Want to keep SPS but…. What to do with alk level?

[sanzz18]

My tank is 2 1/2 years old and only really have GSP in it. During majority of this time I have been unsuccessful in keeping montis or acros. They all eventually STN starting with burnt tips, color fading, bleaching, and slowly loosing the skin.

So my alk constantly wants to rise to to over 10dkh over time. I used red sea blue so water-change water should be around 8.5 and I test it to verify that. I do not dose anything to make the alk go up. I have another thread that Randy states it is either the sand/ph dissolution or nitrate consumption releasing alk. This question is not to answer why it is going up it is for another reason.

So currently, my Alk is at 10.7, Cal is 440, Mag 1500 (raised it to this last month to help combat GHA and I think it helped), PO4 is 0.15 (I use lanthanum in my ATO to help maintain this not GFO), NO3 are 22 (working on lowering them slowly with water-changes to 10-15). Salinity 1.026, temp around 78.

Should I try to lower my alk before buying more SPS testers or let it be since it will not stay low around 8 right now (where I actually want to keep it)?

If lower it, I usually do it by dropping the alk on my water-change water with sodium bisulfate. How do I keep the alk low and stable without having to constantly do the above?

 

[sanzz18]

My .02 is that your alk is not an issue. I want to know more about your flow, the lights, and other parameters. Did you do an ICP? My wild guess would also be latnum chloride dropping po4 and po4 rising back. Po4 swings cause more rtn than alk swings for me personally. Also 22 no3 is great, with alk that high. How is your feeding schedule? Are you starving your corals because you’re too worried about the po4 and no3 numbers?

I have a T5/LED hybrid w/xr15 pros. My par up on the top 1/3 of my rocks are around 280-320. I got 3 MP40s running at reef crest anti-sync 80-90%. I have done ICP tests twice, they never shown anything. The lanthanum chloride is dosed into my ATO reservoir so it is a real slow amount at a time to keep it from bouncing. I feed 2-3 times a day frozen mysis, pellets, and a half sheet of nori. The only coral I have is GSP and it grows so fast. I honestly can't wait ti fill my tank up with coral once I know they will live so I can get rid of the GSP. GSP is at least something to look at.

I would lower it, but that’s just me. Nobody has ever had issues keeping corals at 8dkh under typical parameters. One less thing to rule out imo.
Po4 <0.1ppm
No3<10ppm

Such a hard decision lol. I am sick of changing things and having to wait. I know patience is key in this hobby but this tank at 2.5 years old should handle anything I throw at it now if it wasn't for ridiculous problems that I for some reason obtain.

Your alk is fine and will go down as sticks and stones use it up.. only reason I could see it raising is your nitrates are dropping.. or you’re dosing it.

That is what I was thinking. I am not dosing anything so I assume when my GHA was consuming the nitrates that drove my ALK up?

Are you dosing coral aminos or nitrates? This can raise alk. Also when I had my magnesium at 1500 for GHA I noted my alk was elevated also. Perhaps something else off in the tank so coral demand for alk and cal dropped. How is your calcium level?

Not dosing a single thing into my tank currently. Only coral I have is GSP lol. My calcium never really budges from 440-450.

You could try to use lemon juice. It's acid will cause the buffer (alk) to tank the "hit" and thus will lower it.

Interesting I never heard of this method.

You have corraline algae? If not get some. That will eat up your alk rapidly. Also will kind of tell u that u are ready for more challenging corals. Then start with the cheapest cool looking acro or monti u cand find. Once it survives or starts to grow u good for more challenging stuff

I had beautiful coraline algae, added sea urchins now its mostly gone. The sea urchins paired with asterina starfish, and GHA competing wiped out my coraline. I notice it is starting to grow back on the rocks again.

Figure out your alk situation before testing another sps.
Keep it high, bring it low and stable, whatever you decide and maintain it there for a couple months then try again.

I don't even know which one to pick lol. If I choose to lower my alk, I might be chasing keeping it low by dropping alk with an acid in my water-change water all the time. My alk seems to be stable here but it just seems too high lol. Can't win.

 

[Spare time]

I haven’t measured daily but it seems to have stalled out at 10.7ish the last few weeks. I just don’t know if I should try SPS again now. I don’t really have room for error from what I read with the Alk being where it is. Do you think I should try a few cheap ones again? I just really want the alk around 8-8.5 but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen for me right now until some corals start consuming lol.



I know many people keep there tanks around my level. It just wasn’t where I preferred to keep mine because I read countless times that you have more room for error when it is lower regarding Alk to nutrients correlation and issues that can arise.

As long as you don't have double zeros, that number is fine.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

As I understand it, corals can handle higher alk levels if the nitrate/phosphate levels are also higher. Raising these nutritients might be an option while your alk is still high.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Post in thread 'High Nitrates & SPS' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/high-nitrates-sps.366649/post-4531817