Hello, so I don’t remember when I restarted my tank but it’s been over month, but in last few weeks I added bunch my old corals and few acro frags plus acro colony. All these corals been in my tanks for weeks now. Frogs, hammers, zoas, dragon soul favia colony and among other corals. But my issue is, there has not been any consumption of kh or calcium or mag. It’s been stuck at 9.3, 430 and 1350 for couple weeks now. I have not dosed anything besides nitrates and phosphates since I do not have any fish currently. (Hopefully add soon) The tank been cycled I made sure before I did any corals. But anyone have idea why? All corals seem happy, and open and extending.
Tank not consuming KH and Calcium
- Thread starter AlwaysHatingNathan
- Start date
What's the size of your tank and how often do you perform water changes? You may be replenishing most (all?) of your corals current supplemental needs. Also, what test kit(s) are you using?
54 in display, and about 15 in sump. No water changes, not since I started my tank again. I’ve used Salifert and Hanna. For the KH and calcium and mag and I get roughly same results on all.
Also prior to **** down and start over. This tank even very same corals expect for newest ones. I use to have dose 30+ ml a day to keep kh where I wanted it.
I’m assuming before tank teardown you had a lot of coralline algae which was your number one contributor to your alkalinity and calcium consumption so because it’s a new tank all that Coraline is gone and then the corals that you have do not require much of this to grow
Hmm interesting didn’t think of that. One my reef sensei I normally ask questions to said, it’s probably cause all the corals are readjusting to light and new tank so they are in middle of adjusting and they will start consuming the mice accustomed.
That may have a little to do with it but the corals you listed use very very little
I agree that coralline can be a huge user. A soft coral tank with strong coralline growth can use 2 dKH per day.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2018
- Messages
- 11,360
- Reaction score
- 17,871
- Review score
- +1 /0 /-0
- Location
- Way upstate NY
I was going to post this exact thing. The corals need time to adjust before they start growing again, and using elements.
I agree that Coraline is a huge consumer of alk in most tanks. Thus I've never fully understood what the fascination with it is. Other than on rocks for aesthetics I try to keep it in check with urchins and scraping. Supplements are costly and using most of what I dose to feed Coraline seems a waste. I've gone from 30 ml a day down to 10 just by keeping it in check in a 170 gallon mixed reef system.
Similar threads
