Calling randy

[Rjmul]

I made an account for this.
So I'm carbon dosing with nopox and I'm dosing all for reef. My nitrates hover around 5 and my alk around 10.

I read enough of Randy's posts that I know what's happening but I don't know how to fix it.
My nopox is consuming my nitrate and increasing my alk
My alk has been steadily increasing despite me under dosing the all for reef. it's reached10.9. Way too high. What do I do ? Feed more ? Feed less? I'm at a grid lock. Any help would be appreciated.
-russell

 

[Vinman]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Rjmul]

I made an account for this.
So I'm carbon dosing with nopox and I'm dosing all for reef. My nitrates hover around 5 and my alk around 10.

I read enough of Randy's posts that I know what's happening but I don't know how to fix it.
My nopox is consuming my nitrate and increasing my alk
My alk has been steadily increasing despite me under dosing the all for reef. it's reached10.9. Way too high. What do I do ? Feed more ? Feed less? I'm at a grid lock. Any help would be appreciated.
-russell

Also worth mentioning I POUR food into this tank. I was naive and though heavy in heavy out. The nopox will take care of it. I'm sitting here thinking about it and have a feeling I answered my own question. I think the over feeding is the issue.

 

[W1ngz]

Looks like you've answered your own question mostly. Less food, less nitrate less alk rise.

If you're going to feed heavily, you'll need a multi faceted plan for nitrate that could include bigger or more frequent water changes, wetter skimming, algae reactor or a refugium.

It may be a good time to consider alternate methods of nitrate and phosphate control, and/or a move to separate 2 part components so the nopox works for you instead of against you.

 

[PotomacReef]

Also worth mentioning I POUR food into this tank. I was naive and though heavy in heavy out. The nopox will take care of it. I'm sitting here thinking about it and have a feeling I answered my own question. I think the over feeding is the issue.

What and how much are you actually feeding? Size of the tank?

You have to cut your feeding, very simple. Even the best balanced tanks in the world would get overthrown by massive feeding schedules.

 

[madweazl]

If what you're feeding is an adequate amount of food for the fish and your carbon dosing is keeping nutrients at desirable levels, the easy answer is to cut back on the All For Reef dosing. Are calcium and magnesium at acceptable levels?

 

[taricha]

The alkalinity should be unrelated here.
If you threw in a bunch of NO3 and it was consumed, then you would have an alk contribution, but food->ammonia->...no3->consumed shouldn't budge alk much.
only incomplete N cycle does.

probably alk increase is just test error.

 

[W1ngz]

The alkalinity should be unrelated here.
If you threw in a bunch of NO3 and it was consumed, then you would have an alk contribution, but food->ammonia->...no3->consumed shouldn't budge alk much.
only incomplete N cycle does.

probably alk increase is just test error.

Except food isn't exclusively converted only to ammonia. Yes, the complete nitrogen cycle and denitrification is a net 0 because alkalinity is first consumed in the conversion of ammonia, and then alk is produced in denitrification, but food breaks down to more than just ammonia. There is also a direct addition of nitrate when food decomposes.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Sounds like you think your under dosing the all for reef stuff but if the alk is climbing slowly your actually dosing too much. None of the other factors are going to raise you alk. If calcium is staying stable I would try dosing two part until alk and calcium are being taken up in equal amounts.

 

[Tennyson]

I actually recently started carbon dosing too and I'm in the same boat. My alkalinity was at 11 when I started which is too high for carbon dosing and will burn your coral.

To combat this I reduced my alkalinity and calcium 2 part dosing to half what I normally dose, check alkalinity daily and adjust the volume. My alk is now at 8 which I suppose is the high end you want for carbon dosing. Hope this helps.

 

[taricha]

but food breaks down to more than just ammonia. There is also a direct addition of nitrate when food decomposes.

True. Haven't ever seen claim or worked out demonstration that food measurably increases Alk. What foods? how much? tank volume? Clever folks around here can help us ballpark what the amount of alkalinity increase could be from this.

 

[Rjmul]

What and how much are you actually feeding? Size of the tank?

You have to cut your feeding, very simple. Even the best balanced tanks in the world would get overthrown by massive feeding schedules.

40 breeder. No sump. Hang on skimmer. Couple larger pinches of omega one daily along with mixed frozen food getting close to almost three cubes. I cut back feeding today. Did a 10% water change with my buddies tropic Marin salt. Alveopora is ticked. Outside if that I'm waiting til lights out to test

 

[Rjmul]

If anyone is interested. I did a 10% water change with a lower alk salt mix. Fed less today, and all my numbers are back in line. I'm gonna skip dosing tonight and see what my alk reads tomorrow.
I'm doing everything the hard way
I'm broke, and disciplined.
. No sump. No auto too off. Dosing by hand. Topping off by hand. Testing calcium, alk, nitrate, and phosphate every night.

is it smart ? No. Is it possible? Yes.
did I cringe at a couple of things this woman said ? Absolutely.

 

[PotomacReef]

If anyone is interested. I did a 10% water change with a lower alk salt mix. Fed less today, and all my numbers are back in line. I'm gonna skip dosing tonight and see what my alk reads tomorrow.
I'm doing everything the hard way
I'm broke, and disciplined.
. No sump. No auto too off. Dosing by hand. Topping off by hand. Testing calcium, alk, nitrate, and phosphate every night.

is it smart ? No. Is it possible? Yes.
did I cringe at a couple of things this woman said ? Absolutely.

LOL I watched that video.

If you're home every day of your life, you can get away with that. I couldn't even be in the hobby if I didn't automate my system. Current situation not-withstanding.

 

[Rjmul]

LOL I watched that video.

If you're home every day of your life, you can get away with that. I couldn't even be in the hobby if I didn't automate my system. Current situation not-withstanding.

I work 40-60 hours a week. But I wake up here every morning and fall asleep here every night

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I think randy will agree that the carbon source is not increasing your alk but maybe sudden changes in your tank have slowed growth of the corals enough to where it seems that way. I will have to watch that video since I run a super simple tank too.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The decomposition of food to nitrate, regardless of how it happens, and then uptake of that nitrate (however it happens, except sulfur denitrator), should offset and cause no ongoing alkalinity increases or decreases. Steady nitrate --> steady alk.

If alk is increasing for whatever reason, stop the All for Reef for a bit, and if it goes on so long that calcium declines substantially, use calcium chloride. Then resume All for Reef when you need alk.