New Reefer having trouble with Alk

[Vailj123]

Hello everybody, I’m still fairly new here. I’ve got a FOWLR tank that’s been established now for about 4-5 months. About a month or so ago I added a bottle of Purple Helix Corraline algae in an effort to begin to grow the algae before I begin adding corals etc. Since adding the bottle of Corraline algae I’ve been testing and dosing with the Red Sea Foundation Pro tests/supplements. In the beginning the levels of Mag, Alk and Calcium were all ideal range. Lately my Alk is way low and I’m afraid that I’m adding WAY too much of the alkalinity supplement. The past week or so I’ve been getting a 1350 magnesium reading, 450 for calcium and somewhere around a 7-7.5 dkh with the alkalinity test. I’ve been supplementing in an attempt to raise the dkh to about 9 give or take with no luck. Is something wrong? Is it possible to dose too much in a short amount of time? I’ve gone through an entire 8.5oz bottle of alk supplement this week. If this is normal that’s fine, just trying to be sure but if there’s a problem I would like to correct it. At one point my Alk was as low as about 6 dkh. The tank is in the ugly phase rn, not sure if that’s a contributing factor or not

 

[Oldreefer44]

A couple of things:
IMO, it's always a good idea to verify your test results before reacting to them especially if they seem abnormal.
I would wait until you have passed the "ugly stage" before doing anything.
Realize that everything you do has effects that can cause a chain reaction that can cause other issues so you can end up caught in an endless cycle of chasing one thing after another.which can also get expensive.
IMO, the most important key to success in this hobby is patience.

 

[Joe31415]

The amount you added (entire 8.5oz bottle) doesn't tell us anything without knowing what the bottle is and the volume of water in the system.
How are you testing your alkalinity?
If you don't think your numbers are correct, pick up a different test kit from another brand or take a sample to the fish store and have them test it. If the numbers are correct (and I suspect they are), you'll need to add more alkalinity to bring it back up to the range you want.
The reason I say that I suspect your alk numbers are correct is because you just added all that coralline and if it's taking off (even if you don't see it yet), it's going to consume some of your alk.

With that being said. Look into getting Soda Ash to bump the alkalinity. It's a common additive, many LFSs will carry the BRS brand, which then makes it really easy to plug your numbers into their online calculator.

Assuming the numbers are right, this is when you need to start paying attention to the amount your adding. Get your alk to the number you want it to be at. Wait 24 hours and test it again. Add more to raise it, check it again in 24 hours etc. After a week or so, you'll find that you add about the same amount each day. If you've had money burning a hole in your pocket, this is when you add a dosing pump. And you'll be doing this with calcium as well.

Lastly, check the alk of your freshly made salt water. That way you have a baseline. If the new salt mixes at, say, 8, it's going to take a lot more additive to keep it at 9 than if you have one that mixes at 11 (cough Reef Crystals cough), it might just take small, daily water changes to keep it up, at least for now.

 

[Vailj123]

A couple of things:
IMO, it's always a good idea to verify your test results before reacting to them especially if they seem abnormal.
I would wait until you have passed the "ugly stage" before doing anything.
Realize that everything you do has effects that can cause a chain reaction that can cause other issues so you can end up caught in an endless cycle of chasing one thing after another.which can also get expensive.
IMO, the most important key to success in this hobby is patience.

I’m beginning to think I tried adding the live Corraline in the bottle too early. The only reason I was dosing at all was to maintain proper perimeters to allow the Corraline to take hold. I guess I’ve been nervous that if I stopped dosing and the parameters were off the Corraline would die off and I would have to restart?

 

[Vailj123]

The amount you added (entire 8.5oz bottle) doesn't tell us anything without knowing what the bottle is and the volume of water in the system.
How are you testing your alkalinity?
If you don't think your numbers are correct, pick up a different test kit from another brand or take a sample to the fish store and have them test it. If the numbers are correct (and I suspect they are), you'll need to add more alkalinity to bring it back up to the range you want.
The reason I say that I suspect your alk numbers are correct is because you just added all that coralline and if it's taking off (even if you don't see it yet), it's going to consume some of your alk.

With that being said. Look into getting Soda Ash to bump the alkalinity. It's a common additive, many LFSs will carry the BRS brand, which then makes it really easy to plug your numbers into their online calculator.

Assuming the numbers are right, this is when you need to start paying attention to the amount your adding. Get your alk to the number you want it to be at. Wait 24 hours and test it again. Add more to raise it, check it again in 24 hours etc. After a week or so, you'll find that you add about the same amount each day. If you've had money burning a hole in your pocket, this is when you add a dosing pump. And you'll be doing this with calcium as well.

Lastly, check the alk of your freshly made salt water. That way you have a baseline. If the new salt mixes at, say, 8, it's going to take a lot more additive to keep it at 9 than if you have one that mixes at 11 (cough Reef Crystals cough), it might just take small, daily water changes to keep it up, at least for now.

WOW alrighty! Thanks for the info!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Aside from the uncertainty of how much of what you added to what size tank, 7-7.5 dKH is perfectly fine.

 

[Vailj123]

I’m sorry guys it’s a FluVal Evo 13.5

I’m supplementing with Red Sea Foundation Pro B (kh/alkalinity)

 

[Lavey29]

I’m sorry guys it’s a FluVal Evo 13.5

I’m supplementing with Red Sea Foundation Pro B (kh/alkalinity)

You shouldn't be dosing anything to a new nano tank except weekly water changes especially a fowler currently. Although the helix bottle shouldn't affect anything and 7 to 7.5 DKH is fine too that NSW

 

[Vailj123]

You shouldn't be dosing anything to a new nano tank except weekly water changes especially a fowler currently. Although the helix bottle shouldn't affect anything and 7 to 7.5 DKH is fine too that NSW

Ok that answers one of my main questions then, the Helix won’t effect it. I assumed as the Corraline took hold it would use up mag/Alk/calc

 

[Lavey29]

Ok that answers one of my main questions then, the Helix won’t effect it. I assumed as the Corraline took hold it would use up mag/Alk/calc

You won't see coraline till after your ugly stages and it typically shows up on plastic parts like powerheads first long before the rocks. It will come in on snails and frags.

 

[Vailj123]

You won't see coraline till after your ugly stages and it typically shows up on plastic parts like powerheads first long before the rocks. It will come in on snails and frags.

Sweet, thanks for the info!

 

[Lavey29]

Sweet, thanks for the info!

Work on building your tanks biodiversity and microfauna. The stronger your biome the more manageable your ugly phases will be. Add corals slowly. Lot of first corals may not survive long term. Weekly water changes key to small tanks

 

[Vailj123]

Work on building your tanks biodiversity and microfauna. The stronger your biome the more manageable your ugly phases will be. Add corals slowly. Lot of first corals may not survive long term. Weekly water changes key to small tanks

So prob a rookie mistake but I’ve been doing regular changes, prob a week and a half or so between, just solely based on the nitrate level. I test every couple days and if it’s starting to raise to a level it needs to be changed that’s when I do it. Sounds like this method is wrong?

 

[Lavey29]

So prob a rookie mistake but I’ve been doing regular changes, prob a week and a half or so between, just solely based on the nitrate level. I test every couple days and if it’s starting to raise to a level it needs to be changed that’s when I do it. Sounds like this method is wrong?

Well every tank is unique. If every 10 days works for good numbers that's fine. As your bioload increases with fish and corals you may find weekly works better for proper parameters. Nothing is set in stone these are general guidelines. Small tanks can develop serious issues quicker then large systems which is why water changes more essential on small systems to maintain balance.

 

[Vailj123]

Well every tank is unique. If every 10 days works for good numbers that's fine. As your bioload increases with fish and corals you may find weekly works better for proper parameters. Nothing is set in stone these are general guidelines. Small tanks can develop serious issues quicker then large systems which is why water changes more essential on small systems to maintain balance.

Makes sense in all aspects. I appreciate the info you guys are so willing to give and for your time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m sorry guys it’s a FluVal Evo 13.5

I’m supplementing with Red Sea Foundation Pro B (kh/alkalinity)

8 ounces of Red Sea foundation B will raise 13.5 gallons by 1 dKH about 47 times or 2 dKH per day for 23 days.

So depending on how long this process took, it is not necessarily excessive. Excessive alk dosing ends up with cloudy water or hardened sand and seized pumps and heaters covered in precipitated Calcium carbonate. If those did not happen, the dosing was not excessive.

 

[Vailj123]

8 ounces of Red Sea foundation B will raise 13.5 gallons by 1 dKH about 47 times or 2 dKH per day for 23 days.

So depending on how long this process took, it is not necessarily excessive. Excessive alk dosing ends up with cloudy water or hardened sand and seized pumps and heaters covered in precipitated Calcium carbonate. If those did not happen, the dosing was not excessive.

I used 8oz over the course of a week but I did not have any of those side effects but I’m glad you said that so I know what to keep an eye out for

 

[Vailj123]

Did a water change last night. Parameters are spot on. Magnesium a little high for my liking today at about 1600 but my understanding is that’s not a big deal? Calcium is spot on at 450 and Alk 7.7. Going to move forward without dosing anything as stated above.

 

[Uncle99]

Did a water change last night. Parameters are spot on. Magnesium a little high for my liking today at about 1600 but my understanding is that’s not a big deal? Calcium is spot on at 450 and Alk 7.7. Going to move forward without dosing anything as stated above.

That’s fine.
For me, anything below 9Dkh leaves no room for error.
I like to stay in the middle.

Keeping those parameters stable at all times will create a water chemistry enjoyed by the good guy algaes and bacteria and disliked by the pest stuff.

This will allow the development of the stuff you can see to populate to levels which outcompete the pest crap.

 

[Vailj123]

That’s fine.
For me, anything below 9Dkh leaves no room for error.
I like to stay in the middle.

Yeah ideally that’s where I would like it especially to kick off the corraline I’m currently trying to foster. I’ve got a small speck on one rock but it hasn’t seemed to grow at all. But someone mentioned above I shouldn’t be dosing at all rn since it’s basically a FOWLR tank. I would like to bring that number up a little, just not quite sure what’s casuarina it to be so low. When I started it was hovering around 10-11 dkh