- Joined
- Jan 11, 2018
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 16
For some reason I have a hard time maintaining alkalinity above 8.0. At first I started using BRS additives to raise my alk/cal/mag. For some reason I could never get my alk above 7, and after trial and error I came to the conclusion that the soda ash I was mixing was bad. So I switched to Red Sea and I was very happy with the results, for a while.
When I first started using Red Sea, I was about to keep an all of around 8.5-9, but now I am again experiencing drops in alk, and dose about 150mL a day in my Red Sea reefer 170 to maintain an alkalinity near/barely above 8.0. Part of this I was convinced was my dosing method.
At first I dozed into the powerhead, this was with the BRS additives. When I switched to Red Sea, I dosed the same way, through the powerhead. The reefing community recommended I dose in the return of my sump. Not wanting to buy more tubing for my dosers, I cut out a piece of the overflow top and moved my dosing bracket above my overflow. I don’t feel like this was a good method, because it lead down to the compartment where my Skimmer was and I was struggling to maintain 8.0.
Now the bracket is back above the powerhead, and my numbers are coming up but I’m still using a LOT of solution (150 mL). Keep in mind this is Red Sea Foundation. When I mention that I have a problem keeping alkalinity stable, it is JUST alkalinity. Calcium and magnesium stay constant, Cal read on the high end tonight around 512, Mag is about 1300. It is not out of the ordinary for my alkalinity to drop from 8 to 7.5 throughout the day, it’s almost like I just can’t dump enough in there to keep it up.
I am doing a 10% water change, about 5 gallons a week, with Red Sea coral pro salt. My tank consists of LPS and softies, and most recently I added a few SPS frags. I made a DIY kalk dripper, however I didn’t want to use kalk since my calcium is consistent and stable. I read in some other threads that Red Sea is not a two part and therefore it can be adding in non equal parts, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Or are my LPS/SPS really just sucking that much out of the water? Hope to get some help. Thanks all.
When I first started using Red Sea, I was about to keep an all of around 8.5-9, but now I am again experiencing drops in alk, and dose about 150mL a day in my Red Sea reefer 170 to maintain an alkalinity near/barely above 8.0. Part of this I was convinced was my dosing method.
At first I dozed into the powerhead, this was with the BRS additives. When I switched to Red Sea, I dosed the same way, through the powerhead. The reefing community recommended I dose in the return of my sump. Not wanting to buy more tubing for my dosers, I cut out a piece of the overflow top and moved my dosing bracket above my overflow. I don’t feel like this was a good method, because it lead down to the compartment where my Skimmer was and I was struggling to maintain 8.0.
Now the bracket is back above the powerhead, and my numbers are coming up but I’m still using a LOT of solution (150 mL). Keep in mind this is Red Sea Foundation. When I mention that I have a problem keeping alkalinity stable, it is JUST alkalinity. Calcium and magnesium stay constant, Cal read on the high end tonight around 512, Mag is about 1300. It is not out of the ordinary for my alkalinity to drop from 8 to 7.5 throughout the day, it’s almost like I just can’t dump enough in there to keep it up.
I am doing a 10% water change, about 5 gallons a week, with Red Sea coral pro salt. My tank consists of LPS and softies, and most recently I added a few SPS frags. I made a DIY kalk dripper, however I didn’t want to use kalk since my calcium is consistent and stable. I read in some other threads that Red Sea is not a two part and therefore it can be adding in non equal parts, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Or are my LPS/SPS really just sucking that much out of the water? Hope to get some help. Thanks all.