Lowest dkh for sps.

[Wildreefs]

Just started adding some acro frags to my tank which has been running about 7 months now.

added them two weeks ago, look fine. Checked my alk today and it’s 6!

Used Hannah, and salifert. Instant ocean salt, I don’t have any coraline or many corals (10 frags ) in this 180.

not sure where all the alk is going. Chaeto, phosgard?

 

[sfairtx]

When had you last tested it before it was 6? What was it then?

 

[Wildreefs]

First time testing. Was a fish only until two weeks ago.

 

[R33fedOut]

I had the same issue about 2 months ago. Started dosing two part and parameters have been stable and corals look better than they ever have!

 

[sfairtx]

Hard to say then if anything “caused it.” You may have been running low the whole time. You definitely want to bring that up to at least 8. Need to check you water at least once a week now that you are adding corals. You want to get that to 8 then make sure your parameters are stable. Acro’s are a tough coral to start with and demand good and stable water. Welcome to the world of corals!

 

[Wildreefs]

Hard to say then if anything “caused it.” You may have been running low the whole time. You definitely want to bring that up to at least 8. Need to check you water at least once a week now that you are adding corals. You want to get that to 8 then make sure your parameters are stable. Acro’s are a tough coral to start with and demand good and stable water. Welcome to the world of corals!

thank you, I’ve had many tanks before , last was a 180 before I moved with about 50 acros and montis in it. Always had IO mix up 9-10, never had it at 6 before. Was always worrried about being too high, not too low.

will stable 6 kill them until I gradually raise it up?

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

I keep my alk at 6.5-7 and they do well. I have let it drop to 5.5-6 by mistake and saw no real issue, I just made sure to increase it slowly.

 

[sfairtx]

What James said. Shouldn’t kill them and raise it slowly. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Wildreefs]

Will do. I have two suspects, well 3. Batches of IO I have been getting are much lower than the 10 I had over the summer. Or, I just started using phosgard as well as chaeto.
Lastly, I d have a lot of fish, maybe that’s driving the alk down more than I thought

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

One reason I will never use instant ocean brand with acros. Too unreliable with levels from batch to batch. Switched over to tropic Marin and will never look back

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

One reason I will never use instant ocean brand with acros. Too unreliable with levels from batch to batch. Switched over to tropic Marin and will never look back

Yep I use TM Pro for years and love it. Always mixes up clean and at my desired levels.

 

[Crustaceon]

One reason I will never use instant ocean brand with acros. Too unreliable with levels from batch to batch. Switched over to tropic Marin and will never look back

No kidding. I had blue bucket I/O that mixed at 14dkh!!! Eeeek!!! Go go gadget alk swing.

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

Yep I use TM Pro for years and love it. Always mixes up clean and at my desired levels.

Exactly what I use and such a good mixing salt as you stated

 

[Rmckoy]

One reason I will never use instant ocean brand with acros. Too unreliable with levels from batch to batch. Switched over to tropic Marin and will never look back

I’ve never had a issue with salinity ( aqua vitro )
I have used io and reef crystals ,
Even the orange box Kent reef salt .
I prefer salinity so far

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

I’ve never had a issue with salinity ( aqua vitro )
I have used io and reef crystals ,
Even the orange box Kent reef salt .
I prefer salinity so far

It's not the salinity that is unreliable, it's the alk and calcium levels which vary greatly from box to box. With acros, the key is stability, which I unfortunately couldn't achieve. Tropic Marin is pharmaceutical grade which to me, notice the same levels from bucket to bucket

 

[Phildago]

Mine usually sits around 7 and things look great. Might not be optimal, but it works

 

[Sallstrom]

We have as low as 5,7 at times when the consumption goes up and we haven't adjusted the addetives. No signs of corals suffering what I've seen. 6-6,5 dKH is where we usually are in our reef tanks. I'm more afraid of high KH :)

 

[Zeal]

Guy in our local club keeps his alk around 5-6 and he grows SPS like absolute weeds

 

[Dorsetsteve]

A stable Alkalinity is far more important than the value, within reason.

If you can maintain appropriate PH values at 6dKH and it’s stable it’s of no concern. Personally I shoot for around 7.5dkh with anything between 7 and 8 being what I consider ideal, it does move a few tenths over the week.

You should view your Alkalinity as part of a balance that includes your calcium and magnesium. Your going to need to measure and maintain all three going forward, supplementing them is simple and can be cheap so it’s probably good to get to grips with that now whilst your consumption of these elements are low.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

I’m not sure if you checked your salinity. But if you mix with a lower salinity that may be why. Recheck your Refractometer and recalibrate?