Rapid uptick in alkalinity consumption

[YHSublime]

Hey WAMAS!

 

I noticed my birdsnest polyps retreating, but everything else seems fine. I've always known birdsnest to be the canary in the coalmine, so to speak, so I started testing daily again instead of weekly. 

 

2/27 - 3:00pm - 7.93dKH

3/5 - 3:00pm - 7.99dKH

3/11 - 3:00pm - 8.7dKH

3/15 - 3:00pm - 7.71dKH

3/16 - noon - 7.49dKH

I added enough manually to bring it up, and started dosing 10ml of 2 part instead of 5ml of 2 part.

3/17 - Noon 8.81dKH

3/18 - 7:00pm -7.88 dKH

 

It would appear with the upped amount of solution, I'm consuming close to 1 dKH daily now? Should I up my dosing a bit, or should I let it ride? I have noticed a visible amount of growth on my SPS as well as coraline over the past few weeks, so it's possible the tank is starting to consume more. 

[wildcrazyjoker81]

Wow man I have the same battle going on but struggle to get up past 7.5 dkh for more than two days it seems. I would recheck again over the next two days and if it stays in the 7s then up it. I started at 8ml a day and now am up to 14ml and now have to change it yet again. Such a cruel game sometimes when growth really takes off on a smaller tank.

[ScooterTDI]

I would think you'd have higher consumption than that with all that sps. I'd increase the dose.

 

My approach is to use a doser, but set the amount to be slightly less than the daily consumption. Then, test daily and make up any shortfall manually. I think this helps to avoid alkalinity spikes when the all consumption occasionally drops for various reasons. My alkalinity consumption is pretty rediculous right now, but it doesn't seem to be going to abiotic precipitation (at least there is nothing visible on any equipment), so I assume it is going to new growth.

 

FYI, my tank will drop several dKH in a day without the doser, so it seems pretty reasonable that you'd be seeing 1+ dKH daily consumption.

Edited March 19, 2019 by ScooterTDI

[YHSublime]

3 hours ago, wildcrazyjoker81 said:

Wow man I have the same battle going on but struggle to get up past 7.5 dkh for more than two days it seems. I would recheck again over the next two days and if it stays in the 7s then up it. I started at 8ml a day and now am up to 14ml and now have to change it yet again. Such a cruel game sometimes when growth really takes off on a smaller tank.

 

I guess. I've just had everything sitting comfy for so long at the same around 8 for so long, and then just BAM. 

 

1 hour ago, ScooterTDI said:

I would think you'd have higher consumption than that with all that sps. I'd increase the dose.

 

My approach is to use a doser, but set the amount to be slightly less than the daily consumption. Then, test daily and make up any shortfall manually. I think this helps to avoid alkalinity spikes when the all consumption occasionally drops for various reasons. My alkalinity consumption is pretty rediculous right now, but it doesn't seem to be going to abiotic precipitation (at least there is nothing visible on any equipment), so I assume it is going to new growth.

 

FYI, my tank will drop several dKH in a day without the doser, so it seems pretty reasonable that you'd be seeing 1+ dKH daily consumption.

 

You would think that the consumption was higher, wouldn't you?! I've been keeping track of my alk, and 5ml a day is getting the job done for the past few months. It used to be almost 15, but then I had a clam die and it dropped down to almost nothing. That's why I'm asking, it's like it just came out of nowhere, and I want to make sure I'm not over reacting. 

 

I'm not worried about the precipitation, my doser doses an hour apart from each other. 

 

Guess I'm finally joining the ranks of the mature tanks. 

[YHSublime]

I will test again in 2 hours, but it looks like I'm back to 8.81dKH again. I should check my calcium, I've not done that in a few months. 

[DFR]

If your Mg is within a normal range, I would continue monitoring and look at trends a little longer (just to get a better idea of consumption).

[YHSublime]

1 hour ago, DFR said:

If your Mg is within a normal range, I would continue monitoring and look at trends a little longer (just to get a better idea of consumption).

 

It should be, it get's dosed with the 2 part, but maybe I should do the range of tests just to see how everything is sitting. 

 

Here's the thing, it was steady for months, and then just the uptick. I was testing daily, then jumped back to testing once a week. It's almost like if you give everything a little more "juice" it'll take it up. 

[Origami]

Isaac, 1 dKH per day is not uncommon when things are stable and your SPS finally begins to take off. You're probably getting close to wanting a doser or to manually dose a few times a day to minimize fluctuations.

[madweazl]

While you caught the reduction in alkalinity, I'd be surprised if the birdsnest reacted because of the drop in alkalinity so you might want to run a full set of tests to double check all parameters and give everything a once over to make sure nothing crazy has happened. Our tank has dipped all the way down to about 5.5 dKh and I've not seen a negative reaction from the corals. 

[Jon Lazar]

I don't normally test my new saltwater for water changes, but I recently mixed up a large batch of water using IO salt and just happened to test.  Alk was only 4.5dKh, and Ca was 250.

 

I point that out because variability in water change water can also mess with your alk trend.

[YHSublime]

3 hours ago, Origami said:

Isaac, 1 dKH per day is not uncommon when things are stable and your SPS finally begins to take off. You're probably getting close to wanting a doser or to manually dose a few times a day to minimize fluctuations.

 

That's good to hear, it just felt like it was a large jump. So I am using a doser, and I was dosing just a small amount of ESV 2 part with it each day, pretty much about 5ml of each solution. 

2 hours ago, madweazl said:

While you caught the reduction in alkalinity, I'd be surprised if the birdsnest reacted because of the drop in alkalinity so you might want to run a full set of tests to double check all parameters and give everything a once over to make sure nothing crazy has happened. Our tank has dipped all the way down to about 5.5 dKh and I've not seen a negative reaction from the corals. 

 

I believe you're right, especially with all the other acro's looking great. I've noticed a lot of hermits on it, and I'm wondering if it's because I feed very close to it, and they are grabbing the food from the polyps. I also have an anemone that might be stinging it every so often. I'm not worried about the birdsnest itself, but for everything else! I'm doing testing today!

 

1 hour ago, Jon Lazar said:

I don't normally test my new saltwater for water changes, but I recently mixed up a large batch of water using IO salt and just happened to test.  Alk was only 4.5dKh, and Ca was 250.

 

I point that out because variability in water change water can also mess with your alk trend.

 

That's pretty dang low. I didn't think about that.

[Origami]

4 hours ago, Jon Lazar said:

I don't normally test my new saltwater for water changes, but I recently mixed up a large batch of water using IO salt and just happened to test.  Alk was only 4.5dKh, and Ca was 250.

 

I point that out because variability in water change water can also mess with your alk trend.

Cripes that's low. Scales somewhat nicely if salinity were at 24 ppt but that's really concerning for water mixed to 35 ppt. Is magnesium really low in your batch? 

[Jon Lazar]

4 hours ago, Origami said:

Cripes that's low. Scales somewhat nicely if salinity were at 24 ppt but that's really concerning for water mixed to 35 ppt. Is magnesium really low in your batch?

 

35ppt salinity, and 640 Mg.  Tested with refractometer and Salifert test kits.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Jon Lazar

[YHSublime]

Today was a wash for testing. Going to give everything the old college try right now. 

[DFR]

I found IO to have decent variations also (but I only mix what is needed, when needed).  This could be alleviated by mixing 2-3x what is needed if you have the space and equipment.  I now also try to tumble the salt when I first get it to try to mix it a little better. 

[madweazl]

On 3/21/2019 at 6:52 PM, Jon Lazar said:

 

35ppt salinity, and 640 Mg.  Tested with refractometer and Salifert test kits.

 

Since everything is roughly 50% of what it should be in Instant Ocean, I'd be suspect of the salinity. 

[Big Country]

Maybe your tank is just way too young and small to support the shear number of corals that you have in there

[YHSublime]

Maybe your tank is just way too young and small to support the shear number of corals that you have in there:bb:

Could be a possibility there!

I’ve got a pretty good read on this tank these days. I’m keeping my dKH steady at 8.2, so when consumption doubles overnight, it’s wild in the gargantuan consumption! I’ve been testing x2 daily, and it’s back to being solid, so I’m going to keep a close eye on it in anticipation of the next uptick.


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[A.ocellaris]

I am on the same boat here. My Alk consumption is not even, sometimes .50dkh per day and sometimes .25.

[YHSublime]

I am on the same boat here. My Alk consumption is not even, sometimes .50dkh per day and sometimes .25.

Mine is even, just rising!


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[D805]

Time for a calcium reactor. I've been contemplating one myself as my alk and calc demand has been consistently rising over the past couple of months as my sticks and clams get bigger. I'm currently dosing 75ml a day of alk.

[YHSublime]

5 hours ago, D805 said:

Time for a calcium reactor. I've been contemplating one myself as my alk and calc demand has been consistently rising over the past couple of months as my sticks and clams get bigger. I'm currently dosing 75ml a day of alk.

 

Woah. I used to dose 30ml a day on my old 150. Right now I'm keeping steady at 8.2 at 10ml a day *shrugs*

 

2 part will take care of me most likely forever (on this tank.)

[epleeds]

Until you upgrade. Hahahaha

[Origami]

On 3/21/2019 at 6:52 PM, Jon Lazar said:

 

35ppt salinity, and 640 Mg.  Tested with refractometer and Salifert test kits.

That's really whacked, Jon. Search for "Homemade Standards Holmes-Farley" and check out Randy's DIY refractometer standard. Mix some up and cross-check your refractometer just to be sure. 

[paul b]

So you are worried about a tenth of a degree of ALK!   Mine was 5 for a few months so I added half a gallon of mixed up alk solution in a few days and now it is about 7.

No problem.  I don't measure, or even see those decimal points as those are only in there for Girly men or Sissies.  

 

My corals don't care about what they don't see so don't measure it in front of the tank.