Phosphate = 0.12 (Hanna)
Ammonia = 0 (API)
Nitrate = 0 (API)
Nitrite = 0 (API)
I’m having trouble getting my alkalinity above 8 without increasing PH. My tank is about 8 months old and I have the following equipment (trying to build for SPS dominated mixed reef):
- Innovative Marine INT 112 Lagoon - DIMS: 35.4” x 35.4” x 19.7"
- 2x XR30 Pro Lights G6 - set to 60%
- 2x MP40 - set to 75%
- Coralife Turbo-Twist UV Fish Tank Sterilizer 6X, Up to 250 Gallons
- PaxBellum N24
- Red Sea Skimmer 300
- JBJ Arctica 1/3hp chiller
- 30g Trigger Systems sump (CRYS30S)
- about 75lbs marco dry rock (starting to encrust)
- I've added pod populations and have been feeding Reef Roids and phyto daily.
- I have a powder blue tang, a blue eyed tang and one clown fish (I had more fish but they caught a nasty virus that killed many overnight--the survivors made it through QT)
I'm currently dosing Two Little Fishies ATLCB4B C-Balance (A&B) 16ml per day, two hours apart. Part A is dosed between 17:00 and 21:00 and Part B is dosed between 00:00 and 05:00. I've had to use soda water to lower PH a few times and it works temporarily, but I can't seem to get ALK over 8.
I currently have only a 4 SPS frags in my tank and a couple of LPS frags, so I don't think the demands are necessarily high. However, I did lose a few frags and given the parameters I just can't explain why.
1. Can you give me advise on how to increase ALK without increasing PH (specific products I could use and in what quantities and intervals)?
2. Do you see anything in my current parameters that would explain past coral RTN?
Thanks in advance!