HUGE dKH swing

Joekovar · Jun 1, 2023

A week or so ago I noticed my Acans were looking pretty sad. I found my dKH at 6.5 and realized my limewater doser died.

Rather than just swap in the replacement I already have immediately, I started doing it by hand... Fast forward to today, when my frogspawn and hammer aren't looking too happy.

I uh, I might have messed up. I knew as soon as I saw a shade of blue in the sample unlike anything I've ever seen it was going to be high, but good God, it's maxed out the checker!

Everything other than the frogspawn and hammer looks extremely happy.

I'm gonna roll with it. I put an extra dose of calcium and magnesium in, and I'm just going to leave it alone for a few days.

The tank typically uses dKH up pretty quick, and it's been through enough swings over the last 3 years I think it will recover on it's own.

Obviously I'm swapping the doser out right now,and will check the dKH daily so I know when to turn it back on.

Uncle99 · Jun 1, 2023

Yup, I’d just let that fall on its own without supplementing until a more favorable level is achieved, then resume holding that level at all times. Alk is one of the primary parameters that cannot flux (much).

Your plan is sound IMM.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 2, 2023

There's no reason to add calcium at this point. I agree let it drop unless its a small tank, in which case a water change is good.

If it is a big tank and alk isn't dropping, you can add an alk reducing agent very slowly.

Joekovar · Jun 14, 2023

At the 2 week mark now, it's fallen to 12.9 so far.

I've lost approximately 50 orange bam bam zoas. I'm not sure it's the ALK that got them though, because I have another few hundred spread around the tank. The ones lost were suspiciously close to where I lost my purple monsters months ago. I'm leaning towards something eating them.