What do coral owners run your alkalinity at?

[Reef Puncher]

So between the high alk of the red sea dark bucket, and between my kalk, im always sitting around 10.3 alk. I think thats ok, but my ICP tests says its too high and should be around 8. I know 7-8 is close to real sea water, but it is running at 10.3 bad? What does everyone else run at?

 

[Arkardios]

Since dosing AFR to keep Ca + Mg up my alk is consistently at 9. I haven't noticed any ill effect on my softies. So long as it's stable it shouldn't be a problem imo.

 

[Northern Flicker]

10.3 is ok, probably a little higher than most. If you do drop it, just do it very slowly.

I wouldn't chase NSW - we did that 15 years ago and the reality is our tanks will never be like NSW. Stability will go a longer way.

 

[exnisstech]

Stability is more important than the actual number. I like mine between 8-9 but many people run higher. 8-9 is just where I settled when I started so I just stick with it.

 

[robinm]

I try and keep around 9 but am more interested in keeping PH stable. As long as it's within 9-10 and doesn't swing wildly then I'm happy

 

[Reef Puncher]

10.3 is ok, probably a little higher than most. If you do drop it, just do it very slowly.

I wouldn't chase NSW - we did that 15 years ago and the reality is our tanks will never be like NSW. Stability will go a longer way.

about 2 min ago someone linked me to a fascinating article:
article here

and they showed that BRS did an elevated alk/calc/mag tank vs natural seawater, and the elevated levels also grew coral faster too.

It seems as 10 alk is actually ideal....wierd. why does my ICP and alot of other reefers say 10 is too high when seems like the evidence that 10 is ideal is greater. i really find that fascinating, id love to see more tests.

 

[X-37B]

So between the high alk of the red sea dark bucket, and between my kalk, im always sitting around 10.3 alk. I think thats ok, but my ICP tests says its too high and should be around 8. I know 7-8 is close to real sea water, but it is running at 10.3 bad? What does everyone else run at?

Average ocean alk is 6.5. I have ran my systems at 7 dkh for years.
I agree that stability is more important than the number.

 

[Uncle99]

My system runs at 10dkh, it’s just where it seems to fall last 3 years or so. Heavy SPS load.

Used to run at 12dkh for a year, then 8dkh for another year, could tell no difference whatsoever.

 

[JamesZ.]

8.7 - 9.2 for my Red Sea Reefer 170. I dose approx. 5-8 mL. Alk daily.

 

[encrustingacro]

The salt I use is the Tropic Marin Pro--which has an alkalinity level of ~7.8 dKH--but I used to add in a bit of sodium bicarbonate to raise the alk to ~10 dKH. A downside to this he carbonate would sometimes precipitate on my mixing pumps and buckets. To stop this, I would first add in some magnesium. Nowadays, though, I just run my tank at the original salt level.

 

[X-37B]

My system runs at 10dkh, it’s just where it seems to fall last 3 years or so. Heavy SPS load.

Used to run at 12dkh for a year, then 8dkh for another year, could tell no difference whatsoever.

Nice! Stability at whatever level you run wins.

 

[Uncle99]

Nice! Stability at whatever level you run wins.

100% agree!

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Tank is staying steady at 7.7-7.8. I also use Tropic Marin Pro and just maintain the original level. When I do a water change I test the new water to match salinity and check the alk and that’s been working great for years.

This is anecdotal, but when I used to keep an elevated level, it seemed like it was more unstable and wanted to drop quickly to the original level. Whereas just maintaining the original levels didn’t seem to cause notable swings.

Coloration seems better when I’m not chasing growing numbers.

I have a nano tank with branching sps so I should take my time anyways.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Between 7.8-8.4. I run AFR in my tank whenever it gets low. Do water changes roughly once a week as well

 

[hers0109]

7.5-8.5 though I’m trying to nudge it up slightly to be above 8 just as a buffer in case something happens to dosing.

 

[Waters]

I keep mine around 8.4...gives me wiggle room either direction if something fails.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is anecdotal, but when I used to keep an elevated level, it seemed like it was more unstable and wanted to drop quickly to the original level. Whereas just maintaining the original levels didn’t seem to cause notable swings.

Unstable perhaps implies not adding it to offset demand, but it is certainly true that higher alk causes higher alk and calcium demand. Same for higher pH.

 

[mattdg]

I've had the best luck running it on the lower end. 7-8 I find I have very few issues if the Alk drops slowly down to the 6 even 5 range. I can then slowly raise it back up by increasing daily dose and I'm back on track. On the other hand, I have had major issues with spikes and slow rises over 10/11. Completely different story for me when alk increases. RTN / STN and bleaching. When it falls I see slower growth, otherwise I wouldn't even notice if not testing weekly.

One observation is that when Alk falls, it typically does so slowly, since it directly correlates with the uptake by coral in my system. Sort of a natural process that the coral can adapt to easily. When it rises, it tends to do so rapidly due to an imbalance in the system that causes the coral to suddenly reduce uptake, increasing PH or a doser malfunction. Since the gradual fall is more easily adapted to than the rapid rise, the coral tend to experience high and low alk numbers differently. Might have to do more with this phenomenon, than the actual numbers themselves.

 

[Reeferbadness]

I keep mine around 9.5 in 2 different tanks with Calcium around 450. Interesting study on high levels was done by BRS TV - here's the link

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Unstable perhaps implies not adding it to offset demand, but it is certainly true that higher alk causes higher alk and calcium demand. Same for higher pH.

Thank you for that. It makes a lot of sense. They are use to having it there in abundance. It seems stability overall is still the answer for alk.