Low alk

[lnevo]

I figured it out...

When i re-aquascaped. My alk had been pretty stable at 8.4 for the past year. Except for the time I did some massive water changes, to address a nitrate issue, when it got past 10 but dropped back to 8 after i went back to routine.

Anyway, the week after that is when i registered a 6.7. Figured that wasn't too much to worry about. It was last weeks test that confirmed the first one that started the thread.

Everything has been growing like mad since the rescape so that explains it...just straight old consumption due to better light, better flow, and being mounted.

 

[lnevo]

Ok. I made it up to 8.4. I also had increased the dosage to 30ml. I think I may still want to go up one more point to the next batch of SW. I also re-scaped a little today so we'll see what happens. Should I skip the dosing tonight to see where I'm at, give it the week? Or drop the dosage down to accommodate the usage I measured previously? Wed is the next WC.

 

[lnevo]

So after last Sundays final dosing, I tested 7.6 on Monday and Tuesday then a 7.3! On Wednesday AFTER my WC.

I then let it go till today so 4 days of usage. I measured at 6.2. Because I'm in the lower range I don't want to wait the full week to measure. I'll dial it in live after bringing it back up.

Sp tonight I dosed 35ml. I'll do the same tomorrow morning. That should being it to 7.6 but with usage, i am expecting to see 7.3-7.4, plus I'm staying conservative.

By what I measured today I will need to dose 15ml per day. Once I'm at my target dkh, I'll start with that over 24 doses along with calcium. Another WC is due on Wednesday.

I broke my huge milli off its base while trying to break the rock it was on due to some aiptasia that was on it. Its nestled in a perfect spot but its not attached. Not sure how pressing it is if its not moving. I also broke my orange digi off its nice encrusted base...again. Fun fun...

Next battle will be nitrates....want to get them down to 2ppm currently at 8ppm average. Planning to start prodibio once i've gotten this under control.

 

[duke62]

Dont drop the nitrates to low. Between 5 and 10 is a good range.

 

[lnevo]

Dont drop the nitrates to low. Between 5 and 10 is a good range.

Really? Ok then I'm not too far off. My range is more like 4-16, 8 comes up a lot although thats also the increments on the test kit. So I feel like I should reduce it somewhat.

I do feed a good amount daily (overfeed), and I don't rinse my food, so I know thats also the main source of my problem..

 

[Boomer]

Marrone

Thanks for this ^ I just going to do the same. I have been gone allot the last two months and just got back from Omaha yesterday.

It appears we just can't hope people will act like responsible adults and need to be managed. Kudo's to OP for keeping his eyes open in my absence.

Anymore such out breaks and this thread will be locked. Something the poster asking for help, Inevo, does not need.

Enevo if you don't like what your reading or the advice you are getting, just PM me.

 

[lnevo]

Thanks guys. To keep the thread back on track, the issues do stem from my consumption exceeding the input provided by 20-25% weekly water changes.

Hopefully this thread will help others in a similar situation as I navigate through correcting and addressing this long term.

Boomer, welcome back. Do you have any feedback on the approach or observations I've made so far? I think I'm on the right track, and hopefully on target to start auto-dosing later this week. If I'm doing something wrong now's the time

 

[lnevo]

So tonight, test at 7.4, so I'm spot on for my target. I'll keep dosing for tomorrow and see what the story is..Wednesday is WC day.

 

[SteveZ15]

I been uping my alk also I had a similar issue,I raised the dose over a week and im around 10 high 9 ..I went from 3o ml to 45 ml things are starting to color up better..Do you use a reactor with rowa? If you do does it affect your alk when you change it?

 

[lnevo]

I change my gfo and gac during water changes. I pump out my water through the reactors to rinse and drain at the same time.

I haven't noticed any particular change since its at the same time. The change seemed appropriate to the volume of water I changed.

I do my gfo every 6 weeks and gac every 2. This past WC was both. I'm using brs rox and brs gfo.

 

[Boomer]

Inevo

One thing, my constant word of warning. DO NOT CHASE NUMBERS Chasing numbers causes most of ones issues. As long as you are within in a acceptable range. LEAVE THEM ALONE. Meaning this: "I want my Alk at 9. Every time I get it to 9 it drops right back to 8. And it seems to stay at 8 with my sup addition. " LEAVE THE DAMN THING ALONE AT 8.

The more and more you try to fix pH or Alk at some number, with Alk buffers the worse it gets. "Bob" can keep his at 9". DOES NOT mean you can. Doing the WC you are doing @ 20-25 % / wk, should help this from not happening. One must remember that when you add sup's, other than Kalk, you are adding other ions not needed, ie., like Sodium, Sulfate, etc. These accumulate over time and cause an off-set in the Ionic-Balance, which shifts the solution Kinetics of the water. You can actually see this at times when adding a Alk buffer. A cloud will form, which will not dissipate quickly, as in a few seconds but may take mins. This makes it very difficult to maintain wanted levels, even NSW levels. 20-25 % WC/ wk or 30 % / month should stop this.

Nitrates 5-10 ppm is a good range = mostly so much gibberish but may be fine for some. NSW or any coral reef is nowhere near that. But does it have any real meaning or merit ? It can, as many have such levels with no issues. It is because the corals have gotten use to them. Probably the biggest reason is many of those corals you get are in high Nitrate, 5-10, and if they are put in a system with low Nitrates they often crash. The same thing ofen happens when you take corals from a low Nitrarte system and put them in a high Nitrate system. Or doing massive WC in a high Nitrate system. The same is true with Phosphate. Such high levels can even make corals grow fast, especially with elevated Alk levels also. But is this a good thing ? For one, the corals Coenosarc can becomes thin and the density and porosity of the Aragonite becomes less dense and more brittle. The makes it easie for the Coensarc to tear and become damaged and infected and makes the corals branches brake easier. In a reef tank this may not be an issue, as reef tanks are not subjected to much wave action or impacting rubble like a coral reef. Each tank and its system is different. So, you have to go by what works best for YOUR TANK NOT BOB's TANK. If everybody followed Bob's methods we would not be much of anywhere in this hobby !

Please stay and do what you are doing, being CONSERVATIVE !

 

[lnevo]

Ok, last night alk was at 8.1 after dosing another 35ml(night before) + 35ml (morning). I decided to drop down to the maintenance dosage but dose 15ml for that day and dose in the am another 15ml. This worked out good and is straight inline with what I got from the reef calculator accommodating for usage. Tonight before the WC was at 8.3 and after at 8.4. I decided to set the doser to 20ml daily, so we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

 

[d5332]

lnevo, you made me test my alk and mag for that matter.

darn alk went from 11 to 8 in a month and mag is down as well.

Are you actually testing daily? I am figuring if I test weekly and divide by 7 I should get a decent idea of daily dose

 

[lnevo]

Yes i have been testing daily...just alk though. That test is quick. Remember though i had hit a low of 5.6 and was dosing manually to bring it up..

I plan on continuing for the next week to test daily and then start tapering off. I used to test bi weekly or monthly, looking forward to getting back to that.

This is my first time with dosing two part so I'd rather do this part carefully and get it right then rush and screw it up.

Oh and plus I've been using aquaticlog.com to track everything so i get points for testing lol. Great site btw and a nice iphone app for logging.

Lee

 

[vio]

# 1, API test is not really good test.( try Hanna)
# 2 U need good protein skimmer.
# 3 run the air from outside (protein skimmer)
#4 need good flow
# 5 check humidity one room, use Kalkwasser on your ATO ? RO/DI have very low Alk.
Do u have big Clams ? What u use Calcium reactor ? Dosing pumps ?

 

[lnevo]

# 1, API test is not really good test.( try Hanna)
# 2 U need good protein skimmer.
# 3 run the air from outside (protein skimmer)
#4 need good flow
# 5 check humidity one room, use Kalkwasser on your ATO ? RO/DI have very low Alk.
Do u have big Clamps ? What u use Calcium reactor ? Dosing pumps ?

#1 agreed. I'm using RSP only did the API to cross check

#2 running an Eshopps PSK-100

#3 at some point, but ph is not bad

#4 two mp-40 on a 65g tank...

#5 No kalk for me (do not like the concept of dealing with any sludge)

No clams...son is allergic so I don't want to chance it.

No calcium reactor.

Dosing Pumps were dosing 2 part as of Wednesday. Before that they were running with RO/DI for testing...

Last night alk was at 8.3 so far so good...Cal was at 420. If that holds then I'm pretty good.

 

[vio]

#1 agreed. I'm using RSP only did the API to cross check

#2 running an Eshopps PSK-100

#3 at some point, but ph is not bad

#4 two mp-40 on a 65g tank...

#5 No kalk for me (do not like the concept of dealing with any sludge)

No clams...son is allergic so I don't want to chance it.

No calcium reactor.

Dosing Pumps were dosing 2 part as of Wednesday. Before that they were running with RO/DI for testing...

Last night alk was at 8.3 so far so good...Cal was at 420. If that holds then I'm pretty good.

About # 5, i just add. one 1 Tsp, of Kalka for 5 gal. RO/DI , i have 2 pumps in one 20 gal. Tank one work all the time to mix the Kalka, second only when need for evap. that way i have the same ALK.

 

[lnevo]

Yeah, doesn't sound like the solution for me. If i need more than what 2 part can do then I'll get a calcium reactor and call it a day.

 

[lnevo]

Ok, so far so good... I had dropped the dose down to the 15ml Friday and my was at 7.8 the past 2 nights. I put it back to 20 last night so we'll see what it looks like tomorrow. At this point though at least I'm not dropping significantly like before.

I also started rolling my salt bucket around to get it mixed well... I think that will definitely help to make sure the mixture is more consistent. I refill the bucket from the 25 gallon bags that come in the box so it shouldn't really be too settled, but hey you never know... We'll see how the last batch of SW comes out.

 

[Moneymaks24]

Theres no "sludge" when u mix Kalk w Vinegar. Therea a good video from a chemistry guy on utube. Much cheaper n easier imo. Good luck