How do you guys keep up with increased dosing demands? I need some help...

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Sorry, it's late and I hope I am making sense...

So I am struggling to keep up with the explosive exponential demand of dosing I am currently experiencing. I included a bunch of screenshots that if you understand what you are looking at, it should all make sense.

I am doing this on 2 tanks. But the explosive exponential demand is happening on the smaller newer tank. My bigger tank isn't anywhere near these %s, and I also understand why. But I can get into that later on in replies, if I get any to this, so....

Tank: Reefer 250 with about 70 pounds of wet premium gulf rock. So, about 45-50 gallons, I changed the sump out for a 20L which increased the holding capacity some, but not why I did it.

I started playing with my PH in a meaningful way. But first, I have a new PH probe, that has been calibrated multiple times and I also verified the readings with a Milwaukee 122. A few days after I started playing with my PH I ordered a new Trident as I could see where this was going, I then ordered a second for the other tank.

I started dosing Kalk at night, 7 liters which is about 85% of my evap. Then during the day for the first couple days I was using sodium hydroxide and I was recirculating my skimmer. My PH exploded, I did all this within 2 days and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. At one point I got so nervous ( right around 8.7, that I found Randy's post about how to bring the PH down using vinegar. I then pulled the hydroxide and replaced it with my standard soda ash. From there I started playing with some rules using my Apex to manage my dosing controlled by the PH values. I added bicarbonate on top of the soda ash when the rev limiter would kick in. Some of you helped me with those rules, it works flawlessly. (Soda Ash (hydroxide on the other tank still) would dos up until around 8.50-.56 then bicarbonate would kick in above that, this way I could keep up with demand but not increase the PH).

Well, that part is working like a charm. Keeping up with the uptake isn't. I am currently using my Trident's auto dosing feature, but am only maxing it out at 8 tests a day, I am thinking I am going to have to bite the bullet and do several days at 24 tests per day and see if it will smooth out.

On 10/10 - I was only dosing 42.5 ML for DKH. Today NOT including my 7 liters of kalk, I dosed 500MLs for DKH. I have not added any new coral to my tank. I should mention that this tank is 99% acro/monti system with around 35-40 frags. Plus I am feeding all that coralline on the rocks. I have some early speckling of a really deep purple coralline starting to show, unlike my other tank which is uber pink. That tank is >4 years running though. I put water in this tank 7/4, I also seeded it nearly identical to how BRS did their gulf rock tank, and I have to say, I am still waiting for the uglies, I had diatoms for about 5 days and I get glass algae that also gets on my wave makers, but that is about it.

For the last two weeks I have literally tossed a virtual dart at how much to increase my dosing by. I only started letting my Trident auto dose about 5-6 days ago. To go from 42ML to >500 with the same content in the tank has been really interesting and funny at the same time. I recall telling my wife that the gallon of parts 1 and 2 I was mixing should last till new years, well, yeah, that's not going to workout to well for me.

Should I bite the bullet and burn through reagent every 4 days for a while until I can find a flatline? As you can see, I am all over the map, it's gotten much better with the aid of the trident, as you can see. That 10/10 screen shot was me manually setting up the DOS, what a struggle when the PH was exploding early on.

My controlled intervals are set to react to the value when the test is within .50 and I allow it to adjust plus or minus 50%.

Any words of wisdom?

 

[CoralCrafted]

How do your corals look? Chasing numbers is one thing, but at the cost of all the dosing products, and dosing gear a good quality salt and simple water changes might do you better. Plus you are only dosing the big elements, trace elements are probably dropping as well and not getting replenished.

 

[Waters]

The huge increase in ALK has happened to every tank I have ever set up......that had sand. My BB tanks never saw that increase. If you have sand, are you noticing any hardening around/under the rock or anywhere else?

 

[dwest]

I don’t use a trident but I would be verify alkalinity numbers with a trusted manual kit.

I would run alkalinity 7-8 to possibly help prevent precipitation in the sand bed. As waters mentioned above, check your sand for hard clumps.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

The huge increase in ALK has happened to every tank I have ever set up......that had sand. My BB tanks never saw that increase. If you have sand, are you noticing any hardening around/under the rock or anywhere else?

As a matter of fact o have noticed that. It’s clumping, but, when I touch it, it falls apart.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

How do your corals look? Chasing numbers is one thing, but at the cost of all the dosing products, and dosing gear a good quality salt and simple water changes might do you better. Plus you are only dosing the big elements, trace elements are probably dropping as well and not getting replenished.

Tank is newer don’t forget. I’ve read multiple places and seen multiple videos that say don’t dose trace elements for 1 year. On my other tank I use TM A and K in parts 1 & 2.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

How do your corals look? Chasing numbers is one thing, but at the cost of all the dosing products, and dosing gear a good quality salt and simple water changes might do you better. Plus you are only dosing the big elements, trace elements are probably dropping as well and not getting replenished.

They are Acro frags. 4 of them have browned. The rest are coloring up and many have dully extended polyps. I swear I can see growth already on several pieces. I have a cap that has already grown into a rock.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

How do your corals look? Chasing numbers is one thing, but at the cost of all the dosing products, and dosing gear a good quality salt and simple water changes might do you better. Plus you are only dosing the big elements, trace elements are probably dropping as well and not getting replenished.

I have also have been doing larger weekly water changes. I just set up AWC on this tank I’m doing a little over 20% a week or 1.5g per day.

 

[Waters]

As a matter of fact o have noticed that. It’s clumping, but, when I touch it, it falls apart.

That is probably where your ALK demand increase is going to then. If you were to leave those clumps alone, they would be like solid concrete eventually....especially underneath the rockwork.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

That is probably where your ALK demand increase is going to then. If you were to leave those clumps alone, they would be like solid concrete eventually....especially underneath the rockwork.

So back off the amount being doses? There is a fine line between chasing numbers and not wanting to have a DKH they lives in the low 6 range, which if I don’t dose in higher amounts is where my DKH winds up in about 3 hours.

I assume I should get in there and make sure it is all broken up and loose?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I also have heavy coralline on the rocks, and I assume a good % of the increased uptake is going to that.

 

[Waters]

So back off the amount being doses? There is a fine line between chasing numbers and not wanting to have a DKH they lives in the low 6 range, which if I don’t dose in higher amounts is where my DKH winds up in about 3 hours.

I assume I should get in there and make sure it is all broken up and loose?

Unfortunately you can't back off otherwise your ALK will remain low. I have not found a solution other than to go BB on all tanks going forward. You can try keeping the sand stirred weekly which will help.