Alkalinity keeps rising

eloehr · Jul 2, 2015

125rr total system 150g
SPS Dominated. 34 SPS frags; 4 LPS
Ph 8.2
Mg 1420
Ca 460
Alk 10
WS 25g weekly with Reef Crystals
BRS GFO reactor (High Cap GFO)
BM Curve 9 skimmer
Jebao 4 channel doser. Only dosing 9ml ME Corals Calcium and 3ml of AcroPower daily

I can't keep my alkalinity down. It keeps rising on me.
I like to run my Alkalinity right at 8.0. It would consume 0.30 - 0.40 per day. I would manually dose Seachem reef builder using Randy's online reef calculator very successfully. I tested every night with Salifert and/or Hanna and then dosed according to the calculator. Everyday, for 4 months about 0.30 - 0.40 per day

About a month ago, my nitrates were a little high for comfort. 30ppm. I did a 60g water change (rookie mistake) with reef crystals. My alk jumped up to 9. Wouldn't go down the 0.30/0.40 per day anymore. The following week, another 25g WC. Alk jumped up higher. Still not going down daily. Another 25g the following week. Alk was now up to 10. That is when I realized that RC mixes with a high alk.

Last weekend I followed Randy's instructions and lowered my alk to 8.0 with muriatic acid in my made water. I did a 25g WC. Alk finally tested at 9.4. It still is not getting consumed daily. Matter of fact it is rising daily 0.10 on its own. NO DOSING. Nothing but feeding fish. Last night it was all the way back up to 10.024

I have tested with Hanna and Salifert, not the test kit. This whole time Mg and Ca have stayed rock solid at 1400-1420 and 440-460. I still have good PE, no burnt tips and no recession. But paranoid that I am going to lose the whole tank if I can't get this under control.

Why is this happening? What can I do?

Daytonareefing · Jul 2, 2015

Just a thought but do you have any man made rock in the tank?

redfishbluefish · Jul 2, 2015

I had similar problems when using RC. I switched to IO and couldn't be happier....and my tank is happier too.

eloehr · Jul 2, 2015

Daytonareefing said:
Just a thought but do you have any man made rock in the tank?

Left that out. the tank is 11 months old. Started with all dry marco rock.

eloehr · Jul 2, 2015

redfishbluefish said:
I had similar problems when using RC. I switched to IO and couldn't be happier....and my tank is happier too.

I have considered switching salts. Researched and read a lot last weekend. I saw some big names are using IO. Decided to try muriatic acid. The funny thing is that a box RC is cheaper than a bucket IO in Nebraska. PetCo has buckets of IO, but at a ridiculous price.

Daytonareefing · Jul 2, 2015

It could be either one I use to use RC and switched because I had trouble but I don't remember what it was. Now I use Tropic Marin. I know people have good luck with IO.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

What do you use for evaporation to off?

No other additives at all?

What is the current phosphate level?

That water change should be adding less than 1 dKH per week, so trying to understand why your corals now appear to be consuming so much less alk is a worthwhile activity, IMO.

eloehr · Jul 3, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
What do you use for evaporation to off?

No other additives at all?

What is the current phosphate level?

That water change should be adding less than 1 dKH per week, so trying to understand why your corals now appear to be consuming so much less alk is a worthwhile activity, IMO.

Nope. The only thing I dose is AcroPower, ME Corals Calcium and AquaVitro Ions Mg manually, fixin to switch over to ME when bottle is empty. All top off water and is made with a BRS 5 Stage RO/DI reading zero TDS and the Phosphate is .07 with Hanna. I suspect the corals stopped using the alk also. The only thing I have changed on the tank is led intensity. Same LEDs, just turned them down about 5%. I figure that change may have stunted the growth but in the last month, most have encrusted another 1/4 inch or so.

The good news...This has been going on for weeks, I finally swallowed my pride and posted this yesterday evening. When I got home and did my nightly testing, Alk is down 0.284. 1st time in a month! I couldn't believe it so I tested another two times. Same results. I believe you may have jogged my memory Randy, bringing the "unhappy" corals into the equation and not so much water. The change in lighting probably upset them and they needed to adjust.

Make sense or am I grasping for straws?

Daytonareefing · Jul 3, 2015

You said your alk is at 10 is it causing any trouble being a little high?

eloehr · Jul 3, 2015

Daytonareefing said:
You said your alk is at 10 is it causing any trouble being a little high?

Not yet, but it could take a month or so and boom, RTN or STN. I have always ran the tank around 8 being SPS dominant. On the positive, it only went up about .8 -.9 per water change. but you know....Stability, stability, stability.

Daytonareefing · Jul 3, 2015

I here you. After I first posted on here it hit me when i last checked my alk it was 10. But my problem would have to be the salt as I usually only do water changes other than dosing zeovit. It's rare I need to add calcium in that tank as I haven't put many sps in there yet. They are still in my other tank which every thing is the same but my alk is 9. So maybe farley hit the nail on the head saying the corals are using less.

Mattrg02 · Jul 3, 2015

Daytonareefing said:
I here you. After I first posted on here it hit me when i last checked my alk it was 10. But my problem would have to be the salt as I usually only do water changes other than dosing zeovit. It's rare I need to add calcium in that tank as I haven't put many sps in there yet. They are still in my other tank which every thing is the same but my alk is 9. So maybe farley hit the nail on the head saying the corals are using less.

I just had a high alkalinity scare. I had a new Jedi mind trick dissolve away one day. Testing water resulted in a 17dKH reading. I was using LFS salt water. I made my own and got it down to 13dKH over several days. Nothing else died.

Won't be using LFS water anymore. They use RC and I am finding this to be a problem.

Matt

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

eloehr said:
Make sense or am I grasping for straws?

That might be it. Given the drop, I'd just keep watching a bit longer before changing anything.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

Mattrg02 said:
I just had a high alkalinity scare. I had a new Jedi mind trick dissolve away one day. Testing water resulted in a 17dKH reading. I was using LFS salt water. I made my own and got it down to 13dKH over several days. Nothing else died.

Won't be using LFS water anymore. They use RC and I am finding this to be a problem.

Matt

17 dKH might be RC mixed into tap water.