Alk usage seems high.

[magicwhistle]

My alk usage seems high to me just wanna see if it’s normal. I’m dosing around 25ml b ionic daily to keep up with demand(both parts). I’m dropping like 0.5-1dKh per day. (It’s hard to tell since the resolution of my tests are max 0.5).

I have no SPS just some LPS and softies:
1 medium size zoa colony
2 single head Zoas
1 single head Duncan (currently has 3 more heads growing at once though)
1 pipe organ colony (I believe this is what it is)
1 I think small favia(3 polyps)
1 small acan head
1 unknown LPS was which kinda looks like GSP but the body is hard not soft.
1 smallish pulsing Xenia Colony

Right now I have a 40B with 20L sump. The sump probably has ~15 gallons in it.

I’m running chemipure blue since I lost 2 clown fish about a month ago, was worried it could have been chemical. Water quality has looked amazing since using it so I just kept on using it.

I use instant ocean sea salt. The alfreshly made SW is 10dKH tested with Red Sea and API tests.

There are no fish in the tank and 1 cleaner shrimp. I feed the shrimp once a day. Not much algae growth (I have a refugium with chaeto in it). Got some hitchhikers (bunch of brittlestars and an asterina).

I JUST set up a doser and have it dose alk 12ml @6am and 12ml @6pm And then dose calcium 15 minutes after same amount. Here are all my params right now:

temp: 79
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 2
Phos: 0 (using an API kit. I think it’s def between 0-0.25)
calcium: 420
Alk: 7.5
pH: 8.2

It just seems bizarre to me that I can dose like 0.5dKh worth and it very temporarily (less than a day) goes back down 0.5dKh. Like yesterday my alk was at 8.5ish now today after dosing this am it’s down to 7.5ish.

Can my corals REALLY be consuming that much or is there something else I should look at? (I don’t have a test right now for magnesium. Should I test for that?)

 

[magicwhistle]

I just wanted to add: all my corals look insanely happy currently compared to a month ago when I noticed my alk was low (got down to 6 or so).

All the polyps are fully opened and coloured nicely (imo) the Xenia are pulsing happily (they weren’t awhile ago but have been for a week now). Shrimp seems fine.

 

[magicwhistle]

Bump

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That level of alk usage does not seem to be a problem to me.

Most tanks use 0.5 to 2+ dKH per day.

 

[magicwhistle]

That level of alk usage does not seem to be a problem to me.

Most tanks use 0.5 to 2+ dKH per day.

I saw another post where someone recommending look at the sandbed for clumping.

I have clumping in my sandbed. So I’m going to be stopping dosing for a bit. Thanks for the reply though!

 

[blasterman]

Unlike calcium alk is consumed by many biological processes that occur in a reef tank. Pretty much anything lower than fish and inverts use carbonate/alk.

 

[wilsonline]

" I saw another post where someone recommending look at the sandbed for clumping. "
that's what I had in the beginning and would suggest you check. And I don't think you should have that level of alk consumption, not by your animals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I saw another post where someone recommending look at the sandbed for clumping.

I have clumping in my sandbed. So I’m going to be stopping dosing for a bit. Thanks for the reply though!

I would not be certain the issue is ongoing precipitation, but it might be. Sand clumping does not prove it to be currently happening. Sand hardening happens initially when the tank is set up then slows as the sand becomes covered in organics, magnesium, and phosphate, but here is my standard recommendation to reduce precipitation on sand, heaters, pumps, etc:

If you are concerned about abiotic precipitaiton, then ways to stop it are:

1. Stop dosing alk for a bit and let it decline.
2. Reduce pH by switching to a low pH alk mix like sodium bicarbonate, or a calcium organic such as Tropic Marin All for Reef.
3. Ensure magnesium is normal to high.
4. Keep organics and phosphate on the high side.

After a few days of not dosing alk, restart slowly, adding additives to a very high flow area so it mixes in fast.