Poll: where does everyone run their alkalinity?

[scabbedwings616]

I just got a trident and I keep it at 9.1-9.5. I like the coloring and the growth associated with this and the corals seem happier than when I was at 8.2-8.5. I like to match my salt mix(instant ocean reef crystals) as well which is way higher than that. I decided to raise it to 9.1 and Match it the best I could.

 

[MarineVet]

For those that run lower than 8.5, what advantages are you seeing?

 

[mcshams]

I like about 8.3-8.6. Seems easy to dose and maintain. My LPS do extremely well.

 

[Copingwithpods]

The syringe they give you is 1 ML fully extended so I don’t look at the numbers. I run my tank at 9.5 I’m running my phosphates a little higher than most just to see what growth I get. I dose about 10-12 ML of soda ash a day. I drop to about 9.1 in 24 hours

If you don't look at the numbers how can you be sure you are being accurate

 

[Cwentz758]

If you don't look at the numbers how can you be sure you are being accurate

The Hanna checker takes a full ML and the syringe they give you fully pulled gives you that. Mine still has the number so I glance, but I don’t really have to.

 

[X-37B]

For those that run lower than 8.5, what advantages are you seeing?

I was running 8.5. Lowered it to 7.3+-.2 but it stays at 7.3 most of the time. I run a carx.
For me it was better colors and growth but my system is unls as everyone calls it.
Po4 .02-.06
No3 1-2
Ca 460
Mag 1350

 

[MarineVet]

I like about 8.3-8.6. Seems easy to dose and maintain. My LPS do extremely well.

Semper Fi brother

 

[jsak1976]

Should I be worried?

No, it was legit. Brand new checker. It took me a few days, but I got it back up to normal. It’s at 8.0 today. Took 25 teaspoons of sodium bicarbonate to correct that. Unfortunately, I don’t have a pH tester, because that’s the first thing I thought about was pH too. pH tester is in the budget for next month. After over 20 years of reading my system to gauge where my numbers were, I figured actual test results would be better. I was right on the money for everything except alkalinity. That number shocked me. My acro growth is fantastic, so I “assumed” everything was OK. I’ll be watching alk a lot closer now.

Nothing wrong with low alk it’s just the stability that’s important. This is one of my tanks 5.6 dkh and I get incredible growth and color.

 

[Vette67]

Nothing wrong with low alk it’s just the stability that’s important. This is one of my tanks 5.6 dkh and I get incredible growth and color.

You know, for 20 years I swore I would never be a number chaser. I get myself a test kit, and what do I do? Chase numbers.... There’s something to be said about reading your tank, not test kits. My reef could have been at 5.2 dKh for 15 years and I would have never known, and my acro growth told me everything was fine.

 

[Reeffraff]

For those that run lower than 8.5, what advantages are you seeing?

Like others have mentioned, for me lower alk (approx 7 dkh) is required to prevent burnt tips/unhappy acros in my system, which runs at low NO3 (> 1 ppm) and PO4 (0.04 ppm) despite a high fish bioload and heavy feedings.

If you run higher nutrients either on purpose or because that's just the stable state of your system, you have more flexibility in how high you can go with alk.

 

[Copingwithpods]

The Hanna checker takes a full ML and the syringe they give you fully pulled gives you that. Mine still has the number so I glance, but I don’t really have to.

Ahh OK I thought you were using titration test kits and just eyeballing like "yup 2/3s of the syringe means I'm close enough" like some sort of mad man

 

[OREGONIC]

I would like to be in the 8.0-8.3 range but my tank seems to always stable out in the 7.5-7.8 range. Every time I seem to adjust dosing up to the 8.0-8.3 range within a few weeks it dips back to the 7.5-7.8 area with the new dosing level ‍

 

[Reeffragger]

Very easy test kit to use!

Honestly.. I use API kits.. their cheaper and just as accurate. In fact i got the calcium and ph and alk and so forth from salifert and when i tested with them and the API kits.

Both kits were near identical in readings.. It doesnt mattee how ACCURATE youre readings are to a tee.. all that matters is consistancy. If API was as bad as some claim i wouldnt have been able to keep 70+ corals half of which are sps and acros. Does it really matter if the api says 8alk and say Hanna says 8.4 ? No not really not at all.. just maintain it where its reading and youll be fine.

Honestly my alk swings so much in my tank i find it funny people try to keep their alk at 8.4 if it gets to 8.2 they freak or something. I dont habe dosing machines so i have to dose manually. I lose .5 to 1.00 alk every day.. My alk will be say 8.5 then itll be 7.5 at night. So i have to dose 20-25ml in the tank.

These swings havent done anything to my corals.. in fact i do 60-80 gallon water changes monthly in my 135. And with the salt i use reef crystals.. my alk will jump from 8.5 to 13. It takes almost a week to drop back down to where i gatta dose again. These swings do NOTHING to my acros.. and i have some hard to keep abd expensive acros in my tank.



Thats just my 2 cents disagree if you want but these are my observations

 

[Paul J]

Easier to keep without swings and less cost in dosing Alk cal and mag

 

[anth]

[QUOTE="Potatohead, post: 7454975, member: 86287"

The reagents are quite good out of a new bottle but after about 20 tests (1.5 months) or so I do notice it starts to creep up. So a new bottle will test say 7.0 but after a while it will start testing like 7.2. Then towards the end of the bottle and a couple months it will test 7.3-7.4. Then a new bottle will go back down. Not really sure why but maybe very slight evaporation of the liquid in the reagent or something.
[/QUOTE]

I had this exact problem with salifert calcium test kit and i too believe it may of been due to evaporation

 

[X-37B]

Back in 89 Albert Thiel used to run 15-18 dkh and he had some impressive tanks for the time!
Here is a page shot from his book.
Man we have come along way lol.