Advice Needed! Sudden Low Alk Issue!

[pjr]

Let me start by saying I am a bit panicked.... my tank has been looking the best it has ever been, and everything has been rocking.

I have been keeping my calcium at 430 and Alk at 8 or so for several months with the Bulk Reef Supply products. I have been adding 1.25 oz of Sodium Ash daily (dosed with topoff water) and 3 oz of Calcium Chloride. Every thing's been doing well, and as a result, I have got a bit lazy on regular testing.

I have added a few more colonies and frags during the tank in the past few months, which, stupidly, I have not factored in that they would draw additional chemical resources from the tank.

So on Monday I finally did a routine bank of tests.... calcium (460); mag (1400); but Alk (5.5) is a HUGE problem. I blew it off, thinking my test kit has gone bad, so I took a water sample to the Fish Doctors (LFS) to double check, and yep, it's that low.

Here's the panic: Last night I noticed a small white spot on my huge orange cap. Today (Not a pleasant Christmas gift) I noticed a white spot on my teal blue tipped acro colony and another one on my gigantic colony of blue acro pulchra! Official Freak Out mode is on.

I have used the BRS calculator, and it says to bring alk back to 8 I should add 27 Oz for their formula one.

• Is it OK to add this all at once?
• Should I be concerned about creating another problem due to a Ph spike?
• Should I find some Prozac and take it?

Any advice is welcome.... I want to react so I don't RTN the acros, but also don't want to replace a bad situation with a worse one. Help! Thanks!!!

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

It's better if you raise the alk. slowly everyday until it reaches the desired level.

 

[gparr]

Make changes slowly, otherwise you'll shock the animals. How big is your tank? If it's not too big, it's often relatively easy to fix chemistry problems by doing water changes, i.e., do a 20% to 25% water change daily for four or five days to stabilize the water chemistry. Much easier and less stressful than dumping a bunch of chemicals into the tank.

I'm also bothered by your two-part dosing, and curious because I'm about to switch from B-Ionic to BRS's two-part system. I've used B-Ionic for 10+ years without any problems whatsoever. In fact, my water chemistry stays so stable I rarely test it. But I've always been taught, and have practiced, that you put the same quantity of each part into the tank each day. This keeps the alk and calcium in balance. It has worked for me for years. The only time I've heard of people having problems with two-part additives is when they use differing quantities.

BTW, I'm hesitant to switch from B-Ionic but I can get so much more for so much less with BRS and I've heard from several that it's a very good product.

Gary

 

[gparr]

And, yes, as time goes on and you add more corals and existing corals grow, you need to increase the amount of alk and calc additives to keep up with demand. That's the only thing I test for these days. Even then I don't test very often. I can usually tell if I need to increase the amount by watching the corals.
Gary

 

[Pitcom]

And, yes, as time goes on and you add more corals and existing corals grow, you need to increase the amount of alk and calc additives to keep up with demand. That's the only thing I test for these days. Even then I don't test very often. I can usually tell if I need to increase the amount by watching the corals.
Gary

Good advice. I also found that when i make a bunch of frags from my sps i need to increase my dosage. The frags really seem to suck up minerals.

 

[pjr]

Thanks folks... I used B-ionic prior to this for a long time and I have had much more stability with the BRS additives. It's just that I added a few things that are really sucking up minerals and I just didn't think about their impact.

After a lot of testing, even on a daily basis, I found that my calcium usage rate was about twice what I needed in the Alk formula. That's why I do not add equal parts. Sounds like I need to back off from that practice.

So far, I doubled the concentration of Alk in my top off water... that would make the daily dosage equal to my daily calcium dosage.

I did NOT add the 27 oz as recommended by the dosage calculator.... I did add just 3 Oz so far. Oh, it's a 135g tank that's been running four years.

Anyone else have a suggestion?

 

[bamachamp92]

Whether this makes any sense at all I dont know. But through testing I have found that if my calcium goes over 420 I have a hard time keeping my alk up. If I keep my calcium at 400 - 420 my alk is easier to keep in balance with my calcium.

 

[gparr]

pjr, What's your Mg level?
gary

 

[missionsix66]

I notice you say mg is 1,400. You had the lfs confirm your alk test but, what about mg? Are you using your kit correctly and/or is it a bad test?

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

We used to use B-Ionic in our store and we have over 5000 gallons of reef. It was a pain everyday but it worked well. Later down the road we designed a CA reactor that recycles its co2 and is very efficient. We run those on most of our reef systems now. Also it's pretty professional looking it's NOT a crappy looking one either, we own a acrylic shop also to make custom things.

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

The white is co2 bubbles it looks like a protein skimmer kinda.

Oh and there was a study done and 2part is the most expensive, Kalk is in the middle and CA Reactor is the least expensive.

 

[gparr]

pjr, What's your Mg level?
gary

Oops. Guess I need to read more thoroughly. Sorry. Clearly low Mg is not part of the problem.
Gary

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

I use the RHF 2 part.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm
The alk is done by baking baking soda and adding 2 cups per gallon of RO.
This makes a cheap Alk supplement.
For Calcium I use Calcium Chloride(prestone icy melt) at 2 cups per gallon.

However, 2 part is only as good as you testing daily and making manual doses to adjust parameters as needed.

Therefore, a calcium reactor is the best purchase for you.(and me!)
You have Alk burns in your SPS. Maintain Alk at 9 DKH and your SPS will heal in about 30 days. I have gone thru this myself. You caught this early. This can be fixed, you just need to keep up on testing and dosing.

 

[JuniorMC8704]

when you ALK is that low, be sure to keep a close eye on your PH, as it is likely to drop.

Kalk could be a safe solution to raise if over a few days....also with a PH of 12, should address the risk of low PH.

On a reef of your size, i would recommend you consider a calcium reactor....however, I dont care what anyone else says, GEO or otherwise, i would run a secondary effluent chamber to strip out any Co2 precipitation.

I had a top of the line setup with reef fanatic controller, and solenoid, and a GEO 624, and had Co2 buildup regularly.

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

Excellent point JR.
The effluent reactors help a bunch and you can add calcite to that reactor and get strontium and magnesium supplementation.

 

[pjr]

Mission, I have confidence in the test kit and believe that the Mg test is accurate.

Junior, my Ph is kinda high... according to the PRofiLux, it's at 8.4 right now. That's what I am worried that if I start adding a ton of the Sodium Carbonate, it will raise Ph further and cause other problems.

BRS sells Sodium Bicarbonate, which they claim "has a slight lowering effect on Ph." I am wondering if I should go that route. Thoughts anyone?

Mr Firemouth, I am also using calcium chloride for the calcium supplement, but using sodium carbonate for the Alk.... as you see from above, I probably need to try the bicarbonate as you do.

AquaWorld, Junior & others: Maybe I need to consider a reactor. :(

 

[pjr]

P.S. How or why would I "bake the baking soda/"

 

[JuniorMC8704]

make sure you update your firmware to the most recent one. The PH calibration is very very easy to have wrong until the most recent update.

It automatically adjusts all those options that really can change the reading of the PH probe...mine reads 8.4 all day and night, its off by .22

I really would suggest you check it out, mathias over at GHL gave me the heads up on this.

Mission, I have confidence in the test kit and believe that the Mg test is accurate.

Junior, my Ph is kinda high... according to the PRofiLux, it's at 8.4 right now. That's what I am worried that if I start adding a ton of the Sodium Carbonate, it will raise Ph further and cause other problems.

BRS sells Sodium Bicarbonate, which they claim "has a slight lowering effect on Ph." I am wondering if I should go that route. Thoughts anyone?

Mr Firemouth, I am also using calcium chloride for the calcium supplement, but using sodium carbonate for the Alk.... as you see from above, I probably need to try the bicarbonate as you do.

AquaWorld, Junior & others: Maybe I need to consider a reactor. :(

 

[JuniorMC8704]

check out reef fanatic's new reactors....thats what im going with.

they are a little pricey, but the best ive seen thus far.

they even have an effluent flow meter that gives you an actual # for your output, which makes adjusting it far more precise....

 

[JuniorMC8704]

jelly roll pan in the oven. Thats the cookie sheet with the 1" tall sides.

P.S. How or why would I "bake the baking soda/"