Alkalinity ?

[zip70]

Hello Reef Keepers,
I have a general question about Alkalinity. What is in the tank causing the Alk getting too low? Let's say 106 ppm or 6.0 dKH. Tank was set up 6 months ago. Only a few soft corals for now. All fish are healthy.
pH = 8.1 - 8.2
Salinity = 35ppt
Ca = 450 ppm
Thank you

 

[NanaReefer]

What test kit are you using?

 

[user 26995]

It could just be the salt you are using.
Have you checked your fresh mixed saltwater?
I know the saltmix I am using has a low alkalinity level.
Do you have any coraline algae? It is a bigg user of calc and alk.

Here are a couple good articles on calcium and alkalinity
The how to guide
Calcium and Alkalinity by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[senji]

i would check magnesium and do a large water change your calcium is a lil high for alk levels

 

[MAC2]

Test kits can go bad, or like what happened to me once-you purchase it from the store and it is already bad. You might want to have your local fish store test the water as well to confirm your results.

 

[zip70]

I am using Hanna Alk checker (always double check the reading, tested twice everytime). Red Sea Coral Pro for salt. After I mixed my salt and measuring 170 ppm or 9.0 dKH before I change water. so I know my salt mix is good. it should be something in the tank causing that. But I do not know yet. I m still looking for the answer.
Again, thank you for all replies.
zip70

 

[kpiotrowski]

all biological procces in your tank uses alk from bacteria on up. fish only tanks uses alk....freshwater uses alk. you should be testing and dosing regularly. i dose several times daily with dosing pump and tested every few days until I knew what my sytem needed and now test a few times a month.

 

[Mike2112]

It could just be the salt you are using.
Have you checked your fresh mixed saltwater?
I know the saltmix I am using has a low alkalinity level.
Do you have any coraline algae? It is a bigg user of calc and alk.

Here are a couple good articles on calcium and alkalinity
The how to guide
Calcium and Alkalinity by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Those were some good articles IPisces. Eventhough I am not starting out with a reef tank, there was some good information in them...Thanks for the links.
-Mike

 

[kpiotrowski]

i would check magnesium and do a large water change your calcium is a lil high for alk levels

please explain how this is true? I beg to differ.

 

[aaron1987]

I always had a higher rate of Alk consumption in my tanks than calcium but never was able to really isolate the precise cause, just dosed it back up to where I wanted it though nothing ever really reacted poorly to it being a bit low. IPisces links are some great reference material.

 

[zip70]

I always had a higher rate of Alk consumption in my tanks than calcium but never was able to really isolate the precise cause, just dosed it back up to where I wanted it though nothing ever really reacted poorly to it being a bit low. IPisces links are some great reference material.

Thank you, I know if the Alk is low, just dose it and eventually it will come up. But again, I would like to know the cause, so I can prevent it and I dont have to buy Alk supplements. I heard corals consume Ca and Alk. But in my case, they only used Alk not Ca. It does not make any sense. Any other Experts?

 

[aaron1987]

I don't recall the specifics but they don't actually consume alk and Ca in a 1:1 manner so depending on a whole lot of chemistry I only kind of understand and where your parameters are, it's entirely likely that your water changes replenish Ca satisfactorily but not Alk.

 

[kpiotrowski]

I already explained that you will always have to dose alk.....its is always being consumed! Please read the links already posted here

 

[kpiotrowski]

here is a paragraph from one of the articles that should have been read.


For these reasons, alkalinity maintenance is a critical aspect of coral reef aquarium husbandry. In the absence of supplementation, alkalinity will rapidly drop as corals use up much of what is present in seawater. Most reef aquarists try to maintain alkalinity levels at or slightly above those of normal seawater, although exactly what levels different aquarists target depends a bit on the goals of their aquaria. Those wanting the most rapid skeletal growth, for example, often push alkalinity to higher levels. I suggest that aquarists maintain alkalinity between about 2.5 and 4 meq/L (7-11 dKH, 125-200 ppm CaCO[SUB]3[/SUB] equivalents), although higher levels may be acceptable as long as they do not depress the calcium level.

 

[zip70]

here is a paragraph from one of the articles that should have been read.


For these reasons, alkalinity maintenance is a critical aspect of coral reef aquarium husbandry. In the absence of supplementation, alkalinity will rapidly drop as corals use up much of what is present in seawater. Most reef aquarists try to maintain alkalinity levels at or slightly above those of normal seawater, although exactly what levels different aquarists target depends a bit on the goals of their aquaria. Those wanting the most rapid skeletal growth, for example, often push alkalinity to higher levels. I suggest that aquarists maintain alkalinity between about 2.5 and 4 meq/L (7-11 dKH, 125-200 ppm CaCO[SUB]3[/SUB] equivalents), although higher levels may be acceptable as long as they do not depress the calcium level.

Thank you Kevin
I read the article too. what about why my Ca is too high if compare with Alk. It's telling me that all my corals and fish only consumed Alk not Ca? if you can explain why my Ca is still high, then I will buy you a good lunch.

 

[kpiotrowski]

Your calcium is not too high. some shoot for 450ppm. I am at 450. I would be ok with 420 to 500 with no alarm. Your tank should be consuming calcium even if only for coraline. If you are not dosing calcium then it is getting it from somewhere...water changes perhaps. some reef salt mixes are very high in calcium like kent I belive is over 500ppm.

Bottom line though is you here alot of talk about calcium...but alkalinity should come first! if one was to monitor and controll nothing but water changes and temp, then alk comes before calcium. without it corals can't use calcium....and with that my freind..the answer to your question, comes my lunch. the Ram perhaps?

If the question is why does your tank uses too much alk, there are other answers ( a highly stocked and or overfed tank for example). But since you are not dosing you don't know if thats a prob. in my 175g of mostly sps I dose about 120ml of brs brand alk daily via dosing pump. in my 65g mostly softy tank I dose about 30ml daily

 

[kpiotrowski]

Btw, get a box of arm and hammer baking soda and spread it on a sheet pan and bake at 300 for an hour. let it cool and bag it up. its the same stuff BRS sells in bulk. there is your cheap alk. I would try .5 to 1 teaspoon for 20g of water and test for affect. you can mix with rodi or sprinkle in sump.

 

[blk822822]

I used to use arm and hammer baking soda. Don't use baking powder. I never baked my arm in hammer soda just mixed it with ro/di and dosed it and it worked well. I also used to use Pickling lime for cal. Mixed it with ro/di and let the powder settle then dosed the clear liquid off the top, like kalkwasser . And my corals thrived and grew well.

Do you have a refuge? And how many fish do tou have? Have you had the Hanna tester calibrated?

 

[kpiotrowski]

in most cases you need to bake off the c02 unless you are worried about raising ph to high. not baked will lower ph and is unstable.