What alkalinity do you shot for in you tank?

FireEMT · Aug 20, 2016

Just wanted to start up a conversation about Alkalinity with the community. I am fairly new to salt water and have kept my tank at 9.5, only because I use HW Marinemix Reefer Salt and thats around its starting point. Just curios what everyone runs at and maybe why?

Joeganja · Aug 20, 2016

Usually tanks with a lot of sps like to keep theirs around 9-11 dkh seems like the acros like it more but if you have a mixed tank your right in the middle just in case levels rise of drop. Good for wiggle room. It's usually 7-11 dkh.

71xlch · Aug 20, 2016

I think you will find within the last two or so years SPS tanks have trended towards being 7-9. Most 7-8.5 and any higher they get alk burn. If you have higher nutrients you can have higher alk.

bios · Aug 20, 2016

It depends from many factors
Animals you have inside, sps
Lights, temperature and nutrients in your tank
At last on redox pot.
If your kh is over 8
it mean to say to your animals grow up
So if in the tank there s no nutrient

bios · Aug 20, 2016

They start to die
In my tank with many sps kh 6.5
temp 25 centigrade
No3 3

hawkinsrgk · Aug 20, 2016

I have lower nutrients and try to run 8.3. I am currently at 8.6. Really no reason that I chose 8.3 other than giving myself a little time if it starts to go up

bios · Aug 20, 2016

Probably your tank is not with an high ox pot.
Light ...
If my kh gone to 8.3
Many of my sps start do die
I try it...

bios · Aug 20, 2016

Talking about kh not ph

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 20, 2016

I recommend 7-11 dKH unless it is a ULNS SPS tank.

Higher alk (9-11 dKH) often means faster coral growth, and lower alk 6.5-8 dKH) is better if nutrients are very low, potentially leading to "better" colors of some corals due to less zoox in them.

FireEMT · Aug 20, 2016

Its great to see the thought process from so many members. My tank has been ULNS since the beginning. Originally I was trying to get the NO3 up but I can't seem to do it. I run NOPOX and a large simmer. I plan on doing SPS dominated with a few LPS. I am also starting Red Sea's energy this week hoping to feed the coral a little better. Keep the posts coming, I really enjoy hearing all the different opinions. Thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 20, 2016

FireEMT said:
Its great to see the thought process from so many members. My tank has been ULNS since the beginning. Originally I was trying to get the NO3 up but I can't seem to do it. I run NOPOX and a large simmer. I plan on doing SPS dominated with a few LPS. I am also starting Red Sea's energy this week hoping to feed the coral a little better. Keep the posts coming, I really enjoy hearing all the different opinions. Thanks

Less NOPOX would certainly allow nitrate to rise.

Blitzie · Aug 20, 2016

I target 7.0 - 7.5 and its a Zeovit system

Mark426 · Aug 20, 2016

FireEMT · Aug 20, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Less NOPOX would certainly allow nitrate to rise.

I am only dosing 2ml right now and the tank is sound 130 gallons. The 2ml have been keeping everything at 0. I have not actually seen a reading from either PO4 or NO3, ever. I use a new red sea NO3 test and Hanna for the PO4. From what I've seen I will slowly lower my alk to closer to 8.

FireEMT · Aug 20, 2016

Keep the comments coming, I really like the ideas from everyone. Thanks

Eckolancer · Aug 20, 2016

I like to keep them stable. Don't shoot for a number someone else uses find what works and maintain it.

Kungpaoshizi · Aug 20, 2016

8-10 here, red sea program. Lower didn't yield too big a difference for colors since I use the reef energy hourly. Higher than 10-11 seems to allow for complications not running phosphate/nitrate at what red sea dictates in the high growth program.

I ended up implementing a doser for calcium nitrate though since the foods I like are heavy in alk. The colors additives help a bit too because you're introducing iron as well iirc.Makes it really easy to dial everything in where you want it as a baseline for numbers.
Calcium nitrate is cheap though, 20-25$ will get ya a year or two's worth for that size tank.

Syntax1235 · Aug 20, 2016

I shoot for 7.0dkh. I have an acro dominant tank and run low nutrients while using Aquaforest products.

Collinw24 · Aug 20, 2016

I just set up a calcium reactor on my tank, and now my alk is around 12 dKh, which has me concerned. The tank is SPS only, a 180g. Does anyone know if this is too high? Should I turn off the reactor until the corals grow out some and the demand increases?

Blitzie · Aug 20, 2016

As this post says the number can vary a great deal it is Stability that is important. If your alk is normally 8 and your at 12 all of a sudden everything will turn white real fast. If you were normally at 11.5 and now at 12 it may not be too much of an issue