Known effects for UV sterilization effecting PH and All for Reef?

[LRT]

Kind of perplexed and looking for some knowledge as to what could be happening.
Been running All for Reef and UV since I set my tank up. Numbers have been solidly within acceptable ranges.
ALK 8-8.5
CAL 350-450
MAG 1350-1450
Ph 8.0- 8.3 through light schedule.
Removed UV sterilizer somewhere around 2 weeks ago and everything's gone crazy.
Slow Alk consumption creeper up to 10.
PH has lowered to 7.7-7.9
Calcium depleted to around 200ppm all during this time.
Could there be some kind of bacterial reaction happening with All for Reef dosing since I took UV offline? Nothing else has changed during this time.

 

[Projects with Sam]

I'm new to all this but your hunch sounds plausible.

 

[LRT]

Really wish I knew what was going on especially with PH. Over the last week I've gotten Cal back up to 400ppm
MAG sitting around 1500ppm
Alk 8.2
PH isn't budging for me. I've recalibrate my pinpoint and had it 3rd party tested and it's for sure stuck in lower numbers.

I'm curious if this may correct itself over next week or so while A4R settles back without UV on system.

 

[dvgyfresh]

That’s definitely strange! I know alk in AFR has to be broken down so it’s not immediate , could the UV being taken offline have the bacteria population growing - competing for oxygen - lowering ph - and causing alk to be broken down quicker without been used ? All hypothetical I really have no idea lol

 

[LRT]

That’s definitely strange! I know alk in AFR has to be broken down so it’s not immediate , could the UV being taken offline have the bacteria population growing - competing for oxygen - lowering ph - and causing alk to be broken down quicker without been used ? All hypothetical I really have no idea lol

It's very interesting and all I can really think. I haven't experienced any kind of water column blooms. I have to imagine it's exactly whats going on.

 

[Garf]

Kind of perplexed and looking for some knowledge as to what could be happening.
Been running All for Reef and UV since I set my tank up. Numbers have been solidly within acceptable ranges.
ALK 8-8.5
CAL 350-450
MAG 1350-1450
Ph 8.0- 8.3 through light schedule.
Removed UV sterilizer somewhere around 2 weeks ago and everything's gone crazy.
Slow Alk consumption creeper up to 10.
PH has lowered to 7.7-7.9
Calcium depleted to around 200ppm all during this time.
Could there be some kind of bacterial reaction happening with All for Reef dosing since I took UV offline? Nothing else has changed during this time.

Calcium can’t really be 200ppm, can it?

 

[LRT]

Calcium can’t really be 200ppm, can it?

Had it dbl checked at 2 different lfs. One told me it's likely lower as the color changed almost immediately. The other told me 200ppm ish.
I know that doesn't sound right. My Alk was 10.2 Dkh with Cal that low.
Which is leading me to some kind of wierd bacterial shift in water column.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Had it dbl checked at 2 different lfs. One told me it's likely lower as the color changed almost immediately. The other told me 200ppm ish.
I know that doesn't sound right. My Alk was 10.2 Dkh with Cal that low.
Which is leading me to some kind of wierd bacterial shift in water column.

I think that it has to be it , uv stabilized bacteria biome and after turning off they now have free reign , it will balance itself out again , just an initial bloom

 

[LRT]

I think that it has to be it , uv stabilized bacteria biome and after turning off they now have free reign , it will balance itself out again , just an initial bloom

Kind of where I'm leaning and hoping for! I've been dosing Cal from Aquavitro all week to get it back up. Just barely dosed A4R for first time all week to get Alk back up from 7.3 -8.2.
Mag hasn't ran this high since I originally dosed it at the beginning until A4R started keeping it within range during first cpl weeks.
Taking UV offline def caused some kind of wierd imbalance. Guess I'm going to have to watch it until it works itself out.
Really hoping PH comes back up over this next week!

 

[LRT]

Also this tank has never seen A4R without UV until I took it offline. So this is what has me leaning towards some kind of wierd bacterial shift!

 

[Garf]

I’ve still got a problem with the calcium being that low. Calcium is consumed at 7ish ppm for each Alkalinity DKH. So how on earth could it have consumed 30Dkh of Alkalinity, but the Alk went up.

 

[LRT]

I’ve still got a problem with the calcium being that low. Calcium is consumed at 7ish ppm for each Alkalinity DKH. So how on earth could it have consumed 30Dkh of Alkalinity, but the Alk went up.

This is where I'm perplexed. I know it doesn't make sense and I'm leaning towards some kind wierd bacterial/a4r imbalance since I took UV offline.
Since I caught what was happening last Sunday I've been dosing Calcium back up to 400 range. Not dosing A4R and allowing Alk to drift back down which it did.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't think it is likely the UV is having this effect, and calcium cannot be 200 ppm and did not jump 200 ppm.

When in doubt, test error is nearly always the most likely explanation for unusual results.

 

[LRT]

I don't think it is likely the UV is having this effect, and calcium cannot be 200 ppm and did not jump 200 ppm.

When in doubt, test error is nearly always the most likely explanation for unusual results.

I did doubt the low Cal but had it verified by 2 different lfs.
I've been dosing Aquavitro Calcification since Sunday bringing it back inline to 400 range and had that verified this morning.
Cal could have been running low as it was. I haven't checked that in over a month until last Sunday.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I did doubt the low Cal but had it verified by 2 different lfs.
I've been dosing Aquavitro Calcification since Sunday bringing it back inline to 400 range and had that verified this morning.
Cal could have been running low as it was. I haven't checked that in over a month until last Sunday.

Uh oh. everything else aside, calcification might lead to alk instability because you may have added a big time bomb that may boost alk through the roof if the gluconate gets metabolized. Not a good product, IMO.

 

[LRT]

Uh oh. everything else aside, calcification might lead to alk instability because you may have added a big time bomb that may boost alk through the roof if the gluconate gets metabolized. Not a good product, IMO.

Thanks for heads up. If it's not one thing it's another! I'll keep a real close eye on Alk. If a bomb does goes off how long does it typically take for that to happen?
I'm already making water and thinking about doing a 25% water change just to be safe.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks for heads up. If it's not one thing it's another! I'll keep a real close eye on Alk. If a bomb does goes off how long does it typically take for that to happen?
I'm already making water and thinking about doing a 25% water change just to be safe.

I don’t know. It depends on whether bacteria in the tank are already good at metabolizing gluconate, or if those few that do need to multiply up in numbers first. A day? A few days?

 

[LRT]

I don’t know. It depends on whether bacteria in the tank are already good at metabolizing gluconate, or if those few that do need to multiply up in numbers first. A day? A few days?

Thanks Randy. Stopped dosing the Aquavitro Calcification yesterday. A little worried now and going to keep a close eye on Alk for next week or so. I wouldnt be surprised at all if something does pop up. I dont fully understand the bacterial process that happens with A4R. But judging from the low Alk usage and wierd numbers I'm assuming it's going through some kind of process since I took UV offline and A4R re settles back in.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy. Stopped dosing the Aquavitro Calcification yesterday. A little worried now and going to keep a close eye on Alk for next week or so. I wouldnt be surprised at all if something does pop up. I dont fully understand the bacterial process that happens with A4R. But judging from the low Alk usage and wierd numbers I'm assuming it's going through some kind of process since I took UV offline and A4R re settles back in.

OK, be sure to let us know what happens in the next couple of weeks.