DKH Stalled out

[MichaelReefer]

Something odd is happening with my tank...

For some reason my DKH is stalling out and wont go up anymore. No Matter how much I dose I am stuck. I have a Kalk Stirrer and dose 2 part, but it wont go above like 7.5....

Now, I didnt have this problem before I moved my tank (had to move to the other side of the room).

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Anyone have any idea whats going on?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How many dKH per day are you dosing?

Might be the simple fact that demand rises as alk rises, and you still aren't dosing enough, or you may have pushed alk and pH too much, causing excessive precipitation of calcium carbonate.

Any sign of that? hard sand? coatings on heaters and pump impellers?

 

[MichaelReefer]

How many dKH per day are you dosing?

Might be the simple fact that demand rises as alk rises, and you still aren't dosing enough, or you may have pushed alk and pH too much, causing excessive precipitation of calcium carbonate.

Any sign of that? hard sand? coatings on heaters and pump impellers?

55ml was my normal dose previously.

I have now upped it as high as 70ml and am seeing no rise in alk.

No hard sand, no coating on heaters or pumps.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

55ml was my normal dose previously.

I have now upped it as high as 70ml and am seeing no rise in alk.

No hard sand, no coating on heaters or pumps.

WHat does that correspond to in dKH in your tank (may need a calulator) and how much dKH per day from the kalwkasser?

That's the only way to judge if dosing seems excessive or not.

 

[MichaelReefer]

WHat does that correspond to in dKH in your tank (may need a calulator) and how much dKH per day from the kalwkasser?

That's the only way to judge if dosing seems excessive or not.

Not quite sure how to calculate that?


How does dosing more end up being a reduction?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not quite sure how to calculate that?


How does dosing more end up being a reduction?

If you know the product dosed and the amount, you can use this calculator to determine dKH per day by iteration. Enter the tank system volume and a guess of dKH, then calculate and see the product amount. Change the guess dKH until it matches your product amount.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

. Higher pH can drive demand for alk faster than additional dosing supplies it, so higher pH can result in lower alkalinity.

In part that can come from corals calcifying faster, but it also comes partly from abiotic precipitation, and that process can have positive feedback and can get out of control because some precipitation leaves fresh calcium carbonate surfaces that act as perfect seed crystals for more and more precipitation in a cycle that takes substantial effort to break.