Low alk and a plan?

[apexseeking]

The raw data:

Salinity :1.026
Ph: 8.52
Alk: 4.7
Calc: 457
Nitrate:0.7
Phos:0.0

All tested with Hanna checkers.

My plan was to start dosing a little nitrate since my nitrate was at 0 and my ph was at .03 but after getting my nitrate up my pho4 bottomed out.

Also, I have some All for Reef powder and a doser on the way so I can begin addressing the Alk.

I’m using tropic Marin coral pro. The system is a 3 yo 150g (100gal display) that’s been mostly a fowlr. I was waiting to address a huge algae out break before I dumped in a bunch of coral. This summer I hit it hard, algae is almost completely gone and I added some frags. The few corals I have had for awhile are begining to get large but only one is an lps.

The tank is stocked with mixed lps and softies. The alk wasn’t getting tested because my checker died and I didn’t have enough coral that I thought I should have any issues. When I got the checker last week, I didn’t think the numbers were right so I checked it over the entire week and got nearly identical results.

Despite the results, everything is growing and happy. Color seems good to me. I don’t want to chase numbers but I also don’t want to ride a thin line for success.

My question is, is dosing all for reef to get the alk up a good plan? Also, should I continue dosing nitrate to get some nutrients in the water despite the phosphate reading 0? Or should I take a different approach? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[reefsaver]

Yeah you can use all-for-reef to raise Alk but I prefer 3 part with Mag, Cal and dKH all separate because usually my Mg and Cal are in the right levels but my Alk fluctuates heavily so I dose slightly more Alk to compensate

 

[Red_Beard]

Hard to say. But, they do state on the container that you should get your paramerers where you want them prior to use, and use AFR to maintain them. I would think it a better option to do just that, through 3 part dosing, trace addition, and water changes before using the AFR for ongoing maintenance.

 

[VintageReefer]

No. All for reef is for small adjustments

Fix alk alone then start using all for reef

 

[Red_Beard]

Also, looking at your numbers, you have high calcium currently. AFR will keep adding to that and not help bring it down. Were it me, i would dose some soda ash over a couple weeks to slowly bring the Alk back up to 7 ish. And continue either waterchanges or letting coral consumption bring the Cal back in range before starting the AFR.
Use salifert alk tests for daily(cheap and fast and pretty accurate) and the hanna to spot check.
Yes softies and lps need higher po4 and no3, keep dosing aim for like 2 ppm no3 and dose until your food input can keep up. Maybe add a fish or two to help.

 

[VintageReefer]

You can safely increase alk 1dkh per day without stressing things. Do monitor though and slow down if needed

I use regular baking soda. There are calculators online. For me, 1 tsp baking soda will raise my tank .4dkh. I take 1 - 2 tsp, mix in a cup of filtered water then pour in. Next day my tank is .4-.8 dkh higher.

 

[apexseeking]

Thanks for all the info!

I started dosing a little baking soda yesterday and got a good response. It went from 4.6 to 5.7. I won’t go that high that fast any more, but now I have a system.

Again thanks!

I did start feeding twice a day to up the nutrients. I’ll stay on testing and see how that goes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I know you have started to use baking soda and that’s a fine way to go, but AFR would also have been fine for this purpose.

 

[bobnicaragua]

I know you have started to use baking soda and that’s a fine way to go, but AFR would also have been fine for this purpose.

Randy,
I tried all for reef for a while. It works to hold your parameters, but calcium spikes when you raise your alk with it. I hit 500 calcium.

 

[apexseeking]

The whole “chemistry” portion of reef keeping is pretty new to me, so please bear with me. But why would higher calcium be bad? Isn’t it simply an abundance of skeletal building material that’s available for corals to take in and grow?

 

[bobnicaragua]

The whole “chemistry” portion of reef keeping is pretty new to me, so please bear with me. But why would higher calcium be bad? Isn’t it simply an abundance of skeletal building material that’s available for corals to take in and grow?

You want to keep everything in the proper range. Too much of anything can be bad.

48 ounces of beer at a ball game is probably going to end just fine.

48 ounces of vodka and things probably aren’t going to go your way!

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

The alk is pretty suspect. Hanna, I think, only has a dkh measurement and 4.7 sent sound right to me. I would double check that with a different kit like salifert or have someone else (lfs or fellow reefer) that can test it to compare.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy,
I tried all for reef for a while. It works to hold your parameters, but calcium spikes when you raise your alk with it. I hit 500 calcium.

I understand the calcium rise, but 500 ppm is fine, and the op wouldn’t hit 500 ppm if he used AFR to boost alk by 3 dKH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The whole “chemistry” portion of reef keeping is pretty new to me, so please bear with me. But why would higher calcium be bad? Isn’t it simply an abundance of skeletal building material that’s available for corals to take in and grow?

Generally, high calcium isn’t an issue. I recommend 400-550 ppm, and the concern with higher levels than that would be mostly precipitation of calcium carbonate.

 

[apexseeking]

Got a salifert kit to compare against my Hanna checker. Both are using new, fresh reagents.

The Hanna checker tested out at 5.9.
The salifert tested at 5.1.

I was expecting around 6.5 since I started dosing baking soda slowly over the last week but I’ve been going conservative so the 5.9 doesn’t surprise me. The 5.1 was a bit low, but I feel like there’s so much margins for error with reading colors.

I’ve failed to mention, I’m color blind.

I did test it twice until I saw some change and both times it read 5.1. Either way, it’s fine. I’ll probably continue to test both kits for a little while to see if the difference is consistent or if it’s my shortcomings skewing the results.

I do feel good about the direction the DKH is headed, though.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Got a salifert kit to compare against my Hanna checker. Both are using new, fresh reagents.

The Hanna checker tested out at 5.9.
The salifert tested at 5.1.

I was expecting around 6.5 since I started dosing baking soda slowly over the last week but I’ve been going conservative so the 5.9 doesn’t surprise me. The 5.1 was a bit low, but I feel like there’s so much margins for error with reading colors.

I’ve failed to mention, I’m color blind.

I did test it twice until I saw some change and both times it read 5.1. Either way, it’s fine. I’ll probably continue to test both kits for a little while to see if the difference is consistent or if it’s my shortcomings skewing the results.

I do feel good about the direction the DKH is headed, though.

If I remember correctly the Salifert syringe scale is odd. Backwards, I think. So, .48 vs .52 depending on how you look at it if that makes any sense. I could be misremembering….I tend to do that a lot. Hanna is perfect if you’re color blind. They work for me and I can’t read the display, I use Ai on my phone to read the display aloud for me.

Edit. Also, 5.1 vs 5.9 is probably well within the accuracy limitations of these kits

 

[PharmrJohn]

Generally, high calcium isn’t an issue. I recommend 400-550 ppm, and the concern with higher levels than that would be mostly precipitation of calcium carbonate.

Out of curiosity, what would be the factor that would tip it over the edge and cause precipitation?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Out of curiosity, what would be the factor that would tip it over the edge and cause precipitation?

Higher alk and pH contribute a lot, and a triggering event such as adding coral snow or any other bare calcium carbonate could trigger it.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Higher alk and pH contribute a lot, and a triggering event such as adding coral snow or any other bare calcium carbonate could trigger it.

Excellent! Thanks, man.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You’re welcome.

Happy Reefing!