Just did my First DKH test and....

[mimi117]

Tested today, I am at 10.2 dkh, so I am averaging between .3-.4 in consumption a day, so far.

 

[tbrown]

Tested today, I am at 10.2 dkh, so I am averaging between .3-.4 in consumption a day, so far.

An easier way to do this can be to dose to the desired level, test to confirm, then let it ride for 4 days or so and retest at approximately the same time of day and get a daily average from that.

Once you have that average, set up the dosing calendar for your tank and let it ride for another 4 or 5 days and verify the levels, adjust as needed from there, and repeat until dialed in.

 

[mimi117]

@tbrown, word - well I have tested the past 3 days, so far averaging .3-.4 dkh decrease per day.

I set up my doser to dose 5ML per hour of kalkwasser, I know its not much and may not even do anything to the tank but I'll test tomorrow and see if it decreased or increased with the dosage.

Res should last me 12 days, my evap rate is .33 gallons per day, so I am dosing 10% of my evap rate, starting low and slow.

 

[Shirak]

@tbrown, word - well I have tested the past 3 days, so far averaging .3-.4 dkh decrease per day.

I set up my doser to dose 5ML per hour of kalkwasser, I know its not much and may not even do anything to the tank but I'll test tomorrow and see if it decreased or increased with the dosage.

Res should last me 12 days, my evap rate is .33 gallons per day, so I am dosing 10% of my evap rate, starting low and slow.

Home test kits have a margin of error.

Your previous statement "I have a few small corals in the tank, some zoanthids and a few acan frags, nothing major" leads me to think your thought of .3-.4 alk consumption/day is likely just testing error.

 

[mimi117]

If that is the case that would be it would be 3+ testing errors, first day it was 10.9, 2nd day was 10.5, today was 10.2, it makes sense that it would be decreasing, but what you are saying is that you believe all 3 tests were testing errors where there was just small decreases of solution difference in my test and really I am not losing alk per day since I only have a few corals, is that correct @Shirak ?

 

[tbrown]

I believe what he is stating is that, due to the low demand for alkalinity in your system, it is unlikely that the alkalinity is dropping that quickly. Alkalinity is typically taken up by hard corals (SPS/LPS). There are other things that will use some I assume (maybe coralline algae and other calcerous algaes) but the bulk will be for skeletal growth in corals.

 

[tbrown]

Also, if, as you stated previously, you are dosing white vinegar, there can be some drop from the acidity there.

 

[Shirak]

No not testing error. Just a word of caution about drawing conclusions on test kits which have a margin of error and over a few day period with a few tests. I have no doubt it's dropping but I think it's premature to claim .3-.4 dkh/day. The salifert test kit is good but tiny variations in sample size or making a judgement on what's left in the syringe and if you hit the end point on the color change etc all play a part in what you 'report' as your current Alk.

Keep on testing as you have and make a log of date and results so you can follow trends and stay within a range over time vs trying to hit exact numbers. For my Goni garden I look to keep alk between 8 - 8.5dkh. I test a few times a week and if it's in there then I leave things alone.

 

[mimi117]

I am not dosing vinegar yet, still researching the benefits and all that. I do plan to dose it but I am tackling 1 thing at a time, right now its stabilizing dkh, and trying to see what I need to do to get ph to 8.3 (even though I know a lot of people say not to chase it), once I get my alk stable where its not really going down, I'll look at dosing white vinegar, I still have very small amount of nitrite in my water it's almost blue on the api test kit, once its blue, I'll test my nitrates, and go from there with the white vinegar.

Fed my acans some Restor mixed with some Reef Roids earlier, they are fat and plumpy right now, this is the best they have ever looked today. Just started my 5ml per hour dose of kalk, will report back tomorrow and the days/weeks to follow.

Protein Skimmer should be here soon :), also - I bought some phyto and tiger pods, going to start a small culture farm :) will post pics soon!

 

[mimi117]

Just checked my alk, I am at 10dkh, I am dosing 5ML per hour of alk started yesterday.
I'll keep my log for the next week to see where I am at day to day.

Protein Skimmer just came in, setting it up now!

Checked my PH, I am at 7.9 stable, once I dial in my settings I'll more then likely need to up my kalk dose to at least 10ml per hour or more, maybe that will take me to 8.0ph+

 

[BryanM]

I dipped my zoanthids yesterday in h202, straight 3% for about 1-2 mins, they are all closed up, and they have this thin grey like film hanging from the tissue almost looks like they "shed" their outer layer, they aren't melting, and it might just be dead algae, but its flapping around the polyps and I am sure its irritating them, I'll take them out tomorrow to see if I can scrub that off and put them back, that h202 dip completely decimated all that algae and the frag plus they are on are completely white now, shows how nasty they were before.

I've dipped corals in h2o2 before, but it was always diluted... I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to use straight 3% h2o2... the instructions I read for zoas say to use 250ml of h2o2 in to a liter of seawater/tank water.

 

[rishma]

I don’t know your tank size but assume it’s something small like 25 gallon? 5ml/hr of 1/2tsp per gallon Kalk is something less that 0.05 dKH alkalinity added per day. I’m not sure you’ll even notice it.

But, I think starting slow is a great idea.

 

[mimi117]

Yea appreciate that, can't hurt anything going slower :) I'll keep testing!

 

[LPS_guy]

Ok

 

[mimi117]

9.6 dkh today, looks like dosing 5 ML is having little effect, tomorrow will start doing 10ml per and go from there, I'll keep testing and documenting.

 

[mimi117]

Also update, I tested my phosphate right now, just got in the salifert kit, it is registering 0, or undetectable.

I feed 2-4 times a day, moderately, have a pretty heavy fish load in the 20 gallon, 2 clown fish, 3 small chromis, 1 bi-color blenny and 1 yellow watchman goby, they are always eager to eat.

Even feeding Pellets and frozen Mysis daily for the past weeks, registering no phosphate, last water change was probably over a week ago, trying not to change the water until my dkh/dosing set up is stable.

 

[mimi117]

Quick vid of the reef! Can you spot the Yellow Watchmen & The Bi-Color Blenny?

 

[tbrown]

Phosphates can be non detectable for a bit while the rock and sand is equalizing with the water. Until they're phosphate bound, they'll potentially consume more than your algae will.

 

[mimi117]

Interesting what caused my small algae growth on my rocks, I was assuming it was high phosphates, I was dosing 1 capful every morning for like 4 days of Stability, and I think the bacteria caused a small algae bloom, it's very "film" like on the rocks, slimy, it's not growing vertically yet.

I was using higher white spectrum, now I am at 22% on the AI at full power.

Mainly just blues and violet now, I think this is helping.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Interesting what caused my small algae growth on my rocks, I was assuming it was high phosphates, I was dosing 1 capful every morning for like 4 days of Stability, and I think the bacteria caused a small algae bloom, it's very "film" like on the rocks, slimy, it's not growing vertically yet.

I was using higher white spectrum, now I am at 22% on the AI at full power.

Mainly just blues and violet now, I think this is helping.

Nothing “causes” algae by itself. Algae need at least a dozen different elements, one of which is P. If they have enough of each of these to grow, having more does not make them grow faster.