Alkalinity Increasing. How Come?

[Aaron Soliz]

Hey everyone,

I’m having some trouble with my Alkalinity going up and not sure why.

I don’t do water changes because i have a low nutrient tank and I have nothing but soft corals. My Alk and Calcium have always stay stable (Alk 10) (calcium 450) but recently I seen a slow increase and now my Alk sits at 11.5 but no change in calcium.

I dose ESV B-Ionic Nitrate daily to keep my nitrate stable at 10PPM and I broadcast reef roids twice a week to keep my phosphate stable at .05

If i don’t do either… I’ll lose both and fairly quickly. I have even tried feeding more but anyways… that’s what I dose or feed along with Reef Nutrition Live Phyto (once a week, 8 drops).

What are other reasons alk rises for no reason? Maybe I’m not noticing something here but any help would be appreciated.

Aaron

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Dosing nitrate adds alkalinity when it is consumed. You can switch to ammonia dosing if you want to add N but avoid the alk.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Dosing nitrate adds alkalinity when it is consumed. You can switch to ammonia dosing if you want to add N but avoid the alk.

What products are just for ammonia without adding the alk. I didn’t know that’s what happens!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What products are just for ammonia without adding the alk. I didn’t know that’s what happens!

This hasp recipes and discussion of the alk effects

DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

Some reef aquaria have chronic low nitrogen availability. One indicator is very low nitrate. Nitrate dosing is a fine remedy, but it is possible that ammonia dosing may be more beneficial for some organisms since ammonia can be energetically easier to assimilate than is nitrate. For this...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Aaron Soliz]

This hasp recipes and discussion of the alk effects

DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

Some reef aquaria have chronic low nitrogen availability. One indicator is very low nitrate. Nitrate dosing is a fine remedy, but it is possible that ammonia dosing may be more beneficial for some organisms since ammonia can be energetically easier to assimilate than is nitrate. For this...

www.reef2reef.com

Randy, thanks for sharing. I checked it out and it seems a little confusing to me. I’m not 100% understanding of it.

I’d like to try it once i obviously better understand what I’m doing.

What about pure potassium nitrates or sodium nitrate. Would that add Alk as well?

Def trying to better understand it’s just confusing. I don’t want my alk at where it’s at but dosing ESV isn’t gonna help. Just need some other alternatives. Maybe i should add more fish to my 20 gallon. I have a sixline and two clowns.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Any nitrate dosing adds alk. It’s the using of nitrate that does it.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Any nitrate dosing adds alk. It’s the using of nitrate that does it.

I understand. Dang, as much as I’m trying to better understand the ammonia route… I’m having a hard time grasping how to do this way.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I understand. Dang, as much as I’m trying to better understand the ammonia route… I’m having a hard time grasping how to do this way.

Folks in that thread are dosing ammonium and not having problems. Is that the concern?

 

[bkwonnn]

Could be something you did which has upset the corals and stopped them from consuming alk

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Could be something you did which has upset the corals and stopped them from consuming alk

They never really consumed alk since i started. If i had LpS… i bet i wouldn’t have this issue since they love Alk and Cal.

 

[Aaron Soliz]

Folks in that thread are dosing ammonium and not having problems. Is that the concern?

Not that really just the fact on how much to dose on a daily bases and what not.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Not that really just the fact on how much to dose on a daily bases and what not.

That's only determined by slowly ramping up the dose until you detect nitrate rising (or, unlikely, detect significant ammonia).