Low Alkalinity

[ElusiveKumquat]

Okay and how much will i need to dose?

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Should I follow the bottles or do I need to try and figure out what my tank consumes in a day?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Assuming you are using a two part, dose the same amount in volume that you are dosing to maintain alkalinity, unless calcium is already too high (>500 ppm), or very low and needing a correction.

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Assuming you are using a two part, dose the same amount in volume that you are dosing to maintain alkalinity, unless calcium is already too high (>500 ppm), or very low and needing a correction.

So I'll need to figure what the tank uses in a day?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I'll need to figure what the tank uses in a day?

Yes, and it will vary with the actual alkalinity.

Trial and error can be the best way. Measure, dose, measure next day, dose as needed, etc.

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

So a quick update my new levels are:
Mg - 1400 ppm
Calc - 435 ppm
Alk - 7.4 dkh
Ph - 8.4

I'm wondering why magnesium dropped 200 ppm in 4 days? Any thoughts? I of course ran out of the coral up B so I have to wait for new bottle to arrive in a few days to continue to raise alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So a quick update my new levels are:
Mg - 1400 ppm
Calc - 435 ppm
Alk - 7.4 dkh
Ph - 8.4

I'm wondering why magnesium dropped 200 ppm in 4 days? Any thoughts? I of course ran out of the coral up B so I have to wait for new bottle to arrive in a few days to continue to raise alkalinity.

It didn't. lol

That's testing error.

It never drops more than 1-2 ppm per day, often almost none.

 

[Alfrareef]

Those are good values. Don't touch the tank... ;-)

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Well now my Duncan and fungi plate are looking not so good..

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Ph is actually 8.1 just recalibrated meter.