Dangers of low alkalinity?

BigJohnny · Jun 18, 2016

Are there any real dangers to a reef tank that has .5-1 dkh lower alkalinity than normal? I know alk swings in general are bad for sensitive sps and even some lps, especially when alk gets too high and nutrients are low and lighting is high ( i get alk burn and bleaching if my alk goes above 8.5 for a while etc), but what happens when alk is simply low, without a big swing in a short time? Are there any other significant side effects besides inhibiting calcification?

The reason i ask is because my tank is down from an average of 8-8.3 dkh to 7.8 dkH currently, my consumption has gone up over the last month but my dosing has been on autopilot, and I've been traveling too much to be able to make adjustments and test daily (lucky if I test biweekly). Over the last week it's dropped .2 dkh and I will be leaving today for another 4 days. If my alk drops to 7.5 or even lower, what problems can I expect to face if any? I'd rather let it ride if risks are minimal then try to adjust and hope it balances it out. I'm supposed to leave in an hour and my current plan is simply to reduce the photoperiod until I get back (which will gradually raise my alk).

Thanks!

reeferfoxx · Jun 18, 2016

My salt mix come with a dkh of 7. Natural sea water is usually 7. That said, there are debates that higher alk is good with higher nutrient tanks. I've yet to explore that, however.

BigJohnny · Jun 18, 2016

reeferfoxx said:
My salt mix come with a dkh of 7. Natural sea water is usually 7. That said, there are debates that higher alk is good with higher nutrient tanks. I've yet to explore that, however.

Yes, I am less concerned about the 7 dkh level but more about the fact that it's 1 dkh lower than my tanks normal (imo ideal) dkH.

I run a low nutrient system and for me if I get above 8.5 dkh I have problems, especially if it happens quickly. I've never experienced the flip side though. Just wondering if there is "reverse alk burn" or anything like that lol

reeferfoxx · Jun 18, 2016

BigJohnny said:
The reason i ask is because my tank is down from an average of 8-8.3 dkh to 7.8 dkH currently, my consumption has gone up over the last month but my dosing has been on autopilot, and I've been traveling too much to be able to make adjustments and test daily (lucky if I test biweekly). Over the last week it's dropped .2 dkh and I will be leaving today for another 4 days. If my alk drops to 7.5 or even lower, what problems can I expect to face if any? I'd rather let it ride if risks are minimal then try to adjust and hope it balances it out. I'm supposed to leave in an hour and my current plan is simply to reduce the photoperiod until I get back (which will gradually raise my alk).

This could be tricky. Do you have an auto doser and/or controller you can access from a distance? For someone travling, you should have an apex or similar controller to monitor your parameters. I would test once a week and make adjustments for that. Sounds like your travels aren't terribly long, so 4 days shouldn't effect much with an auto doser.

The effects you can have are SPS burns and color loss. I don't think the difference is detrimental more so an eye sore.

BigJohnny · Jun 18, 2016

reeferfoxx said:
This could be tricky. Do you have an auto doser and/or controller you can access from a distance? For someone travling, you should have an apex or similar controller to monitor your parameters. I would test once a week and make adjustments for that. Sounds like your travels aren't terribly long, so 4 days shouldn't effect much with an auto doser.

The effects you can have are SPS burns and color loss. I don't think the difference is detrimental more so an eye sore.

Yes my reef keeper is hooked up to the Internet and my dosing is automatic, but you can't test alk with an aquarium controller (can't wait until there is an alkalinity probe lol), so I don't see how that is relevant as far as dialing in alk.

I normally don't travel much. But yes only 4 days so hopefully shouldn't drop but another .2 dkh max, less if I reduce my photoperiod. I just wanted to know what risks I am taking because you never know, it may drop faster.

I can deal with cosmetics ; )

reeferfoxx · Jun 18, 2016

BigJohnny said:
Yes my reef keeper is hooked up to the Internet and my dosing is automatic, but you can't test alk with an aquarium controller (can't wait until there is an alkalinity probe lol), so I don't see how that is relevant as far as dialing in alk.

I normally don't travel much. But yes only 4 days so hopefully shouldn't drop but another .2 dkh max, less if I reduce my photoperiod. I just wanted to know what risks I am taking because you never know, it may drop faster.

I can deal with cosmetics ; )

Carbonates are constantly being absorbed by many life forms in our aquarium. Over time, these carbonates, which also form the alkalinity buffer of our water, get depleted. This drop in alkalinity leads to increased acidity in the water, causing pH to decline. This is the critical relationship between pH and alkalinity.

You have a pH probe, at least, right?

BigJohnny · Jun 18, 2016

reeferfoxx said:
Carbonates are constantly being absorbed by many life forms in our aquarium. Over time, these carbonates, which also form the alkalinity buffer of our water, get depleted. This drop in alkalinity leads to increased acidity in the water, causing pH to decline. This is the critical relationship between pH and alkalinity.

Yes, I understand that. Fortunately for me but unfortunately for anyone trying to use pH to determine alk levels, the pH change between 8.3 dkh and 7.5 dkH is negligible. Especially because my pH goes up when I leave town because there is less co2 in the house! Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it!

reeferfoxx · Jun 18, 2016

BigJohnny said:
Yes, I understand that. Fortunately for me but unfortunately for anyone trying to use pH to determine alk levels, the pH change between 8.3 dkh and 7.5 dkH is negligible. Especially because my pH goes up when I leave town because there is less co2 in the house! Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it!

I'm sorry I couldn't alleviate your concern for what your tank will look like after a 4 day trip. I was just trying to help keep your tank consistent rather than not. If keeping your tank consistent is proven difficult due to you not being home, I would take the issues with stride and work to better consistency. Just my .02. Sorry I couldn't help more.

BigJohnny · Jun 18, 2016

reeferfoxx said:
I'm sorry I couldn't alleviate your concern for what your tank will look like after a 4 day trip. I was just trying to help keep your tank consistent rather than not. If keeping your tank consistent is proven difficult due to you not being home, I would take the issues with stride and work to better consistency. Just my .02. Sorry I couldn't help more.

Oh no, you did alleviate my concern though. I wasn't that worried but wasn't sure about the side effects you mentioned (not a big deal and worst case scenario considering I only expect it to drop .2 dkh max). I have not had any trouble, in fact my tank is doing better than ever. This is primarily due to the fact that I am constantly researching and asking people like you for advice! That and a lot of testing! I find the more you test, the easier it is not to. You really get in tune with your tank (as I'm sure you know).

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it, and since you responded so quickly I can still leave on time ; )