Are Alk spikes a real issue?

[danreefman]

I think all the new gadgets to keep alk perfect, are setting everyone up for failure. Aren't are corals so resilient because of are tanks fluctuating? What happens when your trident quits on you, or power goes out for a day? I bought into it at first when I came back to the hobby a few years ago. And than I thought back to how big and colorful my acros were when halides and PCs were your choice of lighting. Things were simple. I followed advice, I read, I tried. Quickly realized I'm buying into all this new hyped up gadgets and nothing seams to work. So I tore all the gadgets off and threw them away.


Maybe your gadgets will keep all your perameters perfect for now. But after they've been perfect for three years and decide to swing watch out.

My Dastaco is so far one of the best pieces of equipment I've owned. Pretty much always on point. Still don't trust. Test all at least once a day. .2-.3 swing from day to night.

And when I was adjusting regular calcium reactor swings were from 6.5-9.6 no I'll effects. Tried to run at 8.6.. always could tell when it swung low cause I have a little nutrients. Didn't like low. I'd just dump 100ml of esv to bump back to 8.5.. swings up looked like I dumped steroids in my tank. So I set the dastaco to run around 9.6. Couldn't be happier.

 

[smartwater101]

What happens when your trident quits on you, or power goes out for a day?

You'll run into the same issue even when manually testing/dosing. Power goes out. Temp swings. pH swings, Alk swings. Preperation, safeguards, and adjustments are always part of job.

Having a clear view of, not just the week to week, but day to day and even the hour to hour changes in Alk can be really eye opening. Having a better pulse on the ecosystem is never a bad thing.

Discipline, redundancy, and maintenance is needed either way. So the people who dont understand this will have the same problems even if they didn't use gadgets.

 

[UCF Alum]

Now that we’ve talked about alk swings when adding to tank for the first time or by error of the reef keeper, define an alk swing while maintaining acropora day to day.

More than .2 ?

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Now that we’ve talked about alk swings when adding to tank for the first time or by error of the reef keeper, define an alk swing while maintaining acropora day to day.

More than .2 ?

I’ll bet it depends on the corals and your tank. They have adapted, somewhat, to swings because we have to dose. I’ll bet that a coral that has been growing in a system with a $1000 alkalinity controller won’t like suddenly coming to visit my tank

I’ve seen people claim anywhere from 0.5dkh up to 2dkh as being okay.

We really need some scientists to explain what is happening to the coral during these swings.

 

[SDchris]

what is happening to the coral during these swings.

Two possible things:
1st, if the algae (zooxanthellae) are CO2 limited, then raising alk could suddenly overdrive the algae, leading to problems.

2nd and more importantly, if your filter (rock, sand... and associated algae/bacteria) are CO2 limited, raising alk and causing a sudden increase in respiration will cause all sorts of problems also.
It's that second reason why you here so much about the need for "stability".

 

[Hypnotoad]

Sample size of one here. I do not have a show stopping reef full of giant Acro colonies, but I do have a small mixed reef stocked with several chalices, some montipora, two acros growing well, Duncan’s and acans. All my corals look perfectly fine after I got over zealous killing Majanos on Sunday and spiked my alk from 8.9 to 12.4. Killed the doser, and It’s already back down to 9.5. I also had an Acro frag bleach and die on me a few months back. It was placed next to my other two happy acros and my alk was rock solid at 8.5 the whole time.