Parameter check please - ALK Low? New Tank

[Reefer_Rob]

All seems good but my Alk seems low.

RS 425XL
Tropic Eden Reef Flakes
Carib Sea Life Rock
Tropic Eden Pro Salt
BRS 6 stage RODI

Cycle took 35 days. Livestock added after. Livestock in for about 2 weeks.
2 Clowns
3 Cardinals
1 Lawnmower
6 small frags

All livestock is doing well

Im in a Diatom bloom right now, seems to have peaked and its starting to clean up.


77.5F
1.025 SG
Calcium 400
Mag 1380
PH 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-15
Alk is about 6dKH - seems to have dropped from 6.5 a few days ago.

Thoughts? How important is this right now? Related to the Diatoms? Anything to worry about?

Let me know if you need any more info.

Thanks

 

[FacebookJail]

6.5 isn't extremely low, but getting close, with calcium at 400 you are not too far off from ionic balance, there shouldn't be any issues. In my experience high alk is much more dangerous to livestock (stony coral) than low alk.

I don't see it listed but do you happen to be running GFO? ( I doubt you are but have to ask)

Regardless you can easilly up the alkalinity by mixing some baking soda with ro or ro/di water and slowly dosing until it comes up to around 8 dkh.

 

[FacebookJail]

@Reefer_Rob, awaiting your reply

 

[Reefer_Rob]

@Reefer_Rob, awaiting your reply

Thanks for pinging me and thank you for the info. I dont have any SPS yet, just some soft corals right now but as my tank matures im trying to understand the parameter relationships.

Not running GFO.

My tank is pretty new. A little less than 2 months. Im not having any issues whatsoever I just thought it seemed low. Im using Tropic Marin Pro salt and after a lil research I see its on the low end of the Alk (7) and Calcium (400) right out of the tub. Some dose up, some leave it be.

In regards to PH I had an interesting thing happen. Its been real hot/humid here and ive had the AC on and windows closed for a few days. I noticed my PH dropped 0.2. Looked at some BRS videos and they mentioned getting some airflow in the house helps PH. So I opened up the windows last night. Got a good breeze going and sure enough, PH is back to 8.2.

Does PH have any relationship with Alk?

 

[Turnage]

What's your phosphates level?

 

[Reefer_Rob]

What's your phosphates level?

I dont have a Phosphate test kit yet. I was planning on picking something up tomorrow. What am I shooting for?
Can I bounce my results off you tomorrow?

 

[FacebookJail]

Thanks for pinging me and thank you for the info. I dont have any SPS yet, just some soft corals right now but as my tank matures im trying to understand the parameter relationships.

Not running GFO.

My tank is pretty new. A little less than 2 months. Im not having any issues whatsoever I just thought it seemed low. Im using Tropic Marin Pro salt and after a lil research I see its on the low end of the Alk (7) and Calcium (400) right out of the tub. Some dose up, some leave it be.

In regards to PH I had an interesting thing happen. Its been real hot/humid here and ive had the AC on and windows closed for a few days. I noticed my PH dropped 0.2. Looked at some BRS videos and they mentioned getting some airflow in the house helps PH. So I opened up the windows last night. Got a good breeze going and sure enough, PH is back to 8.2.

Does PH have any relationship with Alk?

Thanks for reply.
First order of business, what test kits are you using?
Solid choice of salt, it shouldn't be leaving you shy on alk and should have adequate magnesium to prevent any undesired precipitation between alk and calcium.

Alk results are on the low side, but not alarming levels. One of two things is happening (or a combo)... there is a level of consumption ocurring, from a potential myriad of sources, commonly, stony coral growth... but small things such as coralline algae (a good thing) can contribute as well.... or there is a descrepency in testing... which is why I'm asking about test kits.

 

[Turnage]

Phosphates generally you want low like around .02 ppm and under. Having higher is fine but will feed algae growth. Diatoms feed off silica if I remember correctly. Most if not all coral need phosphates as one of their food source.

 

[Reefer_Rob]

Thanks for reply.
First order of business, what test kits are you using?
Solid choice of salt, it shouldn't be leaving you shy on alk and should have adequate magnesium to prevent any undesired precipitation between alk and calcium.

Alk results are on the low side, but not alarming levels. One of two things is happening (or a combo)... there is a level of consumption ocurring, from a potential myriad of sources, commonly, stony coral growth... but small things such as coralline algae (a good thing) can contribute as well.... or there is a descrepency in testing... which is why I'm asking about test kits.

Im using Red Sea for all test kits.
Im going to test the Alk on some freshly mixed salt tonight to see what im putting in from the start.

 

[FacebookJail]

Im using Red Sea for all test kits.
Im going to test the Alk on some freshly mixed salt tonight to see what im putting in from the start.

Good plan. Big fan of Red Sea, have never had issues with any of their kits.

 

[Crossfire]

You have an amazing setup!

I would start dosing 2 part by hand. It's 2 months old so you may as well start now because you're going to have to anyway. It's a good time to start because you can monitor the alk and calcium every few days to see what's happening with nothing to lose. It's going to be a small dose like maybe 15ml of each for your size tank but I say go for it. Monitor you alk daily for a few days to get it at around 8-9. Check calcium once a week. As long as you are dosing equal parts, you really don't have to test calcium more than once a week.

One thing I noticed for sure is that the constant nitrogen cycle happening consumes alk. I don't know why, but I'm sure of this from testing with lots of fish in the same tank to no fish in it.

 

[Reefer_Rob]

Phosphates generally you want low like around .02 ppm and under. Having higher is fine but will feed algae growth. Diatoms feed off silica if I remember correctly. Most if not all coral need phosphates as one of their food source.

Ok all I could get today was a Salifert P04 kit. I ran a test and its pretty much 0.
The next increment was 0.03 and I really couldnt detect any color.

Since my Phospahates are low but my Alk is lets say 6-7, think im ok for now? Im open to dosing in the near future but Id like to know that its ok to add a lil more livestock and some frags.

Thanks

 

[Turnage]

Yea your fine. The only other reason you would want to have higher alk is for SPS and some LPS coral. Just make sure you have trace nitrates in the water (5-10ppm). Weekly/bi-weekly 10% water changes should keep your alk and other trace elements in check.

Remember, don't chase numbers. Just keep a rhythm and the tank will sort itself out.

 

[Reefer_Rob]

Yea your fine. The only other reason you would want to have higher alk is for SPS and some LPS coral. Just make sure you have trace nitrates in the water (5-10ppm). Weekly/bi-weekly 10% water changes should keep your alk and other trace elements in check.

Remember, don't chase numbers. Just keep a rhythm and the tank will sort itself out.

Thanks brother

 

[GregDaKeg]

Thanks for reply.
First order of business, what test kits are you using?
Solid choice of salt, it shouldn't be leaving you shy on alk and should have adequate magnesium to prevent any undesired precipitation between alk and calcium.

Alk results are on the low side, but not alarming levels. One of two things is happening (or a combo)... there is a level of consumption ocurring, from a potential myriad of sources, commonly, stony coral growth... but small things such as coralline algae (a good thing) can contribute as well.... or there is a descrepency in testing... which is why I'm asking about test kits.

Can coralline algae consume more alk than calc? I have the same problem on my new tank. I dose alk, but calc and mag are ok (calc 420 mag 1350) all goes from 8.2 to 7.5 in a week

 

[BeejReef]

IMHO, you're off to a great start. The parameters are a little unpredictable the first few months. Hopefully, it will settle in for you sometime early in the new year. You can kinda run it by hand... add a splash of alk, a splash of calcium... to keep yourself in line. Dosing calculators are real helpful. You'll probly want to consider what route you're gonna go for ongoing supplementation in the next few months, be it Kalkwasser, two-part, or whatever.