big 3 rapidly dropping... normal?

[landlubber]

hello everyone,
i've had my 120g has been rolling along for close to a year and have been dosing a very modest 10ml of all 3 elements my system using 2-part. however, in just a couple weeks the tank has started to consume more so I bumped it up to 12ml... then 15ml... then 25ml and now I am up to 35ml and am still falling short.
so my question is could it be possible for a tank with no new coral additions suddenly require over 3 times it's normal dose in such a short period?

my parameters were: Ca 420 Alk 8.35 dKH and Mg 1350
currently my parameters are: Ca 370 Alk 7 dKH and Mg 1200

I keep a mixed reef with some acropora, montipora, lps and zoanthids and my Coraline growth is on the slower side.

 

[JoshH]

It could be your system has found its balance and your corals are starting to take off. #Reefsquad any thoughts?

 

[Diesel]

How much does it drop in 24hrs if you don't dose?
How's the Ph doing?

 

[Sabellafella]

hello everyone,
i've had my 120g has been rolling along for close to a year and have been dosing a very modest 10ml of all 3 elements my system using 2-part. however, in just a couple weeks the tank has started to consume more so I bumped it up to 12ml... then 15ml... then 25ml and now I am up to 35ml and am still falling short.
so my question is could it be possible for a tank with no new coral additions suddenly require over 3 times it's normal dose in such a short period?

my parameters were: Ca 420 Alk 8.35 dKH and Mg 1350
currently my parameters are: Ca 370 Alk 7 dKH and Mg 1200

I keep a mixed reef with some acropora, montipora, lps and zoanthids and my Coraline growth is on the slower side.

Hey so are you doing frequent testing? Frequent water changes. Any fluctuations in salinity? It's almost impossible for mag and calc to drop that much in a very short period of time without having a drop in salinity

 

[Rakie]

I'm going to assume you're testing frequently -- If you aren't, then we can't help you yet -- So assuming you DO... Calibrate your refractometer, and test your salinity. Slipping salinity will lower your mag quickly, as well as cal/alk.

 

[chromis]

+1 on check that your salinity didn’t drop - it can be difficult to raise your Big 3 until you get your salinity back up.

 

[Rakie]

+1 on check that your salinity didn’t drop - it can be difficult to raise your Big 3 until you get your salinity back up.

I was foolish and believed my salinity would stay put for awhile when I ran out of calibration solution.... Yeah, didn't work out that way. Slipped from 1.0265 to 1.021. Corals still lived, grew, because it was a slow transition... But for sure they improved when I stopped being lazy.

All it takes is a little shake, and your refractometer is no longer calibrated.

 

[Diesel]

Refractors aren't made for shake and bake

 

[madweazl]

The calcium and magnesium dropped in a ratio inconsistent with consumption based on the alkalinity so I don't believe it to be growth.

 

[jda]

Has the coralline algae taken off? I can consumer more of those three than actual coral can. It does not even take much.

 

[madweazl]

Has the coralline algae taken off? I can consumer more of those three than actual coral can. It does not even take much.

Not in those ratios.

 

[landlubber]

Hey so are you doing frequent testing? Frequent water changes. Any fluctuations in salinity? It's almost impossible for mag and calc to drop that much in a very short period of time without having a drop in salinity

yea it's a strange situation.
realistically, I probably test twice a month as things have been cruising along fine and for the past 2 weeks when the dip in alkalinity was noticed, I started testing every second day. I just assumed it to be getting consumed and dialled up my DOS slowly to try to compensate. should I back it off?
I just checked my salinity and then calibrated and tested again, it was off but not by much; the water is at 1.025 currently whereas its usually 1.026. I'll correct it starting tonight back up to snuff with the ato in saltwater.

 

[landlubber]

I'm going to assume you're testing frequently -- If you aren't, then we can't help you yet -- So assuming you DO... Calibrate your refractometer, and test your salinity. Slipping salinity will lower your mag quickly, as well as cal/alk.

any other ideas if I do test regularly and salinity isn't out of whack? my alkalinity is sitting at 7dKH today despite the dose being increased in the past 24 hours.

 

[landlubber]

How much does it drop in 24hrs if you don't dose?
How's the Ph doing?

I am scared to take the doser offline for 24 hours considering everything is already low. as for my pH, I should add a disclaimer and mention that the probe hasn't been calibrated in over a year. that being said, it usually sits at 8.2-8.35 but this past week has been elevated as 8.35-8.5 is the new normal.
hopefully that helps draw some conclusions.

 

[landlubber]

Has the coralline algae taken off? I can consumer more of those three than actual coral can. It does not even take much.

not really. I get Coraline but there hasn't been any substantial growth that would lead me to believe it to be the culprit.

 

[landlubber]

@Sabellafella I guess the other question is what do I do about my dosing? leave it, decrease it? I'm leery about increasing it anymore as I feel like I'm setting myself up for a crash if this persists.

 

[jda]

Something is using it. Keep dosing it.

 

[CoralWealth]

What i would do is do a test on alk, not dose for 24 hours and test again. See how much it falls. It wont fall enough in that 24 hours to cause any negative outcomes unless your tank is completely full of SPS colonies.

 

[jda]

Also keep in mind that there is a margin for error in all of these test kits that 7.7 and 8.1 dKh might not be different... you are looking for a trend/pattern, not absolute numbers. Trending downward for a handful of days, or upward or staying about the same is what you are after.

 

[landlubber]

What i would do is do a test on alk, not dose for 24 hours and test again. See how much it falls. It wont fall enough in that 24 hours to cause any negative outcomes unless your tank is completely full of SPS colonies.

yea I think this is what needs to take place as I can't really think of another solution anyway.

Also keep in mind that there is a margin for error in all of these test kits that 7.7 and 8.1 dKh might not be different... you are looking for a trend/pattern, not absolute numbers. Trending downward for a handful of days, or upward or staying about the same is what you are after.

for sure, its just hard to swallow being that I've been holding a consistent 8.32dKH for close to 2 years and suddenly its at 7dKH and not showing any signs of elevating even when I'm dosing more. the other thing is that it isn't just limited to alkalinity dropping, both Ca and Mg are dipping below their usual levels as well.