does alkalinity (low) effect bacteria & sand bed & rock critters?

cracker · Mar 19, 2018

Recently I have been trying to get some life in this sand bed. The sand bed is in my 180 fish only(for now at least) . The tank has been going since august 2016. I have no growth I can see at least. Just recently a little cyano & dusting of algae. Also Iv'e been dosing No4& Po4 . Always had zero nutrient levels .The chaeto won't kick off .The Alk was low like 4.0 low. I never checked alk thinking in a fish only wasn't all that important.
I understand alk levels can affect Po4. So will low alkalinity hinder growth of micro & macro fauna in the rock & sand bed?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 20, 2018

I'm not sure what you mean by alkalinity affecting phosphate. I think they are mostly unrelated, chemically, unless you are talking about super large amounts of phosphate, in which case it gets measured by an alk test as part of alkalinity.

I don't think alkalinity has much impact on "microfauna". That is, organisms that live by eating something else. Low alk may make the growth of some types of photosynthetic organisms (algae, etc.) slower since many of them use bicarbonate as their source of CO2 for photosynthesis. They do not consume the alkalinity, they just extract CO2 from it.

Gareth elliott · Mar 20, 2018

There might also be an impact on bacteria population from any large swings of alkalinity or any parameter. What effect that would be no idea.

cracker · Mar 20, 2018

Thanks! Iv'e been dosing a slurry from an old jug of Prt 2. Got the alk up to 5.5 ! LOL
Ran out so on the a new jug. Hopefully this will be more concentrated. Need to be careful not to OD here !