BIO LOAD VS ALKALINITY

[NeptuneSpear2011]

Hey All,
Just recently added more torches to my reef for now a total of 7
Only have 2 tangs the rest is FULL of corals LPS, SPS, ,mushrooms, zoa's
Been dosing dkh for about a year and since the addition of some newer corals i'm finding it hard to keep alk stable.
Dropping daily currently at 9.1
Let me know if you need metrics/stats

 

[QuickrdenU]

Add more alk..

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

What's your target for alkalinity? Would you happen to know what it's dropping daily?

 

[BranchingHammer]

Hey All,
Just recently added more torches to my reef for now a total of 7
Only have 2 tangs the rest is FULL of corals LPS, SPS, ,mushrooms, zoa's
Been dosing dkh for about a year and since the addition of some newer corals i'm finding it hard to keep alk stable.
Dropping daily currently at 9.1
Let me know if you need metrics/stats

If the amount of two part you're dosing is starting to get extreme, you could invest in a calcium reactor, but with a mixed reef this may not be necessary. How many milliliters of two part are you adding and what brand? (assuming you are using two part) If not two part, what are you using to maintain alk?

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

Add more alk..

Yeah it's more of the metrics surrounding why it's dropping though @QuickrdenU. Where i used to dose once a week i'm now dosing every couple of days, and for alk that's not adding up other than the newly added corals (bio load)

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

What's your target for alkalinity? Would you happen to know what it's dropping daily?

Target is 10 for Alk, dosed on Sat, measured this Sunday and this morning. Was 9.6 yesterday today 9.1 so a drop of .5

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Yeah it's more of the metrics surrounding why it's dropping though @QuickrdenU. Where i used to dose once a week i'm now dosing every couple of days, and for alk that's not adding up other than the newly added corals (bio load)

Well, the uptake of calcium carbonate is usually a good sign that the corals are growing. It's natural that as your corals grow, you're going to need to up your dose.

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

If the amount of two part you're dosing is starting to get extreme, you could invest in a calcium reactor, but with a mixed reef this may not be necessary. How many milliliters of two part are you adding and what brand? (assuming you are using two part) If not two part, what are you using to maintain alk?

Thanks @BranchingHammer so i've mixed 1gal solution and measure dKH with Hanna tester, then use BRS calc to measure the correct dosage in a 4oz cup then dose. Usually 24hrs shows the most accurate results, then if needed rinse & repeat

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Target is 10 for Alk, dosed on Sat, measured this Sunday and this morning. Was 9.6 yesterday today 9.1 so a drop of .5

That's good! You may need to start dosing more frequently to promote stability, and maybe consider automating the process.

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

Well, the uptake of calcium carbonate is usually a good sign that the corals are growing. It's natural that as your corals grow, you're going to need to up your dose.

@Sisterlimonpot Been dosing Calcium as well alongside the dKH, and I get it, livestock will consume nutrients to grow all day long. Wasnt expecting the dosage to increase from weekly to every other day and was curious if that was a normal factor

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

That's good! You may need to start dosing more frequently to promote stability, and maybe consider automating the process.

Totally ok with dosing more frequently, and you are correct. May have to Neptune the automation.

 

[BranchingHammer]

Thanks @BranchingHammer so i've mixed 1gal solution and measure dKH with Hanna tester, then use BRS calc to measure the correct dosage in a 4oz cup then dose. Usually 24hrs shows the most accurate results, then if needed rinse & repeat

Got it, thanks for the info. I would consider automating dosing because manual dosing can cause fluctuations in alkalinity more often and can stress your corals. I would aim to dose everyday (or multiple times a day with an auto doser) if you can to reduce changes in alk. As the tank matures and you add more corals, you will see the tank's demand for alk increase naturally. A drop of 0.5 dkh is pretty typical of a growing mixed reef and could potentially also be a result of adding those torches in. If you can, automation is going to be you and your corals' best friend. Doesn't have to be through your apex, but if you already have one it might be easier to integrate them. My dosing pump runs separately from my controller, which has been fine, but sometimes I wish I had more control through a singular interface instead of two separate apps etc.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

@Sisterlimonpot Been dosing Calcium as well alongside the dKH, and I get it, livestock will consume nutrients to grow all day long. Wasnt expecting the dosage to increase from weekly to every other day and was curious if that was a normal factor

It definitely is normal, and welcomed. The popular transition is more frequent dosing to keep up with the demand. There are calculators that help dial in what to dose based on you uptake. Testing every 24 hours for a few days will give you a good idea as to what your daily dose needs to be to maintain stability.

May I ask why 10dkh is your target? Nothing wrong with that if you have a reason, but normally is a bit on the high side. Allowing it to get down to 8.5-9.0 would be a better spot to keep it.

 

[BranchingHammer]

I would also agree that 10 dkh is a very high target. If it works well for you, then no problem, but in the past I've seen higher alk to be less forgiving, especially with lower nutrients. I like to run my alk at 7.5-8, but anywhere between 7-9 is a common target. Just something to think about.

 

[Spare time]

10 is not very high. Many salt mixes are above 10 by default or near it. 10 is fine.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

10 is not very high. Many salt mixes are above 10 by default or near it. 10 is fine.

That's because the high alkalinity is supplementing what was used since last waterchange. It's not necessarily the base line to run your tank at.

There's reasons to have high alk, but like branching hammer said, (paraphrasing) you're living in the razors edge. It can be more forgiving if your phosphates are high.

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

Got it, thanks for the info. I would consider automating dosing because manual dosing can cause fluctuations in alkalinity more often and can stress your corals. I would aim to dose everyday (or multiple times a day with an auto doser) if you can to reduce changes in alk. As the tank matures and you add more corals, you will see the tank's demand for alk increase naturally. A drop of 0.5 dkh is pretty typical of a growing mixed reef and could potentially also be a result of adding those torches in. If you can, automation is going to be you and your corals' best friend. Doesn't have to be through your apex, but if you already have one it might be easier to integrate them. My dosing pump runs separately from my controller, which has been fine, but sometimes I wish I had more control through a singular interface instead of two separate apps etc.

Thank you @BranchingHammer thats a spot on answer i was looking for and anticipated.
Along with my newly dKH assumptions, i've had a diatom issue for months that just wont go away. Now, I'm fairly certain that my 0 PO4 and Nitrate levels are the culprits to this never ending saga. I've dosed NeoNitro & PO4 for a bit to raise those levels but that balancing act can be a bit nefarious and simply not sustainable over the long term based on given coral daily outcomes and results. Any suggestions in this arena by chance?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Diatoms is usually a sign of high silica. Which usually comes from your rodi.

If that's the case then add a silica buster before your di.

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

It definitely is normal, and welcomed. The popular transition is more frequent dosing to keep up with the demand. There are calculators that help dial in what to dose based on you uptake. Testing every 24 hours for a few days will give you a good idea as to what your daily dose needs to be to maintain stability.

May I ask why 10dkh is your target? Nothing wrong with that if you have a reason, but normally is a bit on the high side. Allowing it to get down to 8.5-9.0 would be a better spot to keep it.

It's mostly based on growth rate and response @Sisterlimonpot. I've had great results between 10 & 10.5 so for that reason that number became my sweet spot. Any higher(11), which has been tested is toeing the line. I run Pro, so the numbers are always going to be a bit higher, BUT they aren't sufficient given the BIO load in my environment

 

[NeptuneSpear2011]

Diatoms is usually a sign of high silica. Which usually comes from your rodi.

If that's the case then add a silica buster before your di.

Any suggestions for Silica buster? I currently run a 7 stage RO/DI, but I'm a betting man that the two diaphragms may be outdated, however the filters and DI resin are constantly changed out.