Importance of Alk and Softies. What role does it play in general overall health? How much alk are you using daily in your Softy dominant reefs?

[Scuba Mike]

Jumping in on this thread rather than start a new one. I have 2 softie tanks and 50gal corner tank and a 75 gallon 4ft tank. My Alk is bouncing up and down and I am chasing it with Sodium BiCarb and want to switch to All For Reef. In the 75 I was dosing 30Ml AFR each night to try to keep up.

I have a healthy growth of coraline on the rocks and what I think is it on the back wall. Can I scrape the back walls clean, do a large WC to suck it out and see if that will reduce my need for dosing? If it makes it easier to keep tank in balance I do not mind looking at the black back wall of the tank.

I do not mind dosing and have a pump I will set up soon as I can get a dose dialed in.

Mike

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Jumping in on this thread rather than start a new one. I have 2 softie tanks and 50gal corner tank and a 75 gallon 4ft tank. My Alk is bouncing up and down and I am chasing it with Sodium BiCarb and want to switch to All For Reef. In the 75 I was dosing 30Ml AFR each night to try to keep up.

I have a healthy growth of coraline on the rocks and what I think is it on the back wall. Can I scrape the back walls clean, do a large WC to suck it out and see if that will reduce my need for dosing? If it makes it easier to keep tank in balance I do not mind looking at the black back wall of the tank.

What is the daily alk demand?

There is no reason for alk to jump up and down dosing sodium bicarbonate with a pump.

I personally much prefer the look of coralline to clean/algae on back glass, but its fine to remove it and I'd be curious to know how much the alk demand drops by removing it.

 

[Scuba Mike]

Randy, the 70 uses .3 calc a day. I have been dosing by hand but have a pump to hook up.
The 50 uses .3 a day as well. I think I will just leave the coraline on the back.

Any suggestions for a starting dose on All For Reef? and if I need to boost Alk while ramping up the dose is it OK to use the Sodium Bicarb as needed?

Mike