Question on Zone 4 alk correction

m3p · Apr 12, 2018

I recently found my tank with the following levels:
Ca 470
Mg 1470
Alk 5.7 - Hanna
Alk 6.2 Red Sea pro
Alk 6.2 Aquaforest
Alk 6.4 Salifert

After tinkering with calcium reactor trying to overcome low alk I decided to add baking soda and Alk is now in the 7.7-8 Range. My question is, how often should I anticipate having to add baking soda to shift back to zone 1? I figure every tank is different, but will this be a weekly, monthly, every few months thing? Am I better off adding a doser for this issue or will my Ca reactor keep the balance now that it has been achieved again?

Tank is a 200 gallon that is heavily stocked with SPS.

Thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 12, 2018

Unless you are consuming alk in an unbalanced way (say, using a sulfur denitrator) or a salt mix with high calcium and lower alk, it should not be a routine issue.

m3p · Apr 12, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Unless you are consuming alk in an unbalanced way (say, using a sulfur denitrator) or a salt mix with high calcium and lower alk, it should not be a routine issue.

I do not use a sulfur denitrator. I have a Ca reactor and Kalkwasser Reactor on the tank . Using Fritz salt.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 13, 2018

If anything, using kalkwasser will slowly allow calcium to decline relative to alkalinity.

I'd try to tweak the reactor to deliver a bit more calcium and alk each day. To boost alk by 1.4 dKH will only cause a rise of about 9-10 ppm in calcium, and then both of your values will be fine.