Is my alkalinity too high?

[gooicide]

Hello, Reef2Reef. This is my first post here. To start off, I wouldn't call myself a complete beginner, because I have had a saltwater tank in the past, which I shut down because I didn't have the money. (I was only 15 at the time.) But I am certainly not an expert. So, stupid question. Now, I have just started up my second saltwater tank, a 37G, and it is currently going through the cycling period. I have tested for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, calcium, salinity, and alkalinity, and so far all of the levels are good, except for alkalinity. (pH is 8.0, calcium is 450, salinity is 1.025) Alkalinity is 11.5; is that too high, or do I not have to worry about it? I'm waiting to start dosing kalkwasser until both my calcium and alkalinity are at the right levels. Do I need to change anything?

 

[reeferfoxx]

That is normal for some salt mixes. Let me guess, reef crystals?

 

[gooicide]

That is normal for some salt mixes. Let me guess, reef crystals?

Yes.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Normal.

 

[North Borders]

That alk will be high if you're running low nutrients at the start. Softies and stuff would probably be ok, but I'd avoid SPS for a while.

 

[donnievaz]

You shouldn't have to start dosing until you have something in there to consume the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium.

 

[gooicide]

Normal.

So nothing has to change?

 

[gooicide]

That alk will be high if you're running low nutrients at the start. Softies and stuff would probably be ok, but I'd avoid SPS for a while.

Sorry, but what do you mean by running low nutrients? I apologize for being an idiot.

 

[North Borders]

Well, when you first start up your water will be mostly lacking nitrates and phosphates due to no feeding and no livestock. Corals, especially SPS need SOME nutrients in the water or they 'starve'. High alk with adequate lighting promotes rapid growth in stonies, but if there's no nutrients there to fuel their growth they starve quickly and will typically bleach out and die. If you stick to easy corals (GSP, Kenya tree, Zoas, mushrooms etc...) in the beginning, that alk level would probably be ok.

 

[gooicide]

Well, when you first start up your water will be mostly lacking nitrates and phosphates due to no feeding and no livestock. Corals, especially SPS need SOME nutrients in the water or they 'starve'. High alk with adequate lighting promotes rapid growth in stonies, but if there's no nutrients there to fuel their growth they starve quickly and will typically bleach out and die. If you stick to easy corals (GSP, Kenya tree, Zoas, mushrooms etc...) in the beginning, that alk level would probably be ok.

I was planning on starting out with zoas, mushrooms, kenya tree, and a devil's finger. I figured if those did well I would move on to LPS (favites) and then SPS (birdsnest and monti cap). Of course, the SPS are not going to be the first thing I put in my tank. I will give the softies some time before I put anything stony in the tank. I was planning on doing fish and inverts before corals anyway, because that's something I know I can do.

 

[North Borders]

Sounds good! When you get to the point of thinking about SPS, a good 'test' frag is a birdsnest. If it survives for a month then you're probably ready for other stuff.

 

[gooicide]

Sounds good! When you get to the point of thinking about SPS, a good 'test' frag is a birdsnest. If it survives for a month then you're probably ready for other stuff.

Okay, cool. I also have a quarantine tank set up, in which I will put my fish, shrimps (pistol and cleaner), feather duster, and sea urchin in for one week and corals for two weeks. Another question- when transferring a critter from the QT to the main tank, do you have to acclimate again?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Okay, cool. I also have a quarantine tank set up, in which I will put my fish, shrimps (pistol and cleaner), feather duster, and sea urchin in for one week and corals for two weeks. Another question- when transferring a critter from the QT to the main tank, do you have to acclimate again?

Yes.

 

[North Borders]

Depends. If all the parameters are extremely close, generally not. Alk, pH, temp and salinity are the big ones. But, it never hurts to acclimate to be safe.