Keeping alk stable for SPS

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Hey guys, I have a tank that's about 6 months or maybe a little older than that and is pretty mature due to using live rock and me babying the microbiome in every way possible while I was fallow due to ich. I want to try a couple more challenging SPS corals like an inexpensive acro or two but my alk swings about .5 dkh over the course of 24 hours or so. sPS I have now are just digis and a cyphastrea all of which are thriving. How do I keep my alk even more stable?

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Btw, it hangs between 7.8 and 8.3...is this big enough to be a problem? I didn't even notice this until I happened to be up at 5 AM and decided to test...that's when it was at 8.3 when during the day it was at 7.8

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

Calcium Reactor works really well for me.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Reefahholic said:
Calcium Reactor works really well for me.

It's a nano tank though so I'd rather not get too much equipment like reactors to set up if possible

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
It's a nano tank though so I'd rather not get too much equipment like reactors to set up if possible

Put it on a pump and spread out the dose as much as possible.

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

For example:

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Reefahholic said:
For example:

Ok, I see...how pricey is a system like that though? Again it's a small nano tank and isn't very heavily stocked with corals yet. It's not that I'm trying to do everything the cheap way but I hate to make a big investment if this .5 dkh swing isn't really significant or if it's something that will probably correct itself

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Maybe I should monitor for a few more days to see if this swing consistently occurs

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
Ok, I see...how pricey is a system like that though? Again it's a small nano tank and isn't very heavily stocked with corals yet. It's not that I'm trying to do everything the cheap way but I hate to make a big investment if this .5 dkh swing isn't really significant or if it's something that will probably correct itself

.05 isn’t huge, but you don’t want to go over that.

A pump is usually $300-$500 for a good one. Or You can go the Jebao route

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Reefahholic said:
.05 isn’t huge, but you don’t want to go over that.

A pump is usually $300-$500 for a good one. Or You can go the Jebao route

I'll wait at least a week before adding any more SPS and start testing alk twice a day 12 hours apart to see if this swing is consistent or if maybe I just messed up testing

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
Maybe I should monitor for a few more days to see if this swing consistently occurs

It will likely be at .2-.3 minimal.

If your monitoring only monitor the same exact time every day or when you test. There will be a normal day to tonight swing that you can tighten up with Kalk or running or fuge on reverse light cycle.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Reefahholic said:
It will likely be at .2-.3 minimal.

If your monitoring only monitor the same exact time every day or when you test.

Should I monitor twice a day 12 hours apart? Or is once a day at the same time every day sufficient?

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
Should I monitor twice a day 12 hours apart? Or is once a day at the same time every day sufficient?

Once a day. Pick a time that is good for you.

Check once the exact opposite of that time.

Like if testing is 5pm. Try 5am one day and look at the day/night swing.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Reefahholic said:
Once a day. Pick a time that is good for you.

Check once the exact opposite of that time.

Like if testing is 5pm. Try 5am one day and look at the day/night swing.

Ok, sounds good

Breadman03 · Apr 7, 2022

Daily is fine, but always at the same time. If you know your daily dosing need, you can certainly split it up manually. Some jugs with manual pumps and appropriately sized measuring cups or kitchen scale would make it reasonably convenient. You'll just have to choose how much convenience your money is worth.

2-Part Pharma Calcium & Alkalinity Starter Package

Start Replenishing Calcium and Alkalinity in your Reef Tank! Keep your corals growing with the BRS 2-Part Calcium & Alkalinity Starter Package. The kit includes everything to make one gallon of calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium and to start daily dosing, it even includes mixing jugs, dispensing...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 7, 2022

Breadman03 said:
Daily is fine, but always at the same time. If you know your daily dosing need, you can certainly split it up manually. Some jugs with manual pumps and appropriately sized measuring cups or kitchen scale would make it reasonably convenient. You'll just have to choose how much convenience your money is worth.

2-Part Pharma Calcium & Alkalinity Starter Package

Start Replenishing Calcium and Alkalinity in your Reef Tank! Keep your corals growing with the BRS 2-Part Calcium & Alkalinity Starter Package. The kit includes everything to make one gallon of calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium and to start daily dosing, it even includes mixing jugs, dispensing...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I'd really prefer to not need to buy a doser at this point...I have a scale and don't mind measuring out doses manually of that'll work

Reefahholic · Apr 7, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
I'd really prefer to not need to buy a doser at this point...I have a scale and don't mind measuring out doses manually of that'll work

You can do that. Nothing wrong with manually dosing. Although, buying a pump sooner rather than later will provide much more stability. Take my word for it hand dosing will get old and as soon as your dosing is being done automatically you’ll sit back one day and question why you didn’t do this from the beginning.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 8, 2022

What causes alk swings anyway?

Reefahholic · Apr 8, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
What causes alk swings anyway?

Consumption, Photosynthesis, instability, pollutants, etc.

All these things can lead to minor or major swings. Some are normal day to day small swings while others can be quite large. Some you can tighten up like we talked about earlier (fuge on reverse photo period, CO2 scrubber, Kalk, air exchanger, dialing in your dosing tighter, opening windows, etc), but others if you fail to correct, it can and will cause a big spike. Correct as in dose more ALK or turn down/ stop the dosing if the tank is not consuming. The corals can take a 1 dKH or even 1.5 dKH swing once, sometimes twice, but usually not many more times before bad things happen especially with stony corals. It also depends on where your trace elements are. My corals can take a severe punch if all the traces are in range vs a lot of things being depleted.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 8, 2022

Reefahholic said:
Consumption, Photosynthesis, instability, pollutants, etc.

All these things can lead to minor or major swings. Some are normal day to day small swings while others can be quite large. Some you can tighten up like we talked about earlier (fuge on reverse photo period, CO2 scrubber, Kalk, air exchanger, dialing in your dosing tighter, opening windows, etc), but others if you fail to correct, it can and will cause a big spike. Correct as in dose more ALK or turn down/ stop the dosing if the tank is not consuming. The corals can take a 1 dKH or even 1.5 dKH swing once, sometimes twice, but usually not many more times before bad things happen especially with stony corals. It also depends on where your trace elements are. My corals can take a severe punch if all the traces are in range vs a lot of things being depleted.

Ok...so before starting to dose are there other steps I should first try to take to correct the swings?
Also, I need to start dosing calcium because water changes can't keep up with consumption...calcium is about 385 or 390 right now because I haven't bought the supplement yet...could that make my alk swing up and down?