Is this a lot in 6 days?

[Emma01]

Hi everyone.
Just about to do my weekly water change.
Checked my KH in display tank and it is.......
6.1 (3/6/19) (Calcium= 398)
7.6, (29/6/19) (calcium= 428-ish)

Is this a lot of use in 6 days?
I’ve noticed since starting with SPS corals, my KH is very difficult to stabilise without dosing.

Any advice from anyone?

Thanks
Emma

 

[newjack]

your numbers don't make sense. they are going up over 23 day period. Thats impossible

 

[dwest]

Hi everyone.
Just about to do my weekly water change.
Checked my KH in display tank and it is.......
6.1 (3/6/19) (Calcium= 398)
7.6, (29/6/19) (calcium= 428-ish)

Is this a lot of use in 6 days?
I’ve noticed since starting with SPS corals, my KH is very difficult to stabilise without dosing.

Any advice from anyone?

Thanks
Emma

Hi. The dates don’t make sense to me, but I’ll assume there was both the drop in alkalinity and calcium in 6 days. I agree that it seems odd with a seemingly new tank. I would not expect this unless you have a large uptake in alkalinity right now. What alkalinity test kit do you use? If I were you, I would measure alkalinity daily for a couple of weeks with a good test kit (Salifert, Hanna, etc). If there is truly the drop you are seeing, you could start 2 part dosing daily with equal amounts of calcium and alkalinity.

 

[Emma01]

Sorry, sorry guys.... put the wrong month in!

It’s supposed to be the........

7.6 (19/6/19)

6.1 dkh (3/7/19)

I use Hanna checkers.
The tank is roughly 4 years old.

I’ve been checking uptake for about a month now. And there’s a trend of roughly 0.1-0.2 dkh a day.
But 6.1 is the lowest it’s been. It’s been hovering about 6.8-7.6

 

[madweazl]

As the corals start to mature (grow), they will consume higher and higher levels of alkalinity. I go through just over 1 dKh per day and most of my SPS are small (less than 4") with a couple larger. Time to start [automated] dosing.

 

[Emma01]

As the corals start to mature (grow), they will consume higher and higher levels of alkalinity. I go through just over 1 dKh per day and most of my SPS are small (less than 4") with a couple larger. Time to start [automated] dosing.

I’m surprised how much my little SPS frags are consuming!

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Please post picture of your tank.

My tank will drop 1dkh per day without dosing.

 

[Emma01]

Sorry about the quality, but it’s really hard to take a good picture

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

I might have missed it, but how large is the system? Based on the pics provided, in my opinion they are consuming a lot, there are other variables though (time of day you perform the test, magnesium levels, calcium levels) that can make test results seem off. My GUESS is that magnesium is low, this has always made alkalinty tests wacky for me.

 

[Emma01]

I might have missed it, but how large is the system? Based on the pics provided, in my opinion they are consuming a lot, there are other variables though (time of day you perform the test, magnesium levels, calcium levels) that can make test results seem off. My GUESS is that magnesium is low, this has always made alkalinty tests wacky for me.

The tank is 30litre nano
My magnesium is sitting around 1400-1450 (Nyos test)

Corraline is also starting to grow on the glass recently

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

It's a small system, levels will be harder to maintain in a small system. You may want to invest in a dosing pump for better stability or dose more often. The coraline algae also consumes alk and calcium.

 

[Emma01]

It's a small system, levels will be harder to maintain in a small system. You may want to invest in a dosing pump for better stability or dose more often. The coraline algae also consumes alk and calcium.

I’m contemplating calculating and dosing what they use daily. Think that’ll be the safest way

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

I’m contemplating calculating and dosing what they use daily. Think that’ll be the safest way

Agreed. I did this for a while, then got a doser, then graduated to a calcium reactor. Stability will keep your coral thriving.

 

[Emma01]

Agreed. I did this for a while, then got a doser, then graduated to a calcium reactor. Stability will keep your coral thriving.

Unfortunately I’ve not the room for a calcium reactor, so it’ll be dosing.
Not being able to dose manually whilst away (I left the house for 4 days on holiday) fills me with absolute dread!: as I don’t trust anyone else to do it correctly for me!
So I’ll definitely be getting an automated doser at some point. Hopefully the trident, to be able to have control via my Apex.

 

[BeejReef]

I think snails are crushing my alkalinity. They've been spawning like mad. I can easily count 30-40 baby turbos in there and my 3 mo old tank is suddenly burning through 1.5 dkh/day

 

[Emma01]

I think snails are crushing my alkalinity. They've been spawning like mad. I can easily count 30-40 baby turbos in there and my 3 mo old tank is suddenly burning through 1.5 dkh/day

Could be contributing factor here also. I’ve got so many snails it’s beyond.

 

[SeaDweller]

Sorry, sorry guys.... put the wrong month in!

It’s supposed to be the........

7.6 (19/6/19)

6.1 dkh (3/7/19)

I use Hanna checkers.
The tank is roughly 4 years old.

I’ve been checking uptake for about a month now. And there’s a trend of roughly 0.1-0.2 dkh a day.
But 6.1 is the lowest it’s been. It’s been hovering about 6.8-7.6

July 3, 2019?

 

[ckalupa]

Seems all those dates are in the future. Is your sand bed turning hard due to precipitation?