Alk going up without dosing.

[rahger]

Hi there. I was having/am having a problem with my alk increasing without dosing anything except KZ amino acids, CV, pohls extra, ab+, and phyto that I am culturing myself.
I noticed the trend of increasing alkalinity thanks to my trident. I stopped dosing everything did a 20% water change that that stopped everything. Alk is now starting to fall slowly, about .2 per day.

Could any of those additives be adding nitrate which is causing my alk to climb? I think the phyto is the most likely. I’m using hydro algal fertilizer from Mercer of Montana. Which is Guillard f/2.
Thanks for any insight.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I don't know if this will help...

The Ways Alkalinity can Accumulate in a Reef Tank

The Ways Alkalinity can Accumulate in a Reef Tank @Miami Reef "Why is my alkalinity rising?" is a seemingly simple question that consistently pops up in the chemistry section of Reef2Reef. However, it is a complex question since there are...

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[rahger]

Thanks but I don’t think any of that really applies.

 

[radfly]

Have you checked salinity?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It would be useful to know the alk, and the alk if any new salt water used fir heater changes. What is Cv?

Amino acids can add alk, depending on how they are formulated.

Most kz formulations are secret, so you are at their mercy.

Do you use tap water

 

[rahger]

It would be useful to know the alk, and the alk if any new salt water used fir heater changes. What is Cv?

Amino acids can add alk, depending on how they are formulated.

Most kz formulations are secret, so you are at their mercy.

Do you use tap water

Thanks for the reply Randy!!

alk when I set up the trident was right at 7.7 which is what my salt mixes to (Brightwell NeoMarine mixes to 7.0-7.5 IIRC). I tested the tank (7.7) then fresh mixed saltwater (7.3) a few weeks ago but haven’t tested new SW since.

Once I started dosing everything alk started climbing and didn’t stop until I did a 20g water change and stopped all additives.

CV is KZ’s coral vitalizer. I’ve always used those three additives since 2016 and never had an issue. I don’t use tap water. 5 stage RODI from BRS.

I just started adding the additives one at a time and can rule out AB+ and the KZ amino acid concentrate. Neither have had an effect on alk in 3 days. Previously alk would climb 0.1-0.2 ever six hours (which is what the trident is programmed to test). I haven’t calibrate the trident, mostly out of fear, but the tests seem to have a logical trend IMO.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, some of these devices start to give wonky results when reagent is getting low. Check that possibility.

CV might be formulated with a small alk component, but I do not know the recipe.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Tank pictures?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Declining nitrate boosts alk, as can slow and steady dissolution of sand.

 

[rahger]

FWIW, some of these devices start to give wonky results when reagent is getting low. Check that possibility.

CV might be formulated with a small alk component, but I do not know the recipe.

Reagent is 70% or so.

Would any of the fertilizer from my phyto culture effect alk?
My phosphate is 0.07 and nitrate is undetectable.

 

[rahger]

Have you checked salinity?

1.026 just calibrated the refract too.

 

[rahger]

Tank pictures?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Reagent is 70% or so.

Would any of the fertilizer from my phyto culture effect alk?
My phosphate is 0.07 and nitrate is undetectable.

If you are dosing nitrate (such as residual in the phyto), that will boost alk.

 

[rahger]

If you are dosing nitrate (such as residual in the phyto), that will boost alk.

That seems like a lot of alk increase from dosing 50mL of phyto. How come I don’t see this happening to others? Or how come it’s never happened before? Should i get a new fertilizer or adjust how much I’m using?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That seems like a lot of alk increase from dosing 50mL of phyto. How come I don’t see this happening to others? Or how come it’s never happened before? Should i get a new fertilizer or adjust how much I’m using?

Unless there's a lot of nitrate in it, its not likely it.

Have you ever measured residual nitrate in it?

To get a 0.1 dKH boost, it would need to boost the tank by 2 ppm nitrate.

 

[rahger]

Unless there's a lot of nitrate in it, its not likely it.

Have you ever measured residual nitrate in it?

To get a 0.1 dKH boost, it would need to boost the tank by 2 ppm nitrate.

Is there a good way to do that? I only have the Hanna nitrate HR checker

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is there a good way to do that? I only have the Hanna nitrate HR checker

How much of what nitrogen sources do you put into the phyto?

 

[rahger]

How much of what nitrogen sources do you put into the phyto?

I’m using guillard’s f/2 fertilizer. From Mercer Montana
After 2 weeks I split the culture in 1/2 refill with freshly mixed saltwater then add 4mL of the f/2.

 

[rahger]

Update. I stopped dosing everything except pellets and frozen fish foods.
Alk is still climbing. Sent water to ATI and the ICP for alk was within 0.02 of the trident. so i'm assuming the trident is accurate showing the climb.

ATI recommended upping my iodine but that was the only thing out of the recommended range.

it climbs about 0.1 every two days. until water change day then it goes back down.
water change mixes to 7.3-7.5 which takes alk from 8.7 to 8.0ish.

i dk what to do.

 

[reefluvrr]

Could some alkalinity solution be inadvertently being dripped into your main tank from the trident system?
I never owned and don't know how a trident operate, but know that anything mechanical should be periodically checked and tuned up.

Maybe your phosphate level are creeping up and it could slow your alk consumption in your tank?