Help With Unstable Chemistry

[Davisc1293]

I have a 32 gal biocube trying to maintain alk of 9 and calcium 450. I brought the it up to 9 last night at 9pm and tested today at 1pm and has already dropped to 7.8. and the lights have been off... I went to my LFS for help and he said it was probably the products I'm using because he has no experience with them but I've heard a lot of good things with bulk reef supply products and have had a great experience so far dealing with them, that I don't want to jump into a new product when I feel that's not it. but in the end I'm a newbie and he could be absolutely right.

 

[jgirardnrg]

What else is in the tank?

 

[mdb_talon]

Seems most likely you had some precipitate. How low was it before you started bringing it to 9? Should try to increase slowly not only for the livestock but also dosing too quickly before it has time to mix properly throughout the tank is more likely to cause precipitate.

A drop of 1.2 dkh over 17 hours is also not a huge drop so it is possible it just consumed that much. I doubt that was the case sense it sounds like dosing is new to you and i am guessing you dont have the coral in there that would utilize that much so quickly. If you do have a tank loaded with healthy stony corals though that 1.2dkh drop is not crazy even with lights off for most of that time.

 

[Davisc1293]

What else is in the tank?

currently running it fallow with some crabs snails and quite a few small frags. its a 32 biocube with aqumax skimmer and media tray with floss carbon and chemi pure blue

 

[Garf]

I have a 32 gal biocube trying to maintain alk of 9 and calcium 450. I brought the it up to 9 last night at 9pm and tested today at 1pm and has already dropped to 7.8. and the lights have been off... I went to my LFS for help and he said it was probably the products I'm using because he has no experience with them but I've heard a lot of good things with bulk reef supply products and have had a great experience so far dealing with them, that I don't want to jump into a new product when I feel that's not it. but in the end I'm a newbie and he could be absolutely right.

Alk is not difficult to add, some bicarbonate of soda, and Bobs your uncle, as long as you REALLY trust your alkalinity readings.

 

[Davisc1293]

Alk is not difficult to add, some bicarbonate of soda, and Bobs your uncle, as long as you REALLY trust your alkalinity readings.

My question is why am I needing to add so much. i dont think it should be dropping so rapidly when the lights weren't even on I've been adding upwards of 40-60ml a day to get back to 9. I have a apex dos dosing 45 ml of soda ash a day and its still dropping more then a dkh between doses. the dos doses from 3pm-3am. Last night when I tested at 9pm it was 8.8 testing it today at 1pm when the lights went out at 2am the alk was 7.7

 

[Garf]

My question is why am I needing to add so much. i dont think it should be dropping so rapidly when the lights weren't even on I've been adding upwards of 40-60ml a day to get back to 9. I have a apex dos dosing 45 ml of soda ash a day and its still dropping more then a dkh between doses. the dos doses from 3pm-3am. Last night when I tested at 9pm it was 8.8 testing it today at 1pm when the lights went out at 2am the alk was 7.7

Is your pH going down?

 

[Davisc1293]

Is your pH going down?

Ph swings daily from 7.9/8.1 depending if I sleep in the room or not to 8.2-.25

 

[Davisc1293]

Seems most likely you had some precipitate. How low was it before you started bringing it to 9? Should try to increase slowly not only for the livestock but also dosing too quickly before it has time to mix properly throughout the tank is more likely to cause precipitate.

A drop of 1.2 dkh over 17 hours is also not a huge drop so it is possible it just consumed that much. I doubt that was the case sense it sounds like dosing is new to you and i am guessing you dont have the coral in there that would utilize that much so quickly. If you do have a tank loaded with healthy stony corals though that 1.2dkh drop is not crazy even with lights off for most of that time.

Theres roughly 25 small frags in the tank. A few weeks prior i was doing 12ml a day i added a few more frags and turned the lights down because i saw some bleaching.... now with a DOS setup to dose 45 ml of brs soda ash and calicum its still tested at 7.7 at 1pm granted alk doses from 3pm-3am still seems to me it shouldn't have dropped that low. whats the point of a doser if im still seeing more then 1dkh swings

 

[Garf]

Ph swings daily from 7.9/8.1 depending if I sleep in the room or not to 8.2-.25

There’s not a lot you can do about it. As long as your adding to a high flow area, not at the same time as calcium additions, and you trust your Alk test (pH would tend to confirm this). A pic would be good.

 

[Davisc1293]

im ok with the ph swing I'm trying to really dial in this alk issue i dont think my dose should be this high to maintain. but i dont see any build up anywhere it would have precipitated

 

[Garf]

im ok with the ph swing I'm trying to really dial in this alk issue i dont think my dose should be this high to maintain. but i dont see any build up anywhere it would have precipitated

I don’t get how your using your Dos to get to a higher Alk. You should have it dosing to maintain a level, it’s been a long week but it don’t make sense, sorry.

Edit - Are you doing a bulk dose, like a one shot thing? Or spreading out the doses?

 

[mdb_talon]

Theres roughly 25 small frags in the tank. A few weeks prior i was doing 12ml a day i added a few more frags and turned the lights down because i saw some bleaching.... now with a DOS setup to dose 45 ml of brs soda ash and calicum its still tested at 7.7 at 1pm granted alk doses from 3pm-3am still seems to me it shouldn't have dropped that low. whats the point of a doser if im still seeing more then 1dkh swings

Ya i understand your concern but would just say that is really what makes a doser great. Once you get to the correct dose and are confident it is not precipitating then it is just a matter of increasing the dosage.

 

[Davisc1293]

I'm trying to maintain 9 and using the dos to maintain that... when i test and see 7.7 i use the calculator to see whats needed and use a sperate syringe to dose what's needed to get back to 9 while increasing the amount my dos doses simultaneously. I just dont get how it can go from 12ml to well over 50 ml now to maintain the alk levels there has to be somthing else at play here.

 

[Garf]

I'm trying to maintain 9 and using the dos to maintain that... when i test and see 7.7 i use the calculator to see whats needed and use a sperate syringe to dose what's needed to get back to 9 while increasing the amount my dos doses simultaneously. I just dont get how it can go from 12ml to well over 50 ml now to maintain the alk levels there has to be somthing else at play here.

I would be testing the BRS stuff, but no idea how.

 

[Davisc1293]

I would be testing the BRS stuff, but no idea how.

The only reason Im discounting his suggestion about it being the product is that I've been using the same batch same mixture that I've been using all along.

 

[Garf]

The only reason Im discounting his suggestion about it being the product is that I've been using the same batch same mixture that I've been using all along.

When you’ve made the manual adjustment to 9dkh, do you actually test your tank, or are you assuming the logical increase is in fact real? The only other thing I can think of is that your frags are lovin’ the lower light.

 

[Davisc1293]

When you’ve made the manual adjustment to 9dkh, do you actually test your tank, or are you assuming the logical increase is in fact real? The only other thing I can think of is that your frags are lovin’ the lower light.

To be honest i don't always test after the manual dose I have a few times and it was in the ballpark I was looking for so ive been trusting it. You might be right about them just loving the lower light i had the lights set pretty high and caused some bleaching on one of my montis and a few others have been receeding the past week or so. Maybe these healing frags rly are just taking it in.

 

[Garf]

To be honest i don't always test after the manual dose I have a few times and it was in the ballpark I was looking for so ive been trusting it. You might be right about them just loving the lower light i had the lights set pretty high and caused some bleaching on one of my montis and a few others have been receeding the past week or so. Maybe these healing frags rly are just taking it in.

If in doubt, look on the bright side. I’d go with your tank is lovin’ lower light and using more Alk.

 

[Davisc1293]

If in doubt, look on the bright side. I’d go with your tank is lovin’ lower light and using more Alk.

As much as im trying to, a 400+% increase sounds suspect lol