More alk help

[Westoncase]

I posted yesterday but I’m still really confused, how do I dose alk? No sump, weekly 20% wc with fritz rpm and ro water, all I have is some zoas and gsp but my alk is constantly low. Comes from lfs reading 7.7 dkh. Since I’ve been checking, my alk usually drops from 7.4 to 6.6 between weekly wc. Calcium stays around 450 and ph is usually 8.1.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dissolve some baking soda in fresh water and add about 0.1 dKH per day. Calculators linked in threads at top of the forum show how much to use.

 

[MnFish1]

I posted yesterday but I’m still really confused, how do I dose alk? No sump, weekly 20% wc with fritz rpm and ro water, all I have is some zoas and gsp but my alk is constantly low. Comes from lfs reading 7.7 dkh. Since I’ve been checking, my alk usually drops from 7.4 to 6.6 between weekly wc. Calcium stays around 450 and ph is usually 8.1.

1. What test kit do you use?
2. Are you measuring Alk at the same time each time (it can vary throughout the day).
3. How big is your tank - with the amount of livestock you have - it seems odd that you are using so much alk - unless its a really small tank?
4. BRS has a calculator for adding Alk - you can use your levels and the volume of your tank to decide how much to dose - but - frankly I would ignore it if you are doing that amount of water changes (and if your corals, etc look good)

 

[Westoncase]

1. What test kit do you use?
2. Are you measuring Alk at the same time each time (it can vary throughout the day).
3. How big is your tank - with the amount of livestock you have - it seems odd that you are using so much alk - unless its a really small tank?
4. BRS has a calculator for adding Alk - you can use your levels and the volume of your tank to decide how much to dose - but - frankly I would ignore it if you are doing that amount of water changes (and if your corals, etc look good)

Hanna for alk, Red Sea for everything else and salifert Calcium, 40 breeder. I do have a fair amount of coralline on my rocks, just hasn’t spread any. But yeah my gsp is growing left and right, and zoas are doing ok, red people eaters are finally poppin out a new polyp I believe. Gorilla nipples and dragon eyes are doing well also.

 

[rkpetersen]

You can do all of the above, or just buy a commercial product and dose per the directions.
AquaVitro eight.four works and does so fairly gently.
Dose any alk supplement into a high flow area and not directly into the display area if you have other options.

 

[Westoncase]

So can I dose just alk or do I need to do alk and calcium? I impulsed bought fritz alkalinity pt1 but I’m scared to use it honestly

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So can I dose just alk or do I need to do alk and calcium? I impulsed bought fritz alkalinity pt1 but I’m scared to use it honestly

With that very low demand, I’d just dose alk and watch calcium. The weekly calcium depletion won’t even be reliably detectable with a kit because your will be very low.

 

[Westoncase]

With that very low demand, I’d just dose alk and watch calcium. The weekly calcium depletion won’t even be reliably detectable with a kit because your will be very low.

I’ll give it a shot I reckon

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ll give it a shot I reckon

Not much can go wrong if you do not dose too much. [emoji3]

 

[Westoncase]

Not much can go wrong if you do not dose too much. [emoji3]

Famous last words haha