POLL - Alkalinity - What do you keep your tank at?

that Reef Guy · Jan 7, 2015

I am curious to see what most people keep their Alkalinity at since most guides say between 7-11 or 7-12

Whereas they always say 450 exactly for Calcium and 1350 for Magnesium.

Please participate in the Poll.

Please Post why you keep your Alkalinity at that Level too.

Less then 7.0
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.0
11.5
12.0
Above 12.0

fungia_fiend · Jan 7, 2015

I shoot for 7.5-8.5 dkh.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 7, 2015

Don't know isn't a choice, so I didn't vote.

RUGDOG · Jan 7, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Don't know isn't a choice, so I didn't vote.

So you are saying it is not something to concern yourself with or once you arrive at stability you just no longer check?

nova65ss · Jan 7, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Don't know isn't a choice, so I didn't vote.

I don't believe you....[emoji12]

tigerdragon · Jan 7, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 7, 2015

RUGDOG said:
So you are saying it is not something to concern yourself with or once you arrive at stability you just no longer check?

It is very important to keep at appropriate levels. Probably the single most important after salinity and temp. But I've been keeping the tank using limewater in an ATO for 19 years. For a number of years I did track it, and it was nearly always in what I consider a safe range (7-11 dKH), so I stopped measuring it. Still, once in a great while I did test it again and it was still OK.

That said, it is not a heavy SPS tank so the demand is not especially high. If it were, I would probably measure it occasionally to make sure I was keeping up with growth.

hawkinsrgk · Jan 7, 2015

I try to keep mine between 7.7 and 8.3

lionfish5740 · Jan 7, 2015

Keep mine around 8 because I have low NO3 and PO4

Keithcorals · Jan 7, 2015

I try to keep mine around 7.5 in my SPS system because it seems to give me better color and when I've let it get higher I've had problems with montis and acros getting alk burn. But in my zoa tank I keep it around 8-9 to help with ph

EW_Fish · Jan 7, 2015

im low on nutriants also i keep mine at 9dkh.ive noticed corals bleack at 9.8dkh

DFW · Jan 7, 2015

I have been keeping this system at 10.5 dKH with an API test kit for years, but lately have got the nutrient level lower in the tank, and some acros do look a little faded. Should I run the alkalinity lower to get the color back? Am I getting "alk burn"? (10.5 on an API kit, and 11.8 on my Seachem Total alaklinity kit.) Years ago I was told at a LFS that API kit showed about 1 dKH higher than what it really was, so I thought that I was running about 9.5.

EW_Fish · Jan 7, 2015

for some reason it wont let me qoute your post"dfw" but if your noticing alk burn on sps i would bring it down slowly. every system is different you may not need to go all the way down to 8. id drop 1 dkh slowly and see if that helps any. there may be better advice so wait for others to chime in

DFW · Jan 7, 2015

EW_Fish said:
for some reason it wont let me qoute your post"dfw" but if your noticing alk burn on sps i would bring it down slowly. every system is different you may not need to go all the way down to 8. id drop 1 dkh slowly and see if that helps any. there may be better advice so wait for others to chime in

Thanks! Will wait!

Ep3n3wp · Jan 7, 2015

I keep mine at 9-10(usually higher 9) but I think I'm gonna shoot for low 9... Some of my chalices don't look happy lately(faded looking/ghosting)
But my Calcium and Mag is usually on the low side...

NanaReefer · Jan 7, 2015

8.4 seems to be the sweet spot for me.

solitude127 · Jan 7, 2015

No higher than 9 for and I run biopellets. I shoot for a range and not a specific number because you'll drive yourself crazy trying to get that specific number

jackson6745 · Jan 7, 2015

I run a higher nutrient in my SPS reef so I run 9-9.5dkh with great results. Usually there is a correlation between ulns tanks and low dkh + the opposite.

that Reef Guy · Jan 7, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It is very important to keep at appropriate levels. Probably the single most important after salinity and temp. But I've been keeping the tank using limewater in an ATO for 19 years. For a number of years I did track it, and it was nearly always in what I consider a safe range (7-11 dKH), so I stopped measuring it. Still, once in a great while I did test it again and it was still OK.

That said, it is not a heavy SPS tank so the demand is not especially high. If it were, I would probably measure it occasionally to make sure I was keeping up with growth.

What size tank do you have?

Do you have more than 1 Tank?

that Reef Guy · Jan 7, 2015

DFW said:
I have been keeping this system at 10.5 dKH with an API test kit for years, but lately have got the nutrient level lower in the tank, and some acros do look a little faded. Should I run the alkalinity lower to get the color back? Am I getting "alk burn"? (10.5 on an API kit, and 11.8 on my Seachem Total alaklinity kit.) Years ago I was told at a LFS that API kit showed about 1 dKH higher than what it really was, so I thought that I was running about 9.5.

I would use Salifert not API

I have seen API off by as much as 4 points.

API is really really random.

I do not trust it for Alkalinity (The same goes for Calcium - I have seen it off by as much as 120 points).

I would use Salifert for Alkalinity, Calcium, and Phosphate.

API is fine for the basic tests though.