015

I tested my Nitrate today got 5ppm & Phosphate @ .03 Alk was @ 8.125 per Hanna. I am burning bulbs in over the course of the next 7 wk so there is 1 purple+ that's been thru the 50 hr cycle & I'm working on a bule+ @ the moment. But noticed a burnt tip on one of my pieces. Question is I'd like to get the nitrate @ a stable 1-2ppm & keep phosphate where it is, do y'all think that I should get the Alk up closer to the 9 dKh range??? I skim & run ATS for around 12hrs/day.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 12, 2015

TDTA1181 said:
I tested my Nitrate today got 5ppm & Phosphate @ .03 Alk was @ 8.125 per Hanna. I am burning bulbs in over the course of the next 7 wk so there is 1 purple+ that's been thru the 50 hr cycle & I'm working on a bule+ @ the moment. But noticed a burnt tip on one of my pieces. Question is I'd like to get the nitrate @ a stable 1-2ppm & keep phosphate where it is, do y'all think that I should get the Alk up closer to the 9 dKh range??? I skim & run ATS for around 12hrs/day.

With those nutrient levels, anywhere is the 7-11 dKH range is fine, IMO. Growth may be higher at higher alk, if that is a goal.

Adkins · Nov 12, 2015

Also, really depends on what salt you are using. If said salt contains chelated calcium.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 12, 2015

Adkins said:
Also, really depends on what salt you are using. If said salt contains chelated calcium.

I'm not aware of any that do. Are you?

Adkins · Nov 12, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I'm not aware of any that do. Are you?

Instant Ocean products for certain.

More than likely Seachem products. I say that based on some Seachem publications that speak on how chelated are used. They will not confirm or deny.

D-D products do not.

Tropic Marin products do not.

Red Sea products do not.

Adkins · Nov 13, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I'm not aware of any that do. Are you?

So...I've been doing my homework like a mad man tonight. Among to the point of burning the midnight oil.

I have discovered that it maybe a bit of a skewed misconception on my part. I too have been "learned" by Lou at Tropic Marin.

I'm not totally settled one way or another on IO salt mixes. I need to read a bit more.

If actual fact I have seen documentation from DD and Red Sea saying the 100% do not contain cheated calcium.

However, I was on the fence about how to interpret Page 1 ; Paragraph 5 of this Seachem publication.

http://www.seachem.com/Library/Articles/The_Contrarian_Reef.pdf

Any guidance on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to change my previous post of "certainty" to one of questionable [emoji4]

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 13, 2015

Adkins said:
Instant Ocean products for certain.

More than likely Seachem products. I say that based on some Seachem publications that speak on how chelated are used. They will not confirm or deny.

D-D products do not.

Tropic Marin products do not.

Red Sea products do not.

There is no commercial salt mix that I know of that presently contains calcium in a chelated form, and I'd be surprised if any do. Just because some mixes claim they do not have it, that does not mean any do (at least not in recent years). It would be quite expensive to do so, and so I'm not sure why any company would do such a thing and not let people know (I also do not think it desirable).

Normal Instant Ocean contains no chelators (as a senior technical rep explained once to me).

Reef Crystals contains a small amount of metal chelator designed to reduce the toxicity of metals such as copper. A few other companies may do this as well (or at least have in the past;Sera Meersalz for example).

Neither provide calcium in a chelated form, and the amount of chelator in RC is way, way smaller than the amount of calcium, so the calcium in it is not "chelated".