Elevated readings on Apex

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley, do you think it would be best to do a large volume of water change vs just waiting for the alkalinity to come down on its own? I feel like I hit a road block

I'd make certain none is being dosed and let it fall on its own.

14 dKH will not kill corals if there are adequate nutrients (ensure you have measurable nitrate and phospahte), but a fast drop might.

 

[ReeferJay86]

I'd make certain none is being dosed and let it fall on its own.

14 dKH will not kill corals if there are adequate nutrients (ensure you have measurable nitrate and phospahte), but a fast drop might.

Ok, thank you @Randy Holmes-Farley. All power has been off on my doser since first sign of high alk. Lines are ran from underneath in my tank stand and ran up to my tanks internal sump (IM 30L). I don’t think there would be any gravity feed. As of 6am my dkh is at 14.66.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok, thank you @Randy Holmes-Farley. All power has been off on my doser since first sign of high alk. Lines are ran from underneath in my tank stand and ran up to my tanks internal sump (IM 30L). I don’t think there would be any gravity feed. As of 6am my dkh is at 14.66.

How much alk were you dosing per day (in dKH)? That will suggest how fast it will fall.

 

[ReeferJay86]

How much alk were you dosing per day (in dKH)? That will suggest how fast it will fall.

Just 1ml a day at 8pm. My wife just mentioned to me that she has not seen our RFA an about a 2 weeks. Smh, now I’m wondering if this could be the issue. Is it possible for such a small nem to throw off everything?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just 1ml a day at 8pm. My wife just mentioned to me that she has not seen our RFA an about a 2 weeks. Smh, now I’m wondering if this could be the issue. Is it possible for such a small nem to throw off everything?

Don't know what product you are dosing to what volume. What is that in dKH per day?

 

[ReeferJay86]

Don't know what product you are dosing to what volume. What is that in dKH per day?

ESV Bionic 2 part, around .18 dkh a day. I know it says to do 1ml per gal of water but I wanted to start off slow and just maintain 8-8.4

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

ESV Bionic 2 part, around .18 dkh a day. I know it says to do 1ml per gal of water but I wanted to start off slow and just maintain 8-8.4

OK, so that will take a long time to drop if that level maintained or boosted alk.

I'd do some smallish water changes with a low alk mix over the next week.

 

[ReeferJay86]

OK, so that will take a long time to drop if that level maintained or boosted alk.

I'd do some smallish water changes with a low alk mix over the next week.

About how much water is good to start, I was thinking a gallon or half gallon a day.

 

[MnFish1]

SO - I misread your original post. I thought it was a 300 liter tank - not a 30 liter tank. I think that makes a big difference>? The question I guess I have is - 'what caused it to rise' from the baseline (8 something) to 13 something - initially I think you thought it was the apex - had you changed your dosing over the last weeks?

 

[ReeferJay86]

SO - I misread your original post. I thought it was a 300 liter tank - not a 30 liter tank. I think that makes a big difference>? The question I guess I have is - 'what caused it to rise' from the baseline (8 something) to 13 something - initially I think you thought it was the apex - had you changed your dosing over the last weeks?

It’s ok, yeah it’s a Innovative Marine 30 long. I thought it was the apex as well. That is when we started trouble shooting and checking the calibration fluid with my Hanna checker to see if it was reading the same or not. Once I saw the elevated reading I immediately stopped my dosing. Dosing was never changed over the course of actually dosing.

 

[MnFish1]

It’s ok, yeah it’s a Innovative Marine 30 long. I thought it was the apex as well. That is when we started trouble shooting and checking the calibration fluid with my Hanna checker to see if it was reading the same or not. Once I saw the elevated reading I immediately stopped my dosing. Dosing was never changed over the course of actually dosing.

Its curious that it is still going up - btw - just as a comment - not a criticism - you might not have needed to be dosing with that small coral load>?

 

[ReeferJay86]

Its curious that it is still going up - btw - just as a comment - not a criticism - you might not have needed to be dosing with that small coral load>?

I kind of thought the same, but I do have Florida live rock that are completely covered in coralline. To my assumption, that is what was also taking up some of the alkalinity. Live and learn, this just helps me get better at what we do.

 

[ReeferJay86]

Update....
It’s been a good while since I posted an update on my parameters.

Alk finally came down on it own, well just a little bit of help from Tropic Morin reef pro. And it’s been pretty stable. Now, only thing that has stayed elevated is my calcium. I did set up a ticket with Neptune a few weeks ago for cal reading 0. Just a quick calibration fluid check and viola, it was finally reading. But, when compared to Hanna I’m around 465-485. The service tech I spoke to said Hanna reads anywhere from +\- 50-100 ppm. Not sure how true this is but if anyone knows for sure please let me know.

 

[Vwluv10338]

I have read that about the Hanna Ca but I haven’t used it myself