Trident Alk Drop nightly

[JLuca]

So every night when my Trident does it's midnight test the alkalinity is significantly lower than during the day. I'm trying to understand what's happening. I'm using a calcium reactor with a kamoer pump so I know it's adding the same amount 24/7. I also don't see any correlation to ph

 

[vic5hands]

Your chasing numbers . Your worried about .4 for a 5 day chart. Looks good

 

[JLuca]

Your chasing numbers . Your worried about .4 for a 5 day chart. Looks good

Thank you. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm suspicious of testing error due to some sort of electrical interference. I've seen lots of data that folks post and none that I recall show a dip in alk late at night. More alk is typically used during the daylight hours than at night.

How many data points are actually involved in the nightly dip?

 

[aarbutina]

@JLuca, my Trident has been has been running similarly except it is every other test. Mine is one of the original units on the market. I am starting to wonder if this is a sign that service is needed and parts need repair.

 

[JLuca]

I'm suspicious of testing error due to some sort of electrical interference. I've seen lots of data that folks post and none that I recall show a dip in alk late at night. More alk is typically used during the daylight hours than at night.

How many data points are actually involved in the nightly dip?

I did a fair bit of searching these forums before posting and it doesn't seem like many have this issue.

So its the one data point from the Trident. I suppose I could always double check it with my Hannah to see if its interference in some way. The other thought was I dose a small amount (2ml) of NoPox into that same section of the sump at midnight as the test is kicking off. Could that be skewing the test?

 

[blaxsun]

I did a fair bit of searching these forums before posting and it doesn't seem like many have this issue.

So its the one data point from the Trident. I suppose I could always double check it with my Hannah to see if its interference in some way. The other thought was I dose a small amount (2ml) of NoPox into that same section of the sump at midnight as the test is kicking off. Could that be skewing the test?

I know that when I dose NOPOX I see an immediate change in ORP and pH. I usually dose well before any alkalinity tests are run though.

 

[areefer01]

How many data points are actually involved in the nightly dip?

I'm not sure they answered you but it would depend on their testing schedule setting. If they use the default or more common schedule it is 4.

0000 ALK Ca Mg
0600 Alk
1200 Alk Ca Mg
1800 Alk

An example of 6/day:
0000 ALK Ca Mg
0400 Alk
0800 ALK Ca Mg
1200 Alk
1600 Alk Ca Mg
2000 ALK

 

[brahm]

Demand from your corals isn’t static. I have a calcium reactor controlled by trident as well, and have it set to dose different amounts split between Nighttime, daytime, and peak hours for this very reason. From the 6pm-12am slot is when I see the most demand from my corals.

if you test manually you’ll get the same thing, I have a whole thread on it somewhere. Essentially don’t think of your corals demand like an on/off switch it takes a certain amount of time from when the lights come on for them to ramp up production and certain amount of time for them to slow down production as the lights turn off.

Edit: the part I find most interesting is that you’ll actually go back up in alk from 12am - 6am even if you shut the reactor off during this time. So I now purposely introduce a little alk instability in order to help ph stability by dosing kalk from 10pm-10am with the calcium reactor off from 12am-10am

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If we could see the graph as data points and not a line, I think that would be useful.

 

[Hawkaholic]

This is not normal. Alk use goes down when the lights go off. The readings are incorrect, but consistently so. - Something is throwing off a test. Another additive ahead of testing, or a pump that runs at night that’s leaking electricity, or the trident itself needs service, or ???
Does the

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is not normal. Alk use goes down when the lights go off. The readings are incorrect, but consistently so. - Something is throwing off a test. Another additive ahead of testing, or a pump that runs at night that’s leaking electricity, or the trident itself needs service, or ???
Does the

In my tank there is a significant spike in Alk demand in the 3 hours following lights out.

Surprised me too and I didn't know until I added automated testing a month or so ago. Since then I have shifted dosing times around to level it somewhat.

 

[vic5hands]

Alk . System running perfect.Not chasing numbers

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In my tank there is a significant spike in Alk demand in the 3 hours following lights out.

Surprised me too and I didn't know until I added automated testing a month or so ago. Since then I have shifted dosing times around to level it somewhat.

Have you tracked it against pH?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Have you tracked it against pH?

Well, lights go off at 1930 and the pH starts to drop before then at about 1800, but not so much that I expected the Alk drop of 0.4dKh between 2000 and 0000. My dosing was stopping at 8pm with a midnight topup but I'ves pread the dosing out more now to level it. It was nothing huge, just unexpected.

 

[brahm]

In my tank there is a significant spike in Alk demand in the 3 hours following lights out.

Surprised me too and I didn't know until I added automated testing a month or so ago. Since then I have shifted dosing times around to level it somewhat.

Correct, it’s like heating up a stove, takes a while to get going and takes a while to cool down. Coral doesn’t simply shut off immediately the second the lights go out.

although if you disturb them that’s a different story it I pester a large % of my tank I’ll see a slight drop in demand

 

[Hawkaholic]

In my tank there is a significant spike in Alk demand in the 3 hours following lights out.

Surprised me too and I didn't know until I added automated testing a month or so ago. Since then I have shifted dosing times around to level it somewhat.

Every tank is a little different - depends on livestocks demands and husbandry etc. Mine swings a little each test - standard 4tests/day. I dose two part more during the lights on period than at night, but dose 24 hours a day. And do small water changes 24 hours a day also. I usually have no more than a .20 swing per 24 hour period.

Maybe that’s normal, but I’ve not had such big overnight swings. Most of my alk/pH issues over the years have revolved around co2 - if I could just kick everyone out of the house…

As long as the tank inhabitants are happy all should be well. As said earlier don’t chase numbers just to chase numbers.

 

[areefer01]

Every tank is a little different - depends on livestocks demands and husbandry etc. Mine swings a little each test - standard 4tests/day. I dose two part more during the lights on period than at night, but dose 24 hours a day. And do small water changes 24 hours a day also. I usually have no more than a .20 swing per 24 hour period.

Maybe that’s normal, but I’ve not had such big overnight swings. Most of my alk/pH issues over the years have revolved around co2 - if I could just kick everyone out of the house…

As long as the tank inhabitants are happy all should be well. As said earlier don’t chase numbers just to chase numbers.

Are you doing trident controlled dosing? That will also tighten up the numbers. At least when I was doing it it seemed that way.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Are you doing trident controlled dosing? That will also tighten up the numbers. At least when I was doing it it seemed that way.

Yes. That’s why I have a trident. I work too many hours 6 months of the year to closely monitor and dose my tank. I need all the help I can get.

 

[areefer01]

Yes. That’s why I have a trident. I work too many hours 6 months of the year to closely monitor and dose my tank. I need all the help I can get.

I wasn't sure - sorry if you noted it and I missed it. It is a great feature.