Huge Alk Drop, Bring up Slow or Fast? All Zoa Tank

[SqueezyLemon]

I have a 120 gallon aquarium with all zoanthids. Recently noticed my scrambled eggs melting so did some water tests and shockingly my Alk was crazy low! Should I bring it up slowly or fast? I just did a 15 gallon water change! I have tons of zoas in there and I wouldn’t like their fate to be the same as the scrambled eggs!

Temp: 78

Specific Gravity: 1.021

PH: 8.3

Phosphates: 0.5

KH/Alk: 5.4

Nitrates: 5-10

Calcium 450

Magnesium 1200

 

[Oscar47f]

Jesus the alk is low... most people tell you that softies and zoas don’t consume all that much but they can ! My alk drops over .2 dkh per day usually around .5 which is crazy for just softies... anyways maybe raise your salinity slowly to 1.026 that should help bump up those other levels slowly and slowly bring up that alk... I’ve never had it that low but I’m a believer in slow changes... maybe someone else can further help just my .02 cents

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Jesus the alk is low... most people tell you that softies and zoas don’t consume all that much but they can ! My alk drops over .2 dkh per day usually around .5 which is crazy for just softies... anyways maybe raise your salinity slowly to 1.026 that should help bump up those other levels slowly and slowly bring up that alk... I’ve never had it that low but I’m a believer in slow changes... maybe someone else can further help just my .02 cents

Thanks for the input Oscar, will definitely also be raising the salinity!

 

[blasterman]

Softies might not be sucking that much alk.

Again, alk is consumed by uncountable biologic processes in your tank. Bacteria and algae blooms are typically the culprits. Usually tanks over 6months old without SPS have stable alk, but unlike calcium alk can suddenly change without warning. Think of a room full of 5yr old kids....and you throw them a head of broccoli and a bag of candy bars. Guess which one will be consumed first?

You can safely correct 1 point of dKH per day without issue. A box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator and you are done. Im more concrrned about what caused the alk dive.

 

[danieyella]

How often are you checking your alk? Was this a gradual decline over time or a sudden dive? I notice my tank seems to consume alk a bit faster than ca or mag so I have it set up on a doser, it's the one thing I test for at least biweekly to ensure it's still on track.

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Softies might not be sucking that much alk.

Again, alk is consumed by uncountable biologic processes in your tank. Bacteria and algae blooms are typically the culprits. Usually tanks over 6months old without SPS have stable alk, but unlike calcium alk can suddenly change without warning. Think of a room full of 5yr old kids....and you throw them a head of broccoli and a bag of candy bars. Guess which one will be consumed first?

You can safely correct 1 point of dKH per day without issue. A box of baking soda, some measuring spoons and the online reef calculator and you are done. Im more concrrned about what caused the alk dive.

Very informative thank you, I have no idea what caused the major drop especially in an all zoa tank. There were no algae blooms..

 

[SqueezyLemon]

How often are you checking your alk? Was this a gradual decline over time or a sudden dive? I notice my tank seems to consume alk a bit faster than ca or mag so I have it set up on a doser, it's the one thing I test for at least biweekly to ensure it's still on track.

I test once every 4-6 weeks unfortunately, but I seen my zoas close up and melt a bit so I retested yesterday. I will be testing daily now as I am trying to get it back up. Will let everyone know the test result after work!

 

[danieyella]

I test once every 4-6 weeks unfortunately, but I seen my zoas close up and melt a bit so I retested yesterday. I will be testing daily now as I am trying to get it back up. Will let everyone know the test result after work!

I had a coralline growth spurt at one time and both my alk and mag plummeted when that happened. Good luck pulling it back up!

 

[AcanthurusRex]

Based on the other parameters this looks like a testing error. Best not to overreact.

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Based on the other parameters this looks like a testing error. Best not to overreact.

Will post new test result in 12 hours

 

[Huenemedoe]

Following along, I just found out my alk was about 5.6 yesterday as well. Raised it .7 dkh yesterday and did another .6 dkh this morning.

Curious as to what salt you are using though and if you are dosing to get those mag and cal levels? I had never seen such low salinity with such good cal.

 

[SqueezyLemon]

I am only dosing Essential Elements, Coral Vite, Coral Accel. And I am using Reef Crystals. Usually 10 Gallon water change every 5-6 weeks.

 

[Oscar47f]

Ahhh reef crystals runs high alk You’re far off lol but after you get it to the correct height I would look into dosing alk either by using kalk, 2 part, or all for reef

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Okay the test is finished and it’s between 7.3 to 7.7. I’d say 7.5. That’s after 15 gallon water change.

 

[AcanthurusRex]

I would check out the reef chemistry section. In normal calcification about 20-30ppm Ca is used per dKh. If you started at around 8dKh and dropped several points that would imply that the Ca was over 500ppm, does not look reasonable.

 

[piranhaman00]

Why is your salinity so low?

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Maybe the Calcium test was off will test both again after work!

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Why is your salinity so low?

Over time pulling out water and having it replenished by rodi water drops it I try to keep it at 1.023 and made the water change saltier to achieve it

 

[piranhaman00]

Over time pulling out water and having it replenished by rodi water drops it I try to keep it at 1.023 and made the water change saltier to achieve it

Thats still too low, you want 1.026

 

[SqueezyLemon]

Will work on getting it up slowly probably tomorrow will try to get it up .001 again.