Alkalinity Dropping Steadily Despite Dosing

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am running a ATS so algae must use alkalinity to drop nitrates.

Consumption of nitrate by algae adds alkalinity.

 

[ClownSchool]

Consumption of nitrate by algae adds alkalinity.

Thank you for that. I’m just starting my refugium and thought it was solely for nitrate removal and biodiversity (pods).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you for that. I’m just starting my refugium and thought it was solely for nitrate removal and biodiversity (pods).

FWIW, ammonia conversion to nitrate depletes alkalintiy, and nitrate consumption adds it back exactly.

Thus, if nitrate is rising, alk is being depleted, and if nitrate is falling (or being dosed), alk is being added.

Steady nitrate at any level has no impact on alkalinity.

 

[Screwgunner]

Consumption of nitrate by algae adds alkalinity.

My phosphate is .005 nitrates undetectable ,do not have a low nitrate test kit . Hanna phosphate reads .00 twice it read .01 so it is close to .005 to .01 no coral just 13 fish. If my algae scubber puts alkalinity back in the tank why does it go down ,coraline algae? I am adding one half teaspoon reef builder everyday to keep it at 8 dkh. Please explain this to me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My phosphate is .005 nitrates undetectable ,do not have a low nitrate test kit . Hanna phosphate reads .00 twice it read .01 so it is close to .005 to .01 no coral just 13 fish. If my algae scubber puts alkalinity back in the tank why does it go down ,coraline algae? I am adding one half teaspoon reef builder everyday to keep it at 8 dkh. Please explain this to me.

Aside from hard corals, alk consumption comes from coralline algae, some soft corals, abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate, and some calcifying inverts such as snails and urchins.

 

[Screwgunner]

That explains it just put 100 doller of snails in.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

That explains it just put 100 doller of snails in.

thats about 22.5 snails @ my LFS

 

[Screwgunner]

Ordered mine from cal. A few didn't make it.

 

[chris new reefer]

How so?

The only issues that cause unbalanced consumption of alk and calcium are rising or falling (or dosing) nitrate and sulfur denitrators.

Do you know of ANY other process in a reef aquarium that uses only alk or calcium?

Hi Randy,
Thank you very much for all your work here.

you said that most of the 2 part products are designed to dose 1:1.
I am using Fauna Marine balling light.
Do you know if they are in this category. So should I dose them 1:1.

I was always dosing just by demand and that was never 1:1.
my Ca and Alk were always pretty stable.

So now I am a little confused what to do.
changing to 1:1 or keep adjusting my doser separately depending on the testing.

Again, thanks heaps for pointing me in the right direction.

chris

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy,
Thank you very much for all your work here.

you said that most of the 2 part products are designed to dose 1:1.
I am using Fauna Marine balling light.
Do you know if they are in this category. So should I dose them 1:1.

I was always dosing just by demand and that was never 1:1.
my Ca and Alk were always pretty stable.

So now I am a little confused what to do.
changing to 1:1 or keep adjusting my doser separately depending on the testing.

Again, thanks heaps for pointing me in the right direction.

chris

No, The Fauna Marin Balling Light is not made for 1:1. It will use far more alk volume than calcium.

 

[chris new reefer]

No, The Fauna Marin Balling Light is not made for 1:1. It will use far more alk volume than calcium.

Thanks a lot!!!

So keep testing separately and dose separately depending on the reading will be my way to go.

just one more questions, if you don’t mind.
I started dosing Aminos 2 weeks ago and my corals, LPS and SPS look great. But I noticed a drop in Alk from 8.5 to 7 between the last tests. I test every 2 weeks with Hanna. Can aminos have such a boost on Alk consumption.

I have a 2 year old 150gallon with all kinds of LPS and SPS. They are all doing great. I just wanted to step up a bit the reefing game and see what I can do when it comes to coloration.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Amino acids can come in forms that lower alk, raise it, or have no effect. It’s not easy for a nonchemist to recognize the difference, and I would not assume most amino resellers even know what to look for. None that I have seen address the issue in product literature.