Huge drop in Alkalinity

[navidreef]

Guys I tested my alk with a Red Sea test kit last afternoon and it was 8.7 dKH . This morning I tested before the lights came on and alk was at 5dKH . Any ideas what’s going on? I have a airline going out the window as well for my protein skimmer . I run:

GFO in reactor
55 watt UV
Protein skimmer
Carbon in media bag

My tank Total volume is 100 gallons and I have
3 tangs
2 wrasse
2 big clowns
Trigger fish
2 very small
Lots of inverts (30 or so)
Not many corals all softies

I always battled this sort of drop in alk. Minimum 2 dKH per day and now it’s 3.5 sometimes . Please help!

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

What is your calcium level? Magnesium level?

As calcium levels climb the Alk precipitates out

 

[navidreef]

Oh also I started dosing vibrant twice a week for past 2 weeks now

 

[navidreef]

For some reason my magnesium levels have always been higher 1850 ppm for mag and calcium is 445

 

[Uncle99]

With just softies, that rate of consumption doesn’t make sense.
In my 180G with a very well stocked mixed coral set including 5, 6 inch clams, my daily rate of consumption is 0.05dkh in 24hrs.

As already mentioned, MG must be kept in the 1260-1360 range or you will have great difficulty keeping Alk stable.

The only other consideration I have is testing error, or bad kit.

Ive dosed Vibrant for months with little to know change in consumption.

Maybe get a second opinion on those test results.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

How old is the test kit? Yeah 1850 is likely to cause an issue.

Bad test kit... Not sure how it could get that high. Test freshly mixed SW or use a standard to verify.

 

[navidreef]

Test kit is 11 month old

 

[navidreef]

How do I lower magnesium?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Water change and a list of what you are currently dosing would be helpful but @Randy Holmes-Farley might suggest a better course of action.

 

[navidreef]

Kalk in ATO
Sodium ash
Calcium chloride

 

[navidreef]

Guys, i just tested my tank magnesium again, but this time I used a more accurate syringe to get exactly 2 mL for my Red Sea Test kit. I believe my last syringe was not accurate and I was pouring more sample water in my vial then I should of hence why the inaccurate test results. this time around my magnesium came out to 1495 ppm!.

 

[navidreef]

Water change and a list of what you are currently dosing would be helpful but @Randy Holmes-Farley might suggest a better course of action.

i just tested my tank magnesium again, but this time I used a more accurate syringe to get exactly 2 mL for my Red Sea Test kit. I believe my last syringe was not accurate and I was pouring more sample water in my vial then I should of hence why the inaccurate test results. this time around my magnesium came out to 1495 ppm!.

 

[navidreef]

With just softies, that rate of consumption doesn’t make sense.
In my 180G with a very well stocked mixed coral set including 5, 6 inch clams, my daily rate of consumption is 0.05dkh in 24hrs.

As already mentioned, MG must be kept in the 1260-1360 range or you will have great difficulty keeping Alk stable.

The only other consideration I have is testing error, or bad kit.

Ive dosed Vibrant for months with little to know change in consumption.

Maybe get a second opinion on those test results.

i just tested my tank magnesium again, but this time I used a more accurate syringe to get exactly 2 mL for my Red Sea Test kit. I believe my last syringe was not accurate and I was pouring more sample water in my vial then I should of hence why the inaccurate test results. this time around my magnesium came out to 1495 ppm!.

 

[Dkmoo]

With just softies, that rate of consumption doesn’t make sense.
In my 180G with a very well stocked mixed coral set including 5, 6 inch clams, my daily rate of consumption is 0.05dkh in 24hrs.

As already mentioned, MG must be kept in the 1260-1360 range or you will have great difficulty keeping Alk stable.

The only other consideration I have is testing error, or bad kit.

Ive dosed Vibrant for months with little to know change in consumption.

Maybe get a second opinion on those test results.

Uncle is that a typo lol? Ur daily is only 0.05 dkh per day? I thought I remember randy saying at one point that a tank, esp a well-stocked reef, is about 0.5 dkh to up to 4 dkh daily. Mine is pretty well stocked too and does 1.5 dkh per day. Mag is at 1350 so probably not a lot of precipitation, i also dont see visual signs of precipitation either.

 

[saltybees]

Try another tester or get someone to test it for you, there’s no way a softy tank should be using that much alk

 

[Pistondog]

Do you have coralline algae?
Big alk suck.

 

[navidreef]

Do you have coralline algae?
Big alk suck.

Barely not really

 

[navidreef]

Could it be too much fish breathing out CO2 ?

 

[X-37B]

Most likely test error.
Get another alk test Hanna or salifert and verify.

 

[navidreef]

understood. I will get a another test kit and check. Thank you @90's reefer