New Cycle - Low Alk, Ca, pH?

[aaron186]

I have a new tank that I’m cycling. It’s 100 gal with new dry Marco rock, special grade live sand, marine pure in the sump with a reef octo elite protein skimmer that has been running and lights that are off. Tank has been cycled for a little over a month now and was started with ammonia chloride and Fritz turbo start.

I’m using Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt that mixed to 35 ppm and DkH of fresh batch is 7.1 on my Hanna checker and Ca of 420 on Red Sea

I just did a set of tests on my tank and my numbers (confirmed twice) are:
DkH: 5.5
Calcium: 380
pH:7.5
NH3: 0 ish on Salifert
Nitrate: 5 on Hanna
Salinity: 35 on a Milwaukee and my refractometer

The lights have been off, there’s no visible coralline or any other signs of ugly stuff. Where did the calcium and alk go? Should I do a water change? Should I start dosing the tank now before I have any animals in the tank? Any suggestions how to fix the pH? I plan on doing BRS 2 part hybrid balling with soda ash. Will this get my pH up to 8.3?

 

[Hats_]

the alk and pH is because of the ammonia breaking down, this releases free hydrogen ions which then lowers the pH. since your alkalinity partially buffers the pH it goes down as well. calcium isnt that low, only 40ppm lower than it should be. you can dose some form of 2 part to get it back where it should be. waterchange would take quite a big water change to get it back up

 

[dangles]

I have a new tank that I’m cycling. It’s 100 gal with new dry Marco rock, special grade live sand, marine pure in the sump with a reef octo elite protein skimmer that has been running and lights that are off. Tank has been cycled for a little over a month now and was started with ammonia chloride and Fritz turbo start.

I’m using Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt that mixed to 35 ppm and DkH of fresh batch is 7.1 on my Hanna checker and Ca of 420 on Red Sea

I just did a set of tests on my tank and my numbers (confirmed twice) are:
DkH: 5.5
Calcium: 380
pH:7.5
NH3: 0 ish on Salifert
Nitrate: 5 on Hanna
Salinity: 35 on a Milwaukee and my refractometer

The lights have been off, there’s no visible coralline or any other signs of ugly stuff. Where did the calcium and alk go? Should I do a water change? Should I start dosing the tank now before I have any animals in the tank? Any suggestions how to fix the pH? I plan on doing BRS 2 part hybrid balling with soda ash. Will this get my pH up to 8.3?

I had this same issue when I first cycled my tank. Same salt, same rock/sand, (nearly) same cycle method, same parameters. I wasn’t adding corals for a while so I didn’t worry too much about it but I was really confused.

With regular water changes it eventually corrected after a month or so. It was weird though. The only thing I could figure was that it was a result of my tank sitting with sw for about a month before I started the cycle and the alk was being reduced by CO2 in the room but ultimately I don’t have an answer lol

 

[Hats_]

I had this same issue when I first cycled my tank. Same salt, same rock/sand, (nearly) same cycle method, same parameters. I wasn’t adding corals for a while so I didn’t worry too much about it but I was really confused.

With regular water changes it eventually corrected after a month or so. It was weird though. The only thing I could figure was that it was a result of my tank sitting with sw for about a month before I started the cycle and the alk was being reduced by CO2 in the room but ultimately I don’t have an answer lol

i mean, the cycle will start on its own in a week or so, breaking down organics in the tank. The whole bacteria in a bottle just speeds the process up a bit. CO2 will certainly lower your pH and thus in turn your alk

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, the calcium change is likely some combination of test error, salinity differences between the tank and new salt water, and some possible precipitation of calcium carbonate.

No additive will get you to pH 8.3 until you have strong daily demand for calcum carbonate by corals and such. if you want ph higher now, you'll need other methods , such as aeration with lower CO2 air, growing macroalgae, and keeping alk higher.

 

[aaron186]

FWIW, the calcium change is likely some combination of test error, salinity differences between the tank and new salt water, and some possible precipitation of calcium carbonate.

No additive will get you to pH 8.3 until you have strong daily demand for calcum carbonate by corals and such. if you want ph higher now, you'll need other methods , such as aeration with lower CO2 air, growing macroalgae, and keeping alk higher.

Thanks. I turned on my refugium this weekend but there’s just a small ball of chaeto in there right now. Is there any benefit to chasing a higher pH right now?

 

[Hats_]

Thanks. I turned on my refugium this weekend but there’s just a small ball of chaeto in there right now. Is there any benefit to chasing a higher pH right now?

you have no livetock yet right? gotta be careful not to starve the chaeto

 

[aaron186]

you have no livetock yet right? gotta be careful not to starve the chaeto

I put pods in and I’m dosing phytoplankton from algea barn. Clowns and royal gramma are about to finish quarantine early this week

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks. I turned on my refugium this weekend but there’s just a small ball of chaeto in there right now. Is there any benefit to chasing a higher pH right now?

There may be a benefit, but I'd wait for now. It takes a fair amount of effort in most cases, since high CO2 home air trues to keep the pH low.

 

[aaron186]

There may be a benefit, but I'd wait for now. It takes a fair amount of effort in most cases, since high CO2 home air trues to keep the pH low.

Thank you. I’m considering getting a CO2 scrubber too but space under my stand is already tight

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Thank you. I’m considering getting a CO2 scrubber too but space under my stand is already tight

Randy said: "some possible precipitation of calcium carbonate." - FWIW - I see this with new tanks, added substrate and new bare rock. - Others said tank cycle: I see new tanks that just need parameter adjustments - not water changes. I let the bacteria grow and do a small vinegar dose starting with 2-drops and stopping at 1-ml per 20-gallons a day forever. I do not start off with high vinegar dosing as I usually create a bacteria bloom. I do remove the surface sludge.


Probably happens !