Should my alkalinity be dropping with just two corals?

[shootingstar_reef]

I bought a small zoa and ricordia, and after a week or so my alkalinity dropped from 8 to 6. I bumped it to 10 - sodium bicarb was a little stronger than what I thought - and now, 3-4 days later it's at 8. Is that fast for a new tank (45gal, <3 mos) and only two small corals? My pH has remained stable at 8.2-8.3 the whole time.

thanks for your time

 

[SilverRanger]

It should not be dropping that quickly with only two corals especially since one is a zoa which should have a relatively low load

 

[Gtinnel]

Do you have any coraline algea growing in the tank? I believe that can be a pretty big consumer of alkalinity and calcium both.

The only corals that will use alkalinity are ones that form a skeleton (sps and lps) so the two corals you have shouldn't be consuming any of it.

 

[lany2008]

I bought a small zoa and ricordia, and after a week or so my alkalinity dropped from 8 to 6. I bumped it to 10 - sodium bicarb was a little stronger than what I thought - and now, 3-4 days later it's at 8. Is that fast for a new tank (45gal, <3 mos) and only two small corals? My pH has remained stable at 8.2-8.3 the whole time.

thanks for your time

everything that alive in your tank will eat ALK, especially algea and bacteria.

 

[shootingstar_reef]

Do you have any coraline algea growing in the tank? I believe that can be a pretty big consumer of alkalinity and calcium both.

The only corals that will use alkalinity are ones that form a skeleton (sps and lps) so the two corals you have shouldn't be consuming any of it.

No, my aq is relatively new and there isn't any coraline algae.

Any ideas to find out why it's dropping so fast? I'm not sure how to figure out the problem

everything that alive in your tank will eat ALK, especially algea and bacteria.

but should it be dropping this fast? does this seem within reason? A few other posts I browsed seem to suggest this would be something that occurs in more coral-heavy tanks

 

[taricha]

Any ideas to find out why it's dropping so fast? I'm not sure how to figure out the problem

check to make sure you have enough Mg. low Mg can make precipitation of Ca/Alk more rapid.
If Mg is fine, then it may simply be calcifying organisms of many kinds that exist in tanks.
Also check heaters and pumps etc for precipitation. Hot items can precipitate quickly.

(BTW, 8 dKH to 6 dKH in a week doesn't sound too crazy to me.)

 

[SilverRanger]

Honestly a high quality reef salt should replenish those levels and should be balanced. Worst comes to worst do a water change or more frequent water changes

 

[shootingstar_reef]

Honestly a high quality reef salt should replenish those levels and should be balanced. Worst comes to worst do a water change or more frequent water changes

Got it thanks. I did a 10% water change when I read "6" and it stayed at 6. I bought a bag of Reef crystals but I'm worried that the bag is old because there a little bit of clumping :\ Maybe I'll increase the frequency of my water changes as well buy new salt, haha

 

[Spieg]

Are you sure your testing is accurate? What kit and method are you using? Are you also testing a calibration fluid with known dKH?

 

[Fourstars]

Probably a testing issue.

 

[shootingstar_reef]

I'm using the Tropic Marin Compact Lab. They use the color change one in that kit. I have not tested against a calibration solution. Would the error truly be large enough to warrant that?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

everything that alive in your tank will eat ALK, especially algea and bacteria.

Do you know this for a fact? Reason why I ask is cause just recently about 5-6 days ago cleaned my algae scrubber very clean and now for past 3-4 days notice my alk consumption went noticeably down and I can’t figure out why. Could it really be less or no algae in scrubber to use the alk. I know obviously scrubber uses phosphates and nitrates didn’t realize alk aswell

 

[SilverRanger]

Do you know this for a fact? Reason why I ask is cause just recently about 5-6 days ago cleaned my algae scrubber very clean and now for past 3-4 days notice my alk consumption went noticeably down and I can’t figure out why. Could it really be less or no algae in scrubber to use the alk. I know obviously scrubber uses phosphates and nitrates didn’t realize alk aswell

Coralline algae eats alkalinity

 

[lany2008]

Do you know this for a fact? Reason why I ask is cause just recently about 5-6 days ago cleaned my algae scrubber very clean and now for past 3-4 days notice my alk consumption went noticeably down and I can’t figure out why. Could it really be less or no algae in scrubber to use the alk. I know obviously scrubber uses phosphates and nitrates didn’t realize alk aswell

algea gone, bacteria will become more, and bacteria consumes even more ALK. May be that is the reason, if you did not do anything else. ALk either be eaten or becomes Caco3 from my expericence.

 

[Gtinnel]

ALk either be eaten or becomes Caco3 from my expericence.

I agree that Alkalinity will decrease as stony corals use the carbonate to make their calcium carbonate skeleton, but I have never heard of any algea (besides coraline) or bacteria reducing alkalinity. Although I could be wrong...I often am. Lol

 

[lany2008]

I agree that Alkalinity will decrease as stony corals use the carbonate to make their calcium carbonate skeleton, but I have never heard of any algea (besides coraline) or bacteria reducing alkalinity. Although I could be wrong...I often am. Lol

What causes rapid consumption of alk?

I have a 220 gallon system and I burn through about 2 dkh a day. Any ideas what might be using so much alk? I have about 16 frags, a small clam, average clean up crew, 4 btas(they split often) and about a dozen fish. My ph hovers at 8.0 Dkh is usually 8.6 Calcium is 435 No3 .35 Po4 .18 Last...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Gtinnel]

In the article you linked Randy specifically said "It is not correct that bacteria consume alkalinity". He did say that the production of nitrate from ammonia will consume alkalinity but from what he said you will only see a decrease as nitrate is increasing and once the nitrate is consumed it'll raise the alkalinity back.

The way I read that thread it disagrees with what you are saying.

 

[I’m Batman]

Hanna checker for alk???? What’s the batch number on the reagent??

 

[lany2008]

In the article you linked Randy specifically said "It is not correct that bacteria consume alkalinity". He did say that the production of nitrate from ammonia will consume alkalinity but from what he said you will only see a decrease as nitrate is increasing and once the nitrate is consumed it'll raise the alkalinity back.

The way I read that thread it disagrees with what you are saying.

yes, you are right. Bactrica transforms NO2 to NO3, in this process it will consume ALK.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Coralline algae eats alkalinity

Yes that is a fact