Calcium and Alkalinity consumption has basically stopped

[keithw283]

Hello, I noticed that my calcium and alkalinity consumption have slowed to almost a standstill. Typically drops about .4dkh alkalinity daily. I manually dose and aim to keep it around 9-9.3dkh. Been doing this for months and has been the same daily routine. Calcium consumption has also slowed greatly. I manually does that as well. I have a trident to test. I normally does both daily in the morning but haven't dosed anything since Friday as my tests are showing numbers where I wouldn't dose yet. What would cause what seems like a dramatic change in consumption to me overnight?

 

[Pod_01]

I would use alternative test method like manual titration test to verify that Alk has stopped being consumed.

I can think of few potential reason Alk consumption is down. First one is corals stopped growing, corals are main consumers of Alk so if they stop growing the consumption slows or stops. Also corals consume Alk and Calcium and if both are down this is the likely scenario.
Another is that if this is new tank perhaps all surfaces developed a biofilm and alk is unable to bind to them any more.

Good luck,

 

[keithw283]

I would use alternative test method like manual titration test to verify that Alk has stopped being consumed.

I can think of few potential reason Alk consumption is down. First one is corals stopped growing, corals are main consumers of Alk so if they stop growing the consumption slows or stops. Also corals consume Alk and Calcium and if both are down this is the likely scenario.
Another is that if this is new tank perhaps all surfaces developed a biofilm and alk is unable to bind to them any more.

Good luck,

I did a little more research after posting and found something that said that test kits provide lower readings when kept in rooms where the temp increases. I don’t know the science behind that but it makes sense in my case because my blower motor in my furnace went out and I didn’t replace it for like a week. Yesterday I turned it on for the first time and when I woke up this morning my alk was down to 8.2. So it seems to have been consuming in the normal rate but since the room was so cold it was reading higher. The tank itself was still 78F. My house was in the mid 50s

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I did a little more research after posting and found something that said that test kits provide lower readings when kept in rooms where the temp increases. I don’t know the science behind that but it makes sense in my case because my blower motor in my furnace went out and I didn’t replace it for like a week. Yesterday I turned it on for the first time and when I woke up this morning my alk was down to 8.2. So it seems to have been consuming in the normal rate but since the room was so cold it was reading higher. The tank itself was still 78F. My house was in the mid 50s

I would not assume that is true.

Can you list a picture of the tank?

 

[keithw283]

I would not assume that is true.

Can you list a picture of the tank?

Yeah I can once I get off work. Why wouldn't you assume it's true? It seems like it is directly correlating to me. Not saying you are wrong I am just genuinely curious what you are thinking.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah I can once I get off work. Why wouldn't you assume it's true? It seems like it is directly correlating to me. Not saying you are wrong I am just genuinely curious what you are thinking.

I believe that both alk and calcium titration tests are temperature independent based on my expert understanding of the chemistry involved. Happy to go into it if you want, but in short, both tests add one chemical until you added just as much as the thing you are measuring, and then there’s a color change. Temperature does not change the ratios, just the speed at which chemicals react.

Hanna checker tests may show some effects since they work in a different way.