Alkalinity Consumption

[colejr]

I have a Biocube 32 LED that is about 10 months old. I use IORC for salt and do weekly 6 gallon water changes.
Tank houses 2 clowns, several snail and a few crabs.
I have lots of Coraline Algae, Large GSP, Large Xenia, Zoas, a 9 headed Duncan, Toadstool, Leather, Meteor Shower and Galaxia Corals.
My Ca runs between 410 and 420 and my pH seldom gets higher than 8.0.
I am targeting 9.0 dKh but am losing about .5 per day. I have been mixing soda ash every other day in a cup of tank water to try to maintain target without causing wild swings.
Is this rate of consumption normal? Do I need to buy a dosing pump? Open to ideas and suggestions. As always, many thanks!

 

[mdb_talon]

I would suggest mixing soda ash in rodi rather than tank water. .5dkh would be enough for me to look into dosing as i like to keep it stable, but dont want it being dependent on me manually dosing everyday to keep it that way. As your tank matures you are likely to see larger consumption where it becomes even more necessary so might as well get ahead of it and started with a doser now.

 

[colejr]

I would suggest mixing soda ash in rodi rather than tank water. .5dkh would be enough for me to look into dosing as i like to keep it stable, but dont want it being dependent on me manually dosing everyday to keep it that way. As your tank matures you are likely to see larger consumption where it becomes even more necessary so might as well get ahead of it and started with a doser now.

For clarity, I remove a large cup of tank water, mix soda ash and slowly pour back in. I can certainly use RODI instead if it is better.

 

[mdb_talon]

For clarity, I remove a large cup of tank water, mix soda ash and slowly pour back in. I can certainly use RODI instead if it is better.

It depends on how much water and how much soda ash but you can get precipitate using saltwater to mix it. Normally any alk/calc additive should be mixed in rodi to avoid issues like that.

 

[colejr]

It depends on how much water and how much soda ash but you can get precipitate using saltwater to mix it. Normally any alk/calc additive should be mixed in rodi to avoid issues like that.

Excellent, that makes sense. Always willing to learn.

 

[Roytrolls247]

My tank did something similar I was dosing about 10ml of alk per day to keep my Dkh @9 all of a sudden my coraline exploded and I started to see my alk suffer long story short I am dosing 20ml of alk and 20ml of calcium a day I use Marine Plus WWC's in house alk calcium and mag my tank is 120 gal

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For clarity, I remove a large cup of tank water, mix soda ash and slowly pour back in. I can certainly use RODI instead if it is better.

Definitely don't use tank water.

That said, 0.5 dKH a day is pretty normal (on low side of normal).