alk keeps dropping off

njhadfield · 03/24/2011, 09:00 PM

I check my alk every other day and I am using 2 part dosing. My calcium is steady at 480ppm even when I do a 10% water change and ph is at 8.2 but my alk, I am lucky to get it to 9dkh. Every other day when I test it, it will fall to 6dkh. I have about 80 pounds of live rock and 3 sps corals and 5 softies. I can't believe between the corals and live rock it could be sucking that much alk out of the system.
With the 2 part calcium/alk I am dosing 35ml every other day and I can't fathem that this is appropriate. I used to us a cal reactor but it was very hard to keep the cal/alk at a lower level...{cal500'alk 13dkh} so I put it away. Is there a buffer or maybe a powder that I could use to put in my ro/di holding tank that when I add water it would be adding alk to the system, or is there something that I am forgetting?

I am currently using Reef Code part a/b calcium/alk mix

karsseboom · 03/24/2011, 09:13 PM

im using lime water to try an maintain my alk still having a hard time though. have you checked your mag? after checking my mag it was kinda low so i bumped it up.

njhadfield · 03/24/2011, 09:32 PM

yeah. my mag is 1500ppm

karsseboom · 03/24/2011, 10:14 PM

well losing that much alk is normal and you should not worry. if your mag is high then your tanks just using it up.

njhadfield · 03/24/2011, 10:17 PM

really, with just so few corals?

karsseboom · 03/24/2011, 10:27 PM

coralline algae uses up a lot too.

saltjohnswharf · 03/24/2011, 10:53 PM

Stop dosing and change water more often. Once you increase your calcium craving SPS corals then break out the reactor again.

Read this: http://wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm

Specifically, for those that don't want to read all of it, this part:

"The Marble Analogy

Fact: it is only possible to dissolve so many solids into a given volume of water (calcium, carbonates, and everything else). At the risk of oversimplifying the dynamic, imagine a bowl that holds one hundred marbles representing the total dissolved solids in seawater in a given system. If red marbles represented calcium, and blue marbles represented carbonates (alkalinity), the bowl can still only hold one hundred marbles no matter what mix of color they are. Now, if seventy marbles were the equivalent of 400-ppm calcium and the remaining marbles were blue, the only way to increase calcium would be to displace alkalinity (to remove blue marbles). In troubled systems, the misapplication of calcium supplements (dosing suddenly or to excess) is known to cause a sudden precipitation of carbonates (the alkalinity falls/crashes) that is commonly referred to as a 'snowstorm'." Anthony Calfo

Using the two part supplements this does not seem to make sense for you. But the science is simple. With 480 PPM calc you are probably ODing on calcium and not giving quite enough ALK.

Good luck

njhadfield · 03/25/2011, 12:12 AM

I completly understand, the only thing is, I have't put any extra cal into the tank for about 3 weeks and the cal has been stable. No increase or decrease. I do have about 4 inches of sand incase I purchased a jaw fish or any thing else that would dig for the base and I know that sand will produce calcium.

saltjohnswharf · 03/25/2011, 09:31 AM

Sand will buffer calcium. As it breaks down over YEARS it will add trace amounts of calcium. Are you using powder to buffer alk or liquid? Get another test kit and pick up some Seachem Reef Builder.

What test kit are you using by the way?

njhadfield · 03/25/2011, 09:47 AM

I am using liquid alk.

saltjohnswharf · 03/25/2011, 09:53 AM

Use the powder form. Does a lot better job of building ALK.

03/24/2011, 09:00 PM	#1
njhadfield Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: redmond oregon Posts: 50	alk keeps dropping off I check my alk every other day and I am using 2 part dosing. My calcium is steady at 480ppm even when I do a 10% water change and ph is at 8.2 but my alk, I am lucky to get it to 9dkh. Every other day when I test it, it will fall to 6dkh. I have about 80 pounds of live rock and 3 sps corals and 5 softies. I can't believe between the corals and live rock it could be sucking that much alk out of the system. With the 2 part calcium/alk I am dosing 35ml every other day and I can't fathem that this is appropriate. I used to us a cal reactor but it was very hard to keep the cal/alk at a lower level...{cal500'alk 13dkh} so I put it away. Is there a buffer or maybe a powder that I could use to put in my ro/di holding tank that when I add water it would be adding alk to the system, or is there something that I am forgetting? I am currently using Reef Code part a/b calcium/alk mix __________________ Nathan Hadfield Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef tank

03/24/2011, 09:32 PM	#3
njhadfield Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: redmond oregon Posts: 50	yeah. my mag is 1500ppm __________________ Nathan Hadfield Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef tank

03/24/2011, 10:17 PM	#5
njhadfield Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: redmond oregon Posts: 50	really, with just so few corals? __________________ Nathan Hadfield Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef tank

03/24/2011, 10:53 PM	#7
saltjohnswharf Conscientious Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Carmichael, CA Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	Stop dosing and change water more often. Once you increase your calcium craving SPS corals then break out the reactor again. Read this: http://wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm Specifically, for those that don't want to read all of it, this part: "The Marble Analogy Fact: it is only possible to dissolve so many solids into a given volume of water (calcium, carbonates, and everything else). At the risk of oversimplifying the dynamic, imagine a bowl that holds one hundred marbles representing the total dissolved solids in seawater in a given system. If red marbles represented calcium, and blue marbles represented carbonates (alkalinity), the bowl can still only hold one hundred marbles no matter what mix of color they are. Now, if seventy marbles were the equivalent of 400-ppm calcium and the remaining marbles were blue, the only way to increase calcium would be to displace alkalinity (to remove blue marbles). In troubled systems, the misapplication of calcium supplements (dosing suddenly or to excess) is known to cause a sudden precipitation of carbonates (the alkalinity falls/crashes) that is commonly referred to as a 'snowstorm'." Anthony Calfo Using the two part supplements this does not seem to make sense for you. But the science is simple. With 480 PPM calc you are probably ODing on calcium and not giving quite enough ALK. Good luck __________________ If you had to live the rest of your life in an aquarium what would your minimum tank size be? Think before you buy Current Tank Info: 27 gallon Dying Reef Biotope

03/25/2011, 12:12 AM	#8
njhadfield Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: redmond oregon Posts: 50	I completly understand, the only thing is, I have't put any extra cal into the tank for about 3 weeks and the cal has been stable. No increase or decrease. I do have about 4 inches of sand incase I purchased a jaw fish or any thing else that would dig for the base and I know that sand will produce calcium. __________________ Nathan Hadfield Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef tank

03/24/2011, 09:13 PM	#2
karsseboom Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2,183	im using lime water to try an maintain my alk still having a hard time though. have you checked your mag? after checking my mag it was kinda low so i bumped it up.

03/24/2011, 10:14 PM	#4
karsseboom Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2,183	well losing that much alk is normal and you should not worry. if your mag is high then your tanks just using it up.

03/24/2011, 10:27 PM	#6
karsseboom Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 2,183	coralline algae uses up a lot too.

03/25/2011, 09:31 AM	#9
saltjohnswharf Conscientious Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Carmichael, CA Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	Sand will buffer calcium. As it breaks down over YEARS it will add trace amounts of calcium. Are you using powder to buffer alk or liquid? Get another test kit and pick up some Seachem Reef Builder. What test kit are you using by the way? __________________ If you had to live the rest of your life in an aquarium what would your minimum tank size be? Think before you buy Current Tank Info: 27 gallon Dying Reef Biotope

03/25/2011, 09:47 AM	#10
njhadfield Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: redmond oregon Posts: 50	I am using liquid alk. __________________ Nathan Hadfield Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef tank

03/25/2011, 09:53 AM	#11
saltjohnswharf Conscientious Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Carmichael, CA Posts: 524 Blog Entries: 1	Use the powder form. Does a lot better job of building ALK. __________________ If you had to live the rest of your life in an aquarium what would your minimum tank size be? Think before you buy Current Tank Info: 27 gallon Dying Reef Biotope

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