Alkalinity level at 8.9 no corals

[evoIX_Reefer]

Good evening everyone,

I have a quick question. I just added very small amount of corals maybe a day or two ago. Just did a 5% water change yesterday.

My alkalinity just tested from a brand new just opening Salifert Alk test kit. Expiration of 11-2022.

I started tank with Red Sea Coral Pro and then switched to IO. I picked up the IO buckets after receiving the Red Sea so that's why I used it initially.

Either way, the baseline parameters show ALK should be closer to 12 for Red Sea Coral Pro and 11 for IO.

I have not skipped a beat in doing weekly 5gallon water changes in a 95gallon system.

Tank is a few days short of 1 month old. Fish recently went in and don't think they eat up ALK but shouldn't I have been closer to the baseline of IO/Red Sea?

Just confused at how alk was depleted in a FOWLR tank?

Thank you,
Mike

 

[SI REEF]

What is your specific gravity and what did you use to test that

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Since I've been reading up on ALK monitoring tools. I assume pH has a direct relation to alk. My pH monitor came online about a week ago.

It initially hovered around 8.1 then dropped to 7.8-7.9 at night. Hasnt hit over 8.1 since.

I just added my chaeto reactor so I have it running at non peak times of the display ~18 hours a night. It hasn't helped my pH stabilize any better. I also crack the window next to it to give it fresh air to see if it would make a difference. Nothing.

I may try to add more surface agitation but it would cause a lot of gph from the maxspects.

I figured I should add as much info as possible.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

I just tested with my refractometer at 1.025. It was calibrated using calibration fluid so I am pretty confident in it.

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

I guess tanks even with 0 coral will eat up alk. Multiple individuals had the same type of baffling question.

 

[Donewiththisplace]

Yeah ph and kh are related...ive noticed a lower ph brings down my kh. I also have a hard time keeping the ph up and chaeto was going to be my next venture.

As u start adding corals see how they react. If your kh is at 9 and their ok..leave it be.

Do you use a 2 part?

 

[Wondering]

Fowlr depletes carbonate when ammonia is converted into nitrate. As nitrate is produced there?s an excess hydrogen produced which consumes carbonate so you do lose carbonate without corals. Also there are other reasons you could lose carbonate and calcium, such as abiotic precipitation, coralline formation, snails and other inverts use it for their skeletons, etc.
Are you running a skimmer? It would help with aeration and should increase your ph

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

I just added a few starter sps frags to grow out for testing. I havent needed to dose. My doser is on the stand next to my tank waiting to be setup.

I run an oversized skimmer. RO 2000int with bubbleblaster that produces great amount of foam/skimmate.

I just raised one gyre to agitate the surface more and really didnt help much. I set opened my door and opened up the window all the way to see if i could force increase pH and still being stubborn.

My kids were home along with me so no idea if they are breathing too heavy.

My house is pretty open concept so the air circulation is throughout the first floor leading upto the second floor right in the middle of the house. Cape style.

Next i will use a toms aqualifter or airpump to see if i force air from outside the house it increase. Just trying to see if it is the house gases causing it.

 

[Wondering]

It?s easy to see if your house has high co2. Just take a sample of tank water outside for a few minutes and agitate it for a while and see if the ph is higher than inside the house

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

My pH monitor is connected to an apex.

looks like there is a good option for hanna portable monitor but I just spent another $$ on unexpected need for gfo and a new set of RO/DI filters since it is taring through my DI. I assume my carbon filters are already going. I already replaced sediment (since I had extra) and keep a few bags of DI.

Either way, it isn't something that isn't a high priority for pH and alk is within spec. Going to do another round of testing. Just got my CA, MG in.

Getting baseline stats before anything goes in. Keep it stable for a few weeks, prep doser and finally start the coral fun.

Either way, I did find multiple people state they had the same experience. Others chimed in on the RC site stating it's normal and other organisms in the tank eat up alk. Most people state coraline takes up most of theirs. I currently have none so it wasn't that.