ALK of 3.0 with healthy corals?

[GlassMunky]

So over the past month or so I haven’t really been testing my coral QT tank, just doing weekly water changes and keeping an eye on all the corals and they are all healthy, happy and growing. I’ve even recently moved some upset corals from my main display back to the QT and within a week they have started to heal.

but then yesterday I was submitting a sample to AquaBiomics and they wanted to know water parameters so I tested everything.
ALK came back at 3.0 (55ppm with Hanna)
I checked that reading twice, and then confirmed it with a salifert test kit as well.
Calcium came in at 380 and mag of 1300

the only thing I can think of is that the GIANT clam in there is sucking up stuff way faster than I imagined, but everything is happy.


should I try to slowly raise the ALK and Calcium back up to “normal” range? Or leave it alone and continue with what I’ve been doing since everything is growing?

oddly enough the main DT with readings of 7.4 ALK 450 Calcium and 1350 MAG, almost all the corals are super upset.

not sure what’s going on, just hoping for An outside opinion.

 

[Steven Garland]

I would raise it so painstakingly slow.

 

[blazerino]

What is your PH?

 

[GlassMunky]

I would raise it so painstakingly slow.

That’s kinda what I’m thinking as well

What is your PH?

Ph ranges from 7.6 to 7.9 night to day

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, alk that low (if real) will be very stressful for calcifying organisms under those conditions as calcium carbonate will be slowly dissolving.

 

[GlassMunky]

FWIW, alk that low (if real) will be very stressful for calcifying organisms under those conditions as calcium carbonate will be slowly dissolving.

I didn’t think it was accurate eaither but I tested it multiple times with the Hanna and then checked again with salifert and got the same reading.
How likely is it that both of those would test inaccurate and the same? I would think it’s low.

should I go get a third source of testing to have it confirmed again that it’s that low?

The fact that everything inside is healthy and growing is what has me scratching my head....

I did a water change the day I made this post and it raised the ALK up to 4.03
I then checked it 24 hours later and it was 3.86

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I didn’t think it was accurate eaither but I tested it multiple times with the Hanna and then checked again with salifert and got the same reading.
How likely is it that both of those would test inaccurate and the same? I would think it’s low.

should I go get a third source of testing to have it confirmed again that it’s that low?

The fact that everything inside is healthy and growing is what has me scratching my head....

I did a water change the day I made this post and it raised the ALK up to 4.03
I then checked it 24 hours later and it was 3.86

As long as you aren't reading the salifert kit backwards (some do), or reading the directions wrong, then it is a low chance.

But, it is extraordinarily rare to see a reef aquarium attain an alkalinity below 4 dKH.

 

[GlassMunky]

As long as you aren't reading the salifert kit backwards (some do), or reading the directions wrong, then it is a low chance.

But, it is extraordinarily rare to see a reef aquarium attain an alkalinity below 4 dKH.

I’m going off this thread for the salifert

Alkalinity titration endpoint pH & Salifert endpoint color

TL;DR: The endpoint pH is 4.41, and the endpoint color is that "lavender" color I've been telling people about. Over the years, there have been many threads on R2R and other forums debating a couple of basic details relevant to testing for alkalinity in reef aquaria. One of the most...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[GlassMunky]

If it is that low, which I kind of suspect, how quickly should I go about raising it.
is 1dkh every 48 hours ok until it’s back up to 7ish?

 

[GlassMunky]

And should I be doing anything else different like feeding the corals more or feeding them less or does that not matter so much?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m going off this thread for the salifert

Alkalinity titration endpoint pH & Salifert endpoint color

TL;DR: The endpoint pH is 4.41, and the endpoint color is that "lavender" color I've been telling people about. Over the years, there have been many threads on R2R and other forums debating a couple of basic details relevant to testing for alkalinity in reef aquaria. One of the most...

www.reef2reef.com

I'm not questioning the color choice of the endpoint, but reading the syringe backward, which is not uncommon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And should I be doing anything else different like feeding the corals more or feeding them less or does that not matter so much?

I do not know what is best with such a low alk. I suspect it is mostly uncharted territory. lol

 

[GlassMunky]

I do not know what is best with such a low alk. I suspect it is mostly uncharted territory. lol

How fast, or slowly, is is safe to increase it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How fast, or slowly, is is safe to increase it?

Not sure at that level, but I'd target 1 dKH per day.

 

[EMeyer]

I'll admit, one of my tanks recently fell to 4.5 when a dosing line got clogged. Like you, I'm raising slowly and hoping for the best.

I'll say this -- the corals look fine so far... curious to see how they look 2 weeks from.