Chasing Alk
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: General Help
Forum Description: The place to ask about pest, problems, hitchhikers, etc.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=82377
Printed Date: April 24 2024 at 2:24pm
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Topic: Chasing Alk
Posted By: chuckfu5
Subject: Chasing Alk
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 10:34am
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After my last disaster with Alk ( burned everything ) I purchased a new red sea test kit. I've been monitoring this week and this is what I have yesterday after about a gallon water change with reef crystals. Calcium - 470 Alk - 7.0 Magnesium - 1450 I'm trying to get the alk up to 9 DKH so I have only been dosing Kent's part B. I dosed 1 tsp. I've been out of town for the last few days so I missed some testing and dosing. This is in my 13.5 gallon Fluval EVO. It has a total water volume of about 10 gallons. I've also noticed that my top layer of sand seems to be clumping together since I've began dosing Alk. The tank is heavily stocked with sps crags and a few large wall hammer colonies. I just want to do right by everything need some guidance in this area. Any thoughts on how to proceed? |
Replies:
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 4:46pm
| Id stop dosing and do water changes. It'll add a better balance to the tank than just dosing. You'll also change those values everytime you do a water change. So get the whole tank's water changed over the next couple weeks and by then it should be properly balanced to your new salt. Then I think it would be ok to start dosing. Also, make sure your test kits are working by comparing them to others. Also, what is your salinity? |
Posted By: chuckfu5
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 5:08pm
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I usually change about 5 gallons every two weeks. I think my tank is using more alk than I can replace with water changes, that's why I've started dosing. These are brand new red sea test kits. 1.026 |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 5:14pm
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That is some serious water changing. Which is great. I wouldn't dose anything. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 5:33pm
| How many and what kind of corals do you have? |
Posted By: chuckfu5
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 5:51pm
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Several different frags of acros which are entrusting and growing good. Couple large pieces of Montipora. Couple different chalice. A large colony of xenia. Several small zoa colonies and 3 large wall hammer colonies. |
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 5:53pm
| Interesting.. Can you post a pic of the tank? |
Posted By: chuckfu5
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 7:31pm
          
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phys wrote:Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 9:14pm
| Stop dosing all together, you don't need it. |
Posted By: chuckfu5
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 9:22pm
Curious as to why you say that? Isn't 7DKH on the low side? I was trying to get it to 8 or 9. |
Posted By: A Reef Oasis
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 10:10pm
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"Unfortunately, calcium and alkalinity are http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.htm" rel="nofollow - linked in many ways in reef tanks, and these links can lead to serious problems if they are not fully understood. If, for example, you add too much of a calcium supplement, you will drive down alkalinity as you get precipitation of calcium carbonate in the tank. Likewise, adding too much of an alkalinity supplement can result in reduction of calcium. Consequently, trying to correct one problem can cause another. Moreover, if you try to correct a calcium or alkalinity “problem” with the wrong type of additive, you might accomplish nothing more than creating limestone in your tank." THIS IS WHY YOUR SAND BED IS CLUMPING, PRECIPITATION OF CALICUM CARBONATE. " http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2002/chemistry.htm" rel="nofollow - Alkalinity for our purposes here is comprised of bicarbonate and carbonate. The vast majority of alkalinity depletion in most tanks also comes about by the precipitation of calcium carbonate. In this process, as alkalinity is depleted by 1 meq/L, calcium will be depleted by 20 ppm. There are some other processes that can lead to alkalinity depletion, including partial cycling of nitrogen (from organic compounds to nitrate and no further) and the incorporation of magnesium into calcium carbonate, but these are generally much less important than calcification." Randy Holems-Farley you are basicly preforming a 50% water change what are you testing the day after a water change? What is the salt testing in a bucket a day after it is mixed? these tests would be a good place to start. ------------- "oh crap where am I going to put that!" bstuver |
Posted By: tileman
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 11:05pm
I have to agree with Chad. Your coral isn't big enough to be using up all the alk. I would suggest just doing waterchanges as well. ------------- 335G Reef TOTM. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aquarium ReefKeepers TOTM Feb. 2012 http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....k-of-the-month & |
Posted By: tileman
Date Posted: April 09 2017 at 11:09pm
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Natural seawater is 7-8 dkh alk So you really don't have to worry. ------------- 335G Reef TOTM. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aquarium ReefKeepers TOTM Feb. 2012 http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....k-of-the-month & |
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: April 10 2017 at 12:07am
| yea, your corals aren't very large so you shouldn't have to be dosing as much as you are. |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: April 11 2017 at 3:41pm
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Also, you may consider changing 2.5 gallons per week. It's basically 2x the work, but the fluctuations of your tank will be much smaller and the need for dosing should be eliminated. Good luck!
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Posted By: chuckfu5
Date Posted: April 15 2017 at 10:45am
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Ok....i did my water change last night, 3 gallons. I was at 7 DKH before and after with the reef crystals salt mix 10.4. Measured this morning and am at 8.4. I dropped 2 DKH over night. Calcium was at 450 after the water change. Magnesium was at 1600. I'm obivsouly for whatever reason using a lot more alk than I can compensate with water changes. I checked the mixed salt and it has a DKH of 10.4. Should I try to get my all that high or just try to keep it around 9 dkh? |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: April 15 2017 at 1:44pm
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Just don't adjust it. The water changes are perfectly fine. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: chuckfu5
Date Posted: April 15 2017 at 2:30pm
| So it's ok to go fro. 10 down to 6 or 7? I thought stability was key to corals. |
Posted By: sabeypets
Date Posted: April 16 2017 at 1:35am
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Stability is key, the problem is the chemistry going on in our saltwater boxes. It is not as simple as adding an alkalinity adative. The smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep stable, and the less room for error. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/5/chemistry http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/2/chemistry ------------- Shaun American Fork "Would you leave a dead cat in your kitchen till tommorow?" Builderofdreams |