Hello. I have researched some info on the topic but hoping to be pointed in the right direction. What are possible causes or things I can check / verify to find why my Alk started precipitating out?
I recently had a Alk drop and I cant recover no matter how much I dose. I have about 100 gallons water volume in my system. I have a Apex and Trident. I dose BRS 2 part using the Apex DOS. My tank has been very stable keeping a 9.0 dkh, 450 calcium, and 1400 mag. PH 8.35 during the day and 8.25 at night when lights are out. Salinity is 34.7 on hannah salinity checker that i verify with refractometer every now and then. For the last 6 months it has taken 16-20ml of BRS soda ash alkalinity mix every day to maintain 9.0. It has taken 10ml of BRS calcium along with 20% weekly water changes to keep 450 cal. I use Tropic Marin Pro salt.
Everything was fine and stable like clock work until about a week ago when my Alk dropped overnight to about 7.9. I dosed some extra to start bringing it up and it didn't really move. Eventually with big doses its up to about 8.5 but it has went from taking 20ml of alk per day to 200ml and i'm losing ground. So i finally figured out that its likely precipitating. I did add a large maxima clam a few days before the issue started. I thought that might be the issue at the beginning but I don't think she is taking 200ml of alk per day.
I have calibrated the Trident and verified the reading with manual test. Hannah checker for Alk and Salifert & Rea Sea both for Calc. On calc the test all read differently but are in the ball park. None of them are maxed out at over 500.
Why would it start precipitating suddenly when it hadn't been and what process can I do to figure out why its doing it and how to correct it? Thanks.
I recently had a Alk drop and I cant recover no matter how much I dose. I have about 100 gallons water volume in my system. I have a Apex and Trident. I dose BRS 2 part using the Apex DOS. My tank has been very stable keeping a 9.0 dkh, 450 calcium, and 1400 mag. PH 8.35 during the day and 8.25 at night when lights are out. Salinity is 34.7 on hannah salinity checker that i verify with refractometer every now and then. For the last 6 months it has taken 16-20ml of BRS soda ash alkalinity mix every day to maintain 9.0. It has taken 10ml of BRS calcium along with 20% weekly water changes to keep 450 cal. I use Tropic Marin Pro salt.
Everything was fine and stable like clock work until about a week ago when my Alk dropped overnight to about 7.9. I dosed some extra to start bringing it up and it didn't really move. Eventually with big doses its up to about 8.5 but it has went from taking 20ml of alk per day to 200ml and i'm losing ground. So i finally figured out that its likely precipitating. I did add a large maxima clam a few days before the issue started. I thought that might be the issue at the beginning but I don't think she is taking 200ml of alk per day.
I have calibrated the Trident and verified the reading with manual test. Hannah checker for Alk and Salifert & Rea Sea both for Calc. On calc the test all read differently but are in the ball park. None of them are maxed out at over 500.
Why would it start precipitating suddenly when it hadn't been and what process can I do to figure out why its doing it and how to correct it? Thanks.
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