Alk problem.

crab0000 · 07/11/2009, 09:33 AM

It seems my doser had a problem last night and drained half my alk. container overnight. I just checked alk. and it was 24.5 on an API test kit! Everything looks okay right now. SPS and other corals are polyped out and clam looks fine. I have some change water almost ready, but would it be better to let the alk. come down slowly on it own? Would it be more stressful to do a large water change effecting another large alk. swing in less that 24 hours? I also turned the lights off and thought I'd leave them off for a few days. I though this would lessen the stress on the coral. Does this sound like sound reasoning? Thanks for any help!

sanababit · 07/11/2009, 09:45 AM

well everyone will tell you to do a water change ASAP, heck i would recomend it, but your statements make sense, why submit them to another large alk swing, IMO this hobby is by experiences and monitoring, if you see no stress out of your fish and corals then let it come down on its own, now about the lights, i couldnt imagine by turning the lights off for a couple of days would help, i believe that when the lights are on that is when the corals use alk to start building their skeleton so i would recommend to have your normal photoperiod, good luck

sana

crab0000 · 07/11/2009, 09:57 AM

Thanks! That makes sense about the lights, so I'll try it and see!

crab0000 · 07/11/2009, 10:30 AM

Also, I'm assuming I should leave the calcium side of the doser running? I would think I need to keep it as steady as possible to keep from shocking the corals any more? I'm wondering how accurate my test results are too. I'm not sure if it's accurate once you get that high?

downhillbiker · 07/11/2009, 10:37 AM

Yes, leave ca running, as normal. Alk is more dangerous if changed fast. IMO you should do a smaller water change, then another tomorrow. Once it gets down to around 15-16 let it come down naturally. I had really high Alk before, and Randy Holmes Farley told me to let it come down naturally. Just dose Ca. And if everything looks ok, you will be fine. Just dont shock them.

crab0000 · 07/11/2009, 11:02 AM

Will do, thanks!

crab0000 · 07/14/2009, 07:48 AM

Well, it's down to 15 today and everything looks no worse for wear, so hopefully in a few days it'll all be put behind me!

sanababit · 07/14/2009, 08:27 AM

just be patient, lol, good to hear everything is ok

sana

crab0000 · 07/14/2009, 11:00 AM

Thanks! I'm getting pretty good at being patient.

downhillbiker · 07/14/2009, 11:10 AM

So you are down to 15 good. Just dose calcium only over the next few days/weeks, depending on how long it takes. When your dKH gets down to your desired number, start it back up, you will see no problems whatsoever. Glad you handled this the right way. Good work.

crab0000 · 07/14/2009, 01:23 PM

Thanks! I just put the Alk. dosing line into a container to catch it and have left the calcium running like normal. At this rate it'll just be a few more days until I'm back down to my regular level (9).

07/11/2009, 09:33 AM	#1
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Alk problem. It seems my doser had a problem last night and drained half my alk. container overnight. I just checked alk. and it was 24.5 on an API test kit! Everything looks okay right now. SPS and other corals are polyped out and clam looks fine. I have some change water almost ready, but would it be better to let the alk. come down slowly on it own? Would it be more stressful to do a large water change effecting another large alk. swing in less that 24 hours? I also turned the lights off and thought I'd leave them off for a few days. I though this would lessen the stress on the coral. Does this sound like sound reasoning? Thanks for any help!

07/11/2009, 09:45 AM	#2
sanababit Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Uranus Posts: 3,094	well everyone will tell you to do a water change ASAP, heck i would recomend it, but your statements make sense, why submit them to another large alk swing, IMO this hobby is by experiences and monitoring, if you see no stress out of your fish and corals then let it come down on its own, now about the lights, i couldnt imagine by turning the lights off for a couple of days would help, i believe that when the lights are on that is when the corals use alk to start building their skeleton so i would recommend to have your normal photoperiod, good luck sana __________________ Senior Member of the "Hardly any Water Changes, Temp Swinging, T5ing, No Qtining, Frag Exchanging for Fish Food Current Tank Info: 90RR inwall, Octopuss Skimmer, 2 MP40 wQD, 1 MP10 WQD, 2 Radions G4 Pro, Apex Doser, Apex Controller, 400w heater, 30 Gal Sump, Biopellets, Carbon, Gfo, Macroalgae

07/11/2009, 10:37 AM	#5
downhillbiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 2,831	Yes, leave ca running, as normal. Alk is more dangerous if changed fast. IMO you should do a smaller water change, then another tomorrow. Once it gets down to around 15-16 let it come down naturally. I had really high Alk before, and Randy Holmes Farley told me to let it come down naturally. Just dose Ca. And if everything looks ok, you will be fine. Just dont shock them. __________________ The friendliest GIANT you'll ever meet. Current Tank Info: 200g Marineland Deep Dimension (Lumenmax Reflectors/Dual PFO 400w/Radium 20K) and 2xFrag Tanks (One TEK T5 fixture and one MH, Galaxy/Phoenix) on same system w/100g sump w/6"x100g DSB, AquaC EV-1000 Skimmer, Reeflo Barracuda return pump

07/14/2009, 08:27 AM	#8
sanababit Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Uranus Posts: 3,094	just be patient, lol, good to hear everything is ok sana __________________ Senior Member of the "Hardly any Water Changes, Temp Swinging, T5ing, No Qtining, Frag Exchanging for Fish Food Current Tank Info: 90RR inwall, Octopuss Skimmer, 2 MP40 wQD, 1 MP10 WQD, 2 Radions G4 Pro, Apex Doser, Apex Controller, 400w heater, 30 Gal Sump, Biopellets, Carbon, Gfo, Macroalgae

07/14/2009, 11:10 AM	#10
downhillbiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 2,831	So you are down to 15 good. Just dose calcium only over the next few days/weeks, depending on how long it takes. When your dKH gets down to your desired number, start it back up, you will see no problems whatsoever. Glad you handled this the right way. Good work. __________________ The friendliest GIANT you'll ever meet. Current Tank Info: 200g Marineland Deep Dimension (Lumenmax Reflectors/Dual PFO 400w/Radium 20K) and 2xFrag Tanks (One TEK T5 fixture and one MH, Galaxy/Phoenix) on same system w/100g sump w/6"x100g DSB, AquaC EV-1000 Skimmer, Reeflo Barracuda return pump

07/11/2009, 09:57 AM	#3
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Thanks! That makes sense about the lights, so I'll try it and see!

07/11/2009, 10:30 AM	#4
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Also, I'm assuming I should leave the calcium side of the doser running? I would think I need to keep it as steady as possible to keep from shocking the corals any more? I'm wondering how accurate my test results are too. I'm not sure if it's accurate once you get that high?

07/11/2009, 11:02 AM	#6
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Will do, thanks!

07/14/2009, 07:48 AM	#7
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Well, it's down to 15 today and everything looks no worse for wear, so hopefully in a few days it'll all be put behind me!

07/14/2009, 11:00 AM	#9
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Thanks! I'm getting pretty good at being patient.

07/14/2009, 01:23 PM	#11
crab0000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Jasper,GA Posts: 2,801	Thanks! I just put the Alk. dosing line into a container to catch it and have left the calcium running like normal. At this rate it'll just be a few more days until I'm back down to my regular level (9).