Dkh Low but everything else seems fine...even the fish and corals

[Injoynit]

Tank is 3 years old. dkh is very low but not affecting anything ... yet ...

475 = Calcium (have not been dosing for a month due to low corals and calcium was too high 500) so in that month only lost 25 parts so obviously not enough corals
5.8 = dkh
1350 = mag
35 ppt = salt
Temp = 77.4 to 78.8
PH = 8.14 to 8.34
Lights = 14 hours with 2 hour ramp up and down
Turn over on 200 gal tank = 30 per hour
2 hammer corals about 2"x2" each and a Walt Disney frag about 1 inch. Both great.
11 fish (5 clowns, 3 jawfish, diamond goby, 2 yellow tangs, copperband butterfly.

That's all the info I can come up with about the tank currently.

Looking for opinions on how to raise if I really need to raise. Thinking that due to the calcium being so high with very little corals that I just need to give it time to stabilize. The dkh has been at that number for the last month.

Thanks

 

[Murice]

what salt and alk test do you use?

 

[BighohoReef]

If you have sticks you don't want to stunt the growth of the coral. What are your nitrates at? PH looks good...

What type of salt do you use? Does it have anything that would supplement the alk? How often are you doing water changes? If anything you just slow roll it for a few months let cal drop and hopefully your alk raise. Long term though you want to get that Alk level up and stable for coral growth.

 

[Injoynit]

what salt and alk test do you use?

I use a refractometer and Red Sea alk test kit.
Was going to have the tank water checked this weekend at my local fish store to make sure I did not get a bad test kit.

 

[Injoynit]

If you have sticks you don't want to stunt the growth of the coral. What are your nitrates at? PH looks good...

What type of salt do you use? Does it have anything that would supplement the alk? How often are you doing water changes? If anything you just slow roll it for a few months let cal drop and hopefully your alk raise. Long term though you want to get that Alk level up and stable for coral growth.

Explains why the stick is growing so slow.
Did not test nitrates.
Use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt (Blue)
10% water change every month or so. I run ICP test and adjust with their recommendations every few months. Tank has been stable until I ran the cal up to 500.

 

[Murice]

as long as your corals are doing good I wouldn't chase the numbers and just keep doing what you've done for 3 years. I would however try to use another test kit just to see the difference. I was using salifert and mine read 14dkh, I got a hanna and it reads 10dkh consistently. I suppose just make sure your using the test kit exactly, with exact measurements. I would def get it tested another way though to see if maybe it is ure test

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Looking for opinions on how to raise if I really need to raise. Thinking that due to the calcium being so high with very little corals that I just need to give it time to stabilize. The dkh has been at that number for the last month.

Thanks

I'd use baking soda to boost the alk to 7-8 dKH.

 

[Injoynit]

I'd use baking soda to boost the alk to 7-8 dKH.

Is the baking soda any different then me using the BRS alkalinity additive (Pharmaceutical Soda Ash)?

 

[BighohoReef]

Is the baking soda any different then me using the BRS alkalinity additive (Pharmaceutical Soda Ash)?

I use BAKED baking soda... Why pay for the expensive stuff?

To make your own Soda Ash, all you do is spread out a box of baking soda across a cookie sheet, place it in an oven at 300°F for an hour, and that will drive off the trapped CO2 in the product. Allow it to cool, and place it in a sealed container until you need to use it.

Raising Alkalinity: How to bake baking soda | Melev's Reef

Raising Alkalinity requires you to dose Sodium Carbonate. The best value is to use Baking Soda, the same stuff you use to bake cookies, or remove bad odors from the fridge. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is inexpensive, available at the supermarket and simple to prepare. Right of the box, it is...

www.melevsreef.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is the baking soda any different then me using the BRS alkalinity additive (Pharmaceutical Soda Ash)?

Washing soda/baked baking soda/sodium carbonate raises pH when added.

Baking soda/sodium bicarbonate has a tiny immediate pH lowering effect when added.

 

[blasterman]

Baking / heating sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) drives out CO2 and makes it soda ash. So, you get a bonus pH boost along with alk boost.

Heres the kicker: unless its kept airtight soda ash just pulls CO2 back after awhile and reverts to ordinary baking soda.

With food grade baking soda costing 60 cents a pound at the grocery store.....well...common sense. Then again "pharma grade soda ash" sounds way cooler - lol

 

[Injoynit]

Update:
The alkalinity is now at 7dkh from the 5.8. I took it slow on the way up and had no other problems.

Test 8/9
Cal = 440
Alk = 5.4 (upped dosing from 38ml per day to 72ml per day)
Mag = 1280 (the week before)

Test 8/16
Cal = 440
Alk = 5.6

Test 8/23
Cal = 430
Alk = 7.0
Mag = 1240 (adjusted mag after test to 1280)

Looks like nothing happened with the boost from the 8/9 test until 8/23 the test inbetween did not show any difference.
I guess this shows that you have to take your time and let the tank settle a few weeks before making adjustments or I screwed up the second test (which I doubt).

Now, what is missing from the above is the addition of 5 frags on the test week 8/16. Not sure if this has anything to do with the above but wanted to make sure it was mentioned.

 

[Huenemedoe]

Update:
The alkalinity is now at 7dkh from the 5.8. I took it slow on the way up and had no other problems.

Test 8/9
Cal = 440
Alk = 5.4 (upped dosing from 38ml per day to 72ml per day)
Mag = 1280 (the week before)

Test 8/16
Cal = 440
Alk = 5.6

Test 8/23
Cal = 430
Alk = 7.0
Mag = 1240 (adjusted mag after test to 1280)

Looks like nothing happened with the boost from the 8/9 test until 8/23 the test inbetween did not show any difference.
I guess this shows that you have to take your time and let the tank settle a few weeks before making adjustments or I screwed up the second test (which I doubt).

Now, what is missing from the above is the addition of 5 frags on the test week 8/16. Not sure if this has anything to do with the above but wanted to make sure it was mentioned.

This is really interesting, I am using the same salt and had the issue. Noticed a few polyps on one of my birdsnest were not extending but that was the only issue I had at 5.6 dkh. One question I had for you was where in your bucket of salt were you? I was at the very end when I noticed my birdsnest acting up. Just trying to decipher if it was my coral sucking up all the alk or just bad old salt.

 

[Injoynit]

This is really interesting, I am using the same salt and had the issue. Noticed a few polyps on one of my birdsnest were not extending but that was the only issue I had at 5.6 dkh. One question I had for you was where in your bucket of salt were you? I was at the very end when I noticed my birdsnest acting up. Just trying to decipher if it was my coral sucking up all the alk or just bad old salt.

Yes, I was at the end of a bucket and moved on to a new bucket.