Extreme ALK Consumption Need Help

[ALAIRMORE]

I read through a few posts regarding high alk consumption, but I'm still confused. I have a new tank40g DT 20g sump with only one small torch frag and a small patch of GSP. My alk is dropping by around 1dkh a day! I'm measuring with Hanna checker and cross check with red sea test kit. Calcium seems to be staying in balance. I have been trying to keep alk up by dosing ESV B-ionic but it just seems like I'm using way too much for such a low demand system. I do see new coralline algae popping up on my rocks. Would new coralline growth consume this much alk?

Current paramotors:

pH: 8.1-8.3
Alk: 6.4
Cal: 350
Mag: 1450

 

[Miami Reef]

Are you seeing precipitation? It looks like white, hard buildup, which will mainly be around heaters, pumps, and even on the sandbed.

Are you dosing calcium at the same time as alkalinity?

 

[ALAIRMORE]

Are you seeing precipitation? It looks like white, hard buildup, which will mainly be around heaters, pumps, and even on the sandbed.

Are you dosing calcium at the same time as alkalinity?

I dose alk and cal about 30 min apart in the same quantities. I checked for precipitation, and I do have some build up on my heater but doesn't seem to be that bad just a light dusting "same amount as my heater in mixing tank". Nothing on the floor of my sump and sand in the DT looks good to me.

Edit: I forgot to mention. I have high CO2 in the house and keep my pH up with Kalk. Would having high CO2 cause alk to drop?

 

[Natural_Reefer]

Check the expiration dates of your test kit. Hannah Reagent known for being way off after opened/used.
That seems to be high consumption for barely anything in the tank.

 

[Miami Reef]

I dose alk and cal about 30 min apart in the same quantities. I checked for precipitation, and I do have some build up on my heater but doesn't seem to be that bad just a light dusting "same amount as my heater in mixing tank". Nothing on the floor of my sump and sand in the DT looks good to me.

Edit: I forgot to mention. I have high CO2 in the house and keep my pH up with Kalk. Would having high CO2 cause alk to drop?

If anything, high CO2 (low pH) decreases the demand for alkalinity.

Kalkwasser is a calcium and alkalinity additive. Did you account for that when you said you dose 1dKH a day?

 

[ALAIRMORE]

If anything, high CO2 (low pH) decreases the demand for alkalinity.

Kalkwasser is a calcium and alkalinity additive. Did you account for that when you said you dose 1dKH a day?

No Im dosing so little kalk a day I didn't think it would have much impact on alk. I have the pump controlled by apex it turns on when pH drops below 8.1 and off at 8.2 the pump drips kalk very slowly about 1 drop every 2 seconds, and not fully saturated only 1tsp per gal of rodi. Dosing kalk should help keep my alk elevated anyway so if anything I should be seeing high alk and cal right?

As for the Hanna reagent I test everyday so I go through it pretty quick after opening and no its not expired. I also thought it might be the checker so I cross check the results with Red Sea alk test kit, and they are roughly the same.

Its a new tank and I am also dosing Brightwell microbacter clean once a week 40ml. Can that cause alk consumption? I also dumped a bottle of Tigger pods in about a month ago. Only other thing I can think of is I changed salt from Tropic Marin to Reef Crystals a few weeks ago because I'm cheap. Could that screw up the chemistry?

 

[Lavey29]

Shouldn't be dosing anything on a new tank. Just weekly water changes. You have stuff out of balance. Get back to basics.

 

[Miami Reef]

Only other thing I can think of is I changed salt from Tropic Marin to Reef Crystals a few weeks ago

Reef crystals is a good salt, and it has elevated levels of calcium and alkalinity (around 12dKH)

I’m not really sure why your demand is so high. I think this is a job for @Randy Holmes-Farley .

 

[ALAIRMORE]

Shouldn't be dosing anything on a new tank. Just weekly water changes. You have stuff out of balance. Get back to basics.

I agree 100% But I'm dropping 1dkh in 24 hr. If I don't add alk by the end of the week my alk would be in the toilet. Im ok with losing my Hammer and GSP if its suggested to stop all dosing for a while and see what happens.

Edit: Posted calcium logg to show im also adding ESV part 2.

 

[Lavey29]

I agree 100% But I'm dropping 1dkh in 24 hr. If I don't add alk by the end of the week my alk would be in the toilet. Im ok with losing my Hammer and GSP if its suggested to stop all dosing for a while and see what happens.

Because you have an imbalance in your system or faulty testing. Have you got a second test opinion from LFS? Water changes bring back the balance. Unless you made the mistake and put a bunch of corals in a new tank there is no reason to be dosing anything. Your water chemistry is out of balance. Check and double check your salinity.

 

[ALAIRMORE]

Because you have an imbalance in your system or faulty testing. Have you got a second test opinion from LFS? Water changes bring back the balance. Unless you made the mistake and put a bunch of corals in a new tank there is no reason to be dosing anything. Your water chemistry is out of balance. Check and double check your salinity.

Should I try a 50% water change with reef crystals and not do any dosing for a week see what happens?

Current water parameters:
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78.9
pH:8.24
ALK: 6.4
Cal: 350
Mag: 1440

 

[Lavey29]

Should I try a 50% water change with reef crystals and not do any dosing for a week see what happens?

Current water parameters:
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78.9
pH:8.24
ALK: 6.4
Cal: 350
Mag: 1440

Verify the calibration on your salinity tool. Do you use your own RODI? Whenever something is way out of norm, a good size water change is a good place to start.

 

[pledosophy]

No Im dosing so little kalk a day I didn't think it would have much impact on alk. I have the pump controlled by apex it turns on when pH drops below 8.1 and off at 8.2 the pump drips kalk very slowly about 1 drop every 2 seconds, and not fully saturated only 1tsp per gal of rodi. Dosing kalk should help keep my alk elevated anyway so if anything I should be seeing high alk and cal right?

If you are not dosing enough kalk to have an effect on your alk, I am not sure it is enough to have an effect on your pH either.

Usually if you are doing the method with kalk that you are describing the alkalinity in the tank gets really high. North of 13 for me.

What is the pH of your kalk solution? Are you only dosing the clear kalk solution or are you dosing the slurry?

IME as someone who has done similiar things to what you are doing, and with similiar testing methods I am guessing your Hanna reagent is bad. It has happened to me a few times now. Seemingly always when I come home from vacation, I test the tank and my alk is super low, I dose to correct check the next day it is low; think wait a minute, test with a different kit and now my alk is up 3 points. Those reagents just aren't the best IME. I started buying the smaller ones because the larger bottles go bad so quickly.

Before you try more drastic things I would suggest going to an LFS and asking them to run an alk test for you.

JME

 

[ALAIRMORE]

Ok not saying this is the cause but it's a little suspect. Here is my whole log for the month. Alk was stable until I switched to Reef Crystals. Could I have got a bad batch, or should I have dumped out the bucket and mixed it first?

I'm total ok with accepting the fact that I messed up the chemistry. If that's the case what's the "best" way to reset?

 

[pledosophy]

When you switched to Reef Crystals, did you roll the bucket around a lot before opening it?

 

[ALAIRMORE]

Verify the calibration on your salinity tool. Do you use your own RODI? Whenever something is way out of norm, a good size water change is a good place to start.

I make my own RODI "5 stage BRS unit" I calibrate my refractometer with 35ppm calibration solution from amazon. Maybe it's off? If my salinity is off could that be a cause for major drops in alk?

 

[ALAIRMORE]

When you switched to Reef Crystals, did you roll the bucket around a lot before opening it?

NO. I didn't think of that and read about people suggesting it after.

 

[pledosophy]

I make my own RODI "5 stage BRS unit" I calibrate my refractometer with 35ppm calibration solution from amazon. Maybe it's off? If my salinity is off could that be a cause for major drops in alk?

Not unless it is off by a lot.

From what you are describing that is not the case.

 

[pledosophy]

NO. I didn't think of that and read about people suggesting it after.

That could be part of the problem... but that is not your entire problem based on what you said you added and what your tank tested at.

Do you know the pH of your kalk solution? Are you dosing the clear liquid of the slurry?

 

[ALAIRMORE]

That could be part of the problem... but that is not your entire problem based on what you said you added and what your tank tested at.

Do you know the pH of your kalk solution? Are you dosing the clear liquid of the slurry?

Dosing only clear solution. Using 1tsp per gal of BRS kalkwasser I have not measured the pH. I'm afraid to put my apex pH prob in it and my salifert pH kit only goes to 8.6.