How do I increase a small amount of Alkalinity to my tank and keep it stable?

ReefKeeper666

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Hi All as some of you probably know I am having an issue with my encrusting corals in my mixed reef tank. All my soft, lps, and SPS corals are ok. However specifically my encrusting corals were turning what I thought was purple but actually realized was white. The corals with problems were favia, burning banana, and montiporia.
with help it was thought that the issue was with Alkalinty, phosphates or lighting.
I have reduced the lighting levels and I am happy to say while some color needs to come back to the burning banana it’s polyps are out daily. The other corals have shown no improvement.
I had concerns my api test kits were not to good and have replaced most of them with Hanna checkers. With my new Hanna checkers and testing every other day I am happy to report my phosphates are coming up at either .68 or .70 over the last 2 weeks. As I understand it while that may be high the stability is key and I’d say mine look pretty stable.
so my concern now for my encrusting corals boils down to Alkalinity. Initially I was concerned my alkalinity was rising. However my new Hanna checker has shown me otherwise. I am actually loosing a small amount of alkalinity during the week.

i change my water every 2 weeks. 10 gallons per change. If check my Alkalinity 24 hours after a water change I’m getting 7 /7.2. During the first week Alkalinty stays at 7/7.2
On the onset of the 2nd week my alkalinity falls to about 6.8 on Monday6.6 / 6.5 by Thursday. Would this .5 loss/swing in my alkalinity be enough to turn my encrusting corals White?

If this is possibly the issue what is a good product and method to dose and keep my Alkalinty stable?
 

mike550

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@ReefKeeper666 your Alk seems low to me. I think most folks are targeting 8.5 ish. I’ve only been at this a year so there are much more experienced folks that will chime in.

Before I got a doser I would add soda ash to my ATO water to try and maintain the alkalinity. I basically calculated my daily Alk consumption and then figured out how much soda ash I needed to add. A bit coarse but it kept things pretty even. Of course now I’m using a doser and two part. Still learning to grow corals though!
 
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I would say the phosphate is the biggest problem
I thought so too. However on a previous post Randy Holmes-Farley and others pointed out that high Phosphate is ok if it’s consinstant. He and one other even said “There are SPS dominant tanks that run at 1PPM that most would be envious of. Worry about consistency, don’t chase numbers.”
 

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I agree there are a couple. While not impossible it is not the norm. I think that as you are trying to learn, normal parameters would be beneficial to have. Well established success. Then if you want be an outlier later go for it. Too many unnormal numbers will make it hard to help
 
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I agree there are a couple. While not impossible it is not the norm. I think that as you are trying to learn, normal parameters would be beneficial to have. Well established success. Then if you want be an outlier later go for it. Too many unnormal numbers will make it hard to help
Ok so can I try to fix both Alk and phosphate at the same time?
 

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Coral can also be kept a 6dkh. But it’s not the average. People will suggest you fix that before anything else. I don’t think your alk is the issue. Especially if SPS is fine. But being in the normal will make life easier
 

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@ReefKeeper666 your Alk seems low to me. I think most folks are targeting 8.5 ish. I’ve only been at this a year so there are much more experienced folks that will chime in.

Before I got a doser I would add soda ash to my ATO water to try and maintain the alkalinity. I basically calculated my daily Alk consumption and then figured out how much soda ash I needed to add. A bit coarse but it kept things pretty even. Of course now I’m using a doser and two part. Still learning to grow corals though!

7 DKH is perfectly fine, I personally prefer my tank there

Hi All as some of you probably know I am having an issue with my encrusting corals in my mixed reef tank. All my soft, lps, and SPS corals are ok. However specifically my encrusting corals were turning what I thought was purple but actually realized was white. The corals with problems were favia, burning banana, and montiporia.
with help it was thought that the issue was with Alkalinty, phosphates or lighting.
I have reduced the lighting levels and I am happy to say while some color needs to come back to the burning banana it’s polyps are out daily. The other corals have shown no improvement.
I had concerns my api test kits were not to good and have replaced most of them with Hanna checkers. With my new Hanna checkers and testing every other day I am happy to report my phosphates are coming up at either .68 or .70 over the last 2 weeks. As I understand it while that may be high the stability is key and I’d say mine look pretty stable.
so my concern now for my encrusting corals boils down to Alkalinity. Initially I was concerned my alkalinity was rising. However my new Hanna checker has shown me otherwise. I am actually loosing a small amount of alkalinity during the week.

i change my water every 2 weeks. 10 gallons per change. If check my Alkalinity 24 hours after a water change I’m getting 7 /7.2. During the first week Alkalinty stays at 7/7.2
On the onset of the 2nd week my alkalinity falls to about 6.8 on Monday6.6 / 6.5 by Thursday. Would this .5 loss/swing in my alkalinity be enough to turn my encrusting corals White?

If this is possibly the issue what is a good product and method to dose and keep my Alkalinty stable?

I don't think the alk swing caused it, I've had corals bleach due to over lighting and low phosphates. Consistency is key in any parameter.
 

blasterman

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Alk around 7ish is fine. SPS growth might slow a bit, but there are no other adverse problems.

Your phosphate though is very high and will cause problems.
 
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ReefKeeper666

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Pictures and info on the tank would be helpful
Tank is a 55 gallon. 4ft long 18 inches deep. I have 2 AI 32HDs on it. lights are 14 inches above waters surface. I have taken the cool white red and green spectrums off the lights currently. I have a refugium filter I have some carbon in a media sock. No skimmers. Not dosing anything. Parameters are:

temp 78
salinity 1.025 checked with tropic marin hydrometer
ph 8.2 checked with api kit
ammonia 0 API kit
nirtate 5 API kit
nitrite 0 api kit
magnesium 1350(never changes much always abou 1320/1350) Salifert kit
calcium 420 (same as above almost always 400/420) API kit
Alkalinity 6.5 Hanna checker
phospahte .68 Hanna checker

here are what the affected corals look like....

819BF82C-E4BB-4590-A1A1-1B87C0B3924E.jpeg D66814C2-6472-4537-91C3-8A9D69E1AFDB.jpeg
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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ReefKeeper666

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I'd suggest that the easiest way for you to maintain alkalinity is to dose a two part alk and calcium supplement when the alk drops below where you want it.

This article compares other methods as well:

The Many Methods for Supplementing Calcium and Alkalinity - REEFEDITION
Hi Randy. As you explained the other week, that even though my phosphates were high they were ok if consistent. Do you think the .5 alkalinity loss is more likely my problem or the high phosphates. I have people telling me that the high phosphates are a bigger issue than the alkalinity.
 

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Hi Randy. As you explained the other week, that even though my phosphates were high they were ok if consistent. Do you think the .5 alkalinity loss is more likely my problem or the high phosphates. I have people telling me that the high phosphates are a bigger issue than the alkalinity.
I’m not saying they are causing your problem. No one can definitively say that. It could be 100 reasons. But have your phosphate in a normal range eliminates that possibility. I do not think a .5 alk drop will cause any problem
 
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ReefKeeper666

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I’m not saying they are causing your problem. No one can definitively say that. It could be 100 reasons. But have your phosphate in a normal range eliminates that possibility. I do not think a .5 alk drop will cause any problem
Even though it’s below 7 at 6.5?
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Hi Randy. As you explained the other week, that even though my phosphates were high they were ok if consistent. Do you think the .5 alkalinity loss is more likely my problem or the high phosphates. I have people telling me that the high phosphates are a bigger issue than the alkalinity.

I don't know if either one is the issue, to be honest.

I'd certainly raise the alk to 7 dKH, and maybe work on the phospahte, but I also would not assume those will alter the coral health.
 

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The alkalinity see-sawing is way more of an issue than the phosphate.

Back 2 decades ago, and before people made reefing so hard, before people started regularly testing for phosphate, and before pumps and skimmers got so good, .5ppm+ was a pretty common thing, and honestly, there are way more successful reefs in that range than people think - because anybody who mentions it has their thread derailed by people.


The idea that you can support a reef tank with stony corals on just water changes is a myth that kills a lot of tanks. Even a handful of stony frags will eat enough alkalinity to cause problems.

Start dosing. Stabilize your alkalinity.
 

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