Have You Checked Your Alkalinity Today?
- Thread starter ritter6788
- Start date
- Tagged users None
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
Get your numbers in line with water changes and manual dosing first. Once you get them in line then use the dosing pumps to maintain. Start slow and test everyday until you get them dialed in. Don't run them at the same time or you will get precipitation.
navila06
Well-Known Member
I am using api buffer max marine to my top off until it runs out, then I will add baking soda to the top off.
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
I posted earlier in this thread that I was adding baking soda in my ATO to maintain alk. After increasing my dosage to keep up I've been having stability issues. I switched to a dosing pump months ago and my alk is way more stable. I think a little baking soda in your ATO is ok but once you start getting into bigger doses then you need to find some other method of dosing. I also think once you need to start dosing for alk then start dosing for calcium at the same time using a balanced additive; kalkwasser, calcium reactor or two part additions. If you're using baking soda to dose for alk then go ahead and start dosing a balanced calcium additive. Just don't dose them at the same time or you can get precipitation.
I'm using a BRS dosing pump with a RKL multi timer. I'm dosing alk at night and calcium during the day with a couple hours break in between so there is no mixing of the products.
I'm using a BRS dosing pump with a RKL multi timer. I'm dosing alk at night and calcium during the day with a couple hours break in between so there is no mixing of the products.
terri_ann
Well-Known Member
I'm using the BRS doser (1.1ml) and their 2-Part (soda ash) controlled by Neptune's Apex. I'm wanting some clarification as the more I read, the more I have self-doubt. I'll give just a little background. The 135g tank has been set up for over 3 years (120TWV). I do weekly water changes (12-15g) using Reef Crystal salt and carbon dose vinegar(heavy bioload). Softies and LPs are growing fine. In the past 9 months, began my SPS journey with them now settled in, primarily encrusting.:smile: Alk was beginning to drop and water changes couldn't keep up so started kalk in topoff (ATO). After some time, calcium hit +500ppm. Decided that wasn't good so now to present day... I have only been dosing the alk (10dKh) part because calcium is once again over 500pmm and Mag is +1500ppm (not dosing Ca or Mag or anything else so increase has been through WC's). Do I ''need'' to add the calcium (in equal parts) even though the CA is currently so high? And again, do I "need" to add the Magnesium even with my present high level? One other thing also, I chose to go to 10dKh because of using Reef Crystal's and it being in the middle range. Am I playing with fire?
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
You can dose the alk part only but once your demand decreases you will get more stability if you dose the calcium part as well. I went a long time (years) without dosing calcium at all, only alkalinity. I haven't needed to dose magnesium at all yet.
Keep in mind that any changes to your tank can cause an increase or decrease in growth which can alter your dosing schedule to make sure to keep checking it often especially if you make any changes to your tank. Changes in lighting, photoperiod, salt mix, phosphate removing media, etc. can all affect your corals growth rate and cause changes in the tank's alkalinity consumption. I had an issue with alk burn on my tank when I switched to a different MH bulb but kept dosing alk at the same rate. Turned out the bulb had lower par so the sps growth slowed which caused a decrease in my alk usage.
kes
Well-Known Member
Yes, I agree, alkalinity is very important especially for keeping SPS long term. of course, other parameters - mag, ca, etc, are equally important, but it's the alk that seems to be the demise of many SPS keepers.
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
There is a calcium/alkalinity balance calculator online. I can't recall the name at the moment but it can probably be found using google.
The numbers you posted look good to me though.
The numbers you posted look good to me though.
mcarroll
10K Club member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 13,802
- Reaction score
- 7,989
- Location
- Virginia
- What state or country do you live in
- Virginia
Jose Dieck's world famous Reef Chemistry Calculator (linked in the forum sticky too) will give you this info when you put in either Ca or Alk from your test results.
And it's simple: You enter your system volume and at least one parameter - Ca or alk. It will tell you the correct balance for the level you enter in the notes.
FWIW, you can save the HTML for the calculator to a local file and run the calculator locally. (Prolly the same goes for the flash version...not a fan of flash.) His license specifically allows this....think you can even host it publicly if you want. I wanted to have it for offline usage. Pretty handy!!
-Matt
And it's simple: You enter your system volume and at least one parameter - Ca or alk. It will tell you the correct balance for the level you enter in the notes.
FWIW, you can save the HTML for the calculator to a local file and run the calculator locally. (Prolly the same goes for the flash version...not a fan of flash.) His license specifically allows this....think you can even host it publicly if you want. I wanted to have it for offline usage. Pretty handy!!
-Matt
Last edited:
terri_ann
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I used this one: Calcium/Alkalinity Balance Calculator
childress5tyler
Well-Known Member
Best ALK reading for sps?
mcarroll
10K Club member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 13,802
- Reaction score
- 7,989
- Location
- Virginia
- What state or country do you live in
- Virginia
Ocean water levels are the ideal, but given the nature (and practical differences) of a home aquarium, these are the relatively elevated numbers that I have used:
Calcium 420 ppm
Alklinity 4.0 meq/L (200 ppm; >11 dKH)
Magnesium 1350 ppm
Specific Gravity 1.025
Although growth rates are also enhanced, my primary reason for using slightly "enriched" water parameters is the margin of safety gained in doing so. This is primarily important regarding alkalinity since there is so little of it to begin with and the effects can be so bad when levels drop since pH is directly linked.
Bit of a long answer, but I hope it helps!
-Matt
Calcium 420 ppm
Alklinity 4.0 meq/L (200 ppm; >11 dKH)
Magnesium 1350 ppm
Specific Gravity 1.025
Although growth rates are also enhanced, my primary reason for using slightly "enriched" water parameters is the margin of safety gained in doing so. This is primarily important regarding alkalinity since there is so little of it to begin with and the effects can be so bad when levels drop since pH is directly linked.
Bit of a long answer, but I hope it helps!
-Matt
childress5tyler
Well-Known Member
I keep my ALK around 10.2. Great write up though, thanks for the answer
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
I'm just the opposite of you. I keep my alk on the lower side, 9 dkh or less. I get burned tips on my sps when my alk gets over 11 dkh. I haven't noticed a difference in growth if my alk is 7 or 10 as long as it's stable. For my tank I'd rather be a bit low than too high. I try to keep mine as close to 8 dkh as possible.
mcarroll
10K Club member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 13,802
- Reaction score
- 7,989
- Location
- Virginia
- What state or country do you live in
- Virginia
9 dKH isn't all that low - wouldn't worry me really until 7ish and lower.
How far over 11 have you taken it to see side effects like that? Did it take a while to see the bad effects?
I'm sure I've been a little over that level, but never by very much. 4.0 meq/L (aka >11 dKH or 200 ppm) has always been my max - no higher. And no problems.
Different story whenever I let alk dip to around 2.5 meq/L or lower. (?dKH?) Almost always got a negative reaction. Almost. I don't watch pH, but I always assumed the low buffering was causing low pH "spikes".
Due to the margin of safety I got, I never even tried running lower alkalinity than 4.0 until I got a doser.
FWIW, I do keep closer to 8-9 dKH these days since I'm not dosing by hand anymore.
-Matt
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
9 dKH isn't all that low - wouldn't worry me really until 7ish and lower.
How far over 11 have you taken it to see side effects like that? Did it take a while to see the bad effects?
I'm sure I've been a little over that level, but never by very much. 4.0 meq/L (aka >11 dKH or 200 ppm) has always been my max - no higher. And no problems.
Different story whenever I let alk dip to around 2.5 meq/L or lower. (?dKH?) Almost always got a negative reaction. Almost. I don't watch pH, but I always assumed the low buffering was causing low pH "spikes".
Due to the margin of safety I got, I never even tried running lower alkalinity than 4.0 until I got a doser.
FWIW, I do keep closer to 8-9 dKH these days since I'm not dosing by hand anymore.
-Matt
I don't consider 9 low either. I consider it high for my tank. I would keep it at 7 ideally but 8 gives me a little room or error so 8 is the target number I chose for my tank.
I've had it drop as low as 6 without issues. That seems to be the tipping point for my tank though. 5 - 5.5 and I got STN. 11 or higher I get burned tips. It's possible the alk was higher than 11 when the burned tips occurred but that was the number I got when I noticed the issues.
mcarroll
10K Club member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
- Messages
- 13,802
- Reaction score
- 7,989
- Location
- Virginia
- What state or country do you live in
- Virginia
It sounds to me like we're saying and doing almost the same thing.
Correct me if needed, but it sounds like high alk was not happening on purpose when you had trouble? If that's accurate, then I would theorize that circumstance may be the only difference.
If not that, then still a small mystery to me. But a little mystery is good, right?
-Matt
Correct me if needed, but it sounds like high alk was not happening on purpose when you had trouble? If that's accurate, then I would theorize that circumstance may be the only difference.
If not that, then still a small mystery to me. But a little mystery is good, right?
-Matt
Last edited:
OP
OP
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
Just got a Salifert test kit in today for the first time. I ran 3 alk tests with 3 different kits.
All numbers are dkh,
Hanna checker 6.55
Salifert 7.3
API 7
I'd feel comfortable using any of those 3 tests. The numbers are easily repeatable.
All numbers are dkh,
Hanna checker 6.55
Salifert 7.3
API 7
I'd feel comfortable using any of those 3 tests. The numbers are easily repeatable.
