Can't keep alk up. Need advice.

Kware0112 · May 4, 2014

I have a 58g reef. Been running for 2 yrs now. I use kalk in my ato, and reef crystals for my salt. I vodka dose .5 ml a day. Lately I'm having a hard time keeping my alk up. I've tested it with 3 diff kits. It hovers around 6dkh. Cal is 430, mag 1300, sal 1.026. I started dosing 10ml of alk daily and it's not making much of an impact. In the past, the reef crystals kept my alk higher around 11dkh. What is making it drop? Shouldn't the kalk stabilize it? My cal is always stable. Are my corals using that much alk? I have a mix of everything with lots of lps and sps. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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JOKER · May 4, 2014

With all that I would say around 30ml a day maybe more. I dose around 25ml a day and have nowhere near the coral In my tank. You should dose daily till get to desired level you want then let it go for 3 days and see how much it drops. Divide that by three and that will give you daily dosage. I dose alk 6 times daily for 4 minutes, and test weekly. If it goes up to much I cut it back, if it drops I add some time. My calcium stays around 450, but I dose 2 part and dose it between the the alk.

Reefing Madness · May 4, 2014

All the hard coral you have is eating it up. You need to just up your dosage.

Alabamareef · May 4, 2014

I agree with what the others are saying. Your tank is nice and looks well established. I'm assuming your using 2 part. Just add more alk to your daily dose and when you get your desired result that should be your daily dose. Then do as Joker said......
I'm sure you already know this but just remember to take it slow. No need to rush it

Hinecken · May 4, 2014

I've been battling that for the last 3 months. My system is 10 years old. I've just recently finally got it up a bit to 8. I used 2-part to get up over the 3 month period. I've been running kalk in my ATO for several years. In about two weeks when it's time to refill the ato I plan on adding vinegar and increasing the amount of kalk in the top off. The goal for me is to not have to use any 2 part which is the way it used to be.

Kware0112 · May 4, 2014

I don't use 2part. Just alk. My calcium doesn't change. I run kalk in my ato and I thought it stabilized both? Why is the tank eating up alk but not calc?

Reefing Madness · May 4, 2014

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JOKER · May 4, 2014

My tank uses very little calcium but uses a lot of alk.

marke · May 4, 2014

As others mentioned add more alk. Another note. You say your mag is 1300. You may want to raise this. Not that 1300 is a bad number. But what if the test kit is wrong and your at 1200? You won't hurt anything except the cost of the chemical if you take it to 1400. Typically when you can increase one and the other doesn't respond it's a mag issue.

mike007 · May 4, 2014

With that bio load you have to figure out your daily consumption and dose accordingly each day.Easiest way is to use a dosing pump where you can add elements throughout a 24 hour schedule. This will keep parameters steady without swings. I am dosing 75 ml.a day to maintain 8 dkh.