Hi all,
As title states, I've noted dropping alkalinity in my 10g office tank recently, despite doing a 1g water change every M-W-F.
Specs:
Tank: IM Nuvo 10g AIO
Salt: HG mixing at 1.026sg/~7.3kDh/~500+Ca (upper range of Red Sea test) --> Baking Soda added to ~8.5kDh (Red Sea kit with dropper)
Rocks: Gulf live rock (TBS)
Sand: Gulf live sand (TBS)
Light: AI Prime 16HD running Saxby modified to AB+ (upper 60%s/low 70%s with 3DReef diffuser)
Filtration: Filter floss (changed Fridays, rinsed M-W) + ROX carbon/Purigen (monthly change) + PhosGuard (see below) in chamber 1 Intank Media Basket; Gulf rock rubble in chamber 2
Measurements:
Wedn measured Alk at ~7 --> 1g Water Change as usual
Friday (today) measured Alk at ~6-6.5 --> so I did a 2g Water Change
Ca seems to remain high at the upper range of the test kit
NO3 has been reading at ~10ppm, PO4 stubbornly reading at ~1ppm (continually adding/replacing PhosGuard till it starts coming down)
Inhabitants:
1x Crocea Clam
1x single head torch
1x splitting head hammer (not too happy lately)
1x single head octospawn (also not entirely happy)
1x Mint pavona
1x cephastraea-like hitchiker coral
1x cup coral hitchhiker
1x Zoa/Clove island
4x RFA
1x Rainbow microfavia
1x Brotycladia
1x Pom Pom gracilaria
1x Galaxaura
1x Pencil cap
1x large codium
1x Tailspot Blenny
1x Exquisitie Firefish
1x Nassarius vibex
~5x Nerites
~5x Astraeas
~20x dwarf ceriths
~7x Ceriths
~10x periwinkle snails
1x Spotted anemone crab
1x Green porcelain crab
1x Pom pom crab
1x Sexy shrimp
Lots of worms, tunicates, brittle stars, micro brittle stars, sponges, etc.
Feeding:
1x/day (M-T-W-Th-F): 250 microliter (uL = 1/4mL) phyto OR RUSalty Naturose + 250uL RUSalty Oyster Egg Feast + 250uL RUSalty Coral Ecstacy OR RUSalty Zu Feast + 250uL RUSalty Ova Feast + ~5-10 medium TDO pellets + ~10-20 small TDO pellets (I try to feed the nems and firefish medium TDO pellets and the blenny/firefish small pellets); Fridays = special chopped frozen krill treat for crabs/nems and 2 pellet feedings for the fish to hold them over the weekend.
Questions:
1. What could be causing the declining Alk? Crocea (~2 in) has been in the tank for about a month now (as well as torch) and well situated/open mantle all day long. Could the Crocea be consuming so much Alk?
2. What is the best way to deal with this in a 10g? I was planning on water changes to solve all of my water chem issues so that I wouldn't have to dose. I understand some of the strategies are: i) dose with something like 2-part or All-For-Reef either manually every day or with a doser; ii) add Kalwasser to ATO; iii) increase water changes, i.e. daily. I'm disappointed, but will do what's necessary to stabilize this tank.
Thanks for reading and for your advice!
As title states, I've noted dropping alkalinity in my 10g office tank recently, despite doing a 1g water change every M-W-F.
Specs:
Tank: IM Nuvo 10g AIO
Salt: HG mixing at 1.026sg/~7.3kDh/~500+Ca (upper range of Red Sea test) --> Baking Soda added to ~8.5kDh (Red Sea kit with dropper)
Rocks: Gulf live rock (TBS)
Sand: Gulf live sand (TBS)
Light: AI Prime 16HD running Saxby modified to AB+ (upper 60%s/low 70%s with 3DReef diffuser)
Filtration: Filter floss (changed Fridays, rinsed M-W) + ROX carbon/Purigen (monthly change) + PhosGuard (see below) in chamber 1 Intank Media Basket; Gulf rock rubble in chamber 2
Measurements:
Wedn measured Alk at ~7 --> 1g Water Change as usual
Friday (today) measured Alk at ~6-6.5 --> so I did a 2g Water Change
Ca seems to remain high at the upper range of the test kit
NO3 has been reading at ~10ppm, PO4 stubbornly reading at ~1ppm (continually adding/replacing PhosGuard till it starts coming down)
Inhabitants:
1x Crocea Clam
1x single head torch
1x splitting head hammer (not too happy lately)
1x single head octospawn (also not entirely happy)
1x Mint pavona
1x cephastraea-like hitchiker coral
1x cup coral hitchhiker
1x Zoa/Clove island
4x RFA
1x Rainbow microfavia
1x Brotycladia
1x Pom Pom gracilaria
1x Galaxaura
1x Pencil cap
1x large codium
1x Tailspot Blenny
1x Exquisitie Firefish
1x Nassarius vibex
~5x Nerites
~5x Astraeas
~20x dwarf ceriths
~7x Ceriths
~10x periwinkle snails
1x Spotted anemone crab
1x Green porcelain crab
1x Pom pom crab
1x Sexy shrimp
Lots of worms, tunicates, brittle stars, micro brittle stars, sponges, etc.
Feeding:
1x/day (M-T-W-Th-F): 250 microliter (uL = 1/4mL) phyto OR RUSalty Naturose + 250uL RUSalty Oyster Egg Feast + 250uL RUSalty Coral Ecstacy OR RUSalty Zu Feast + 250uL RUSalty Ova Feast + ~5-10 medium TDO pellets + ~10-20 small TDO pellets (I try to feed the nems and firefish medium TDO pellets and the blenny/firefish small pellets); Fridays = special chopped frozen krill treat for crabs/nems and 2 pellet feedings for the fish to hold them over the weekend.
Questions:
1. What could be causing the declining Alk? Crocea (~2 in) has been in the tank for about a month now (as well as torch) and well situated/open mantle all day long. Could the Crocea be consuming so much Alk?
2. What is the best way to deal with this in a 10g? I was planning on water changes to solve all of my water chem issues so that I wouldn't have to dose. I understand some of the strategies are: i) dose with something like 2-part or All-For-Reef either manually every day or with a doser; ii) add Kalwasser to ATO; iii) increase water changes, i.e. daily. I'm disappointed, but will do what's necessary to stabilize this tank.
Thanks for reading and for your advice!