Problem with Alk

[Magic031707]

Hello,

I am wondering what is going on with my alk. It has been climbing without dosing. The tank going on 15 months. I got it to 8.3 and it will continue to rise if I don't intervene. I have to dose murtic acid to bring it back down. I let it go for one week and it got up to 11.6. I bring it back down slowly. I do have about 20 coral frags. I tested nitrates every day for a week, and they have been hanging around 11-13ppm. I know if Nitrates are dropping that may cause alk to increase.

250 gallon w/ 1.5 inch sandbed
Salinity 1.026
Ph 8.0
Phos 0.05ppm
Nitrates 12ppm
Alk currently 8.7
Cal 450
Mag 1380

 

[twentyleagues]

What salt do you use? Are you doing water changes? If you are what are the parameters of that water when fresh mixed? What test kits? Ro/di or tap?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are you dosing anything? Some calcium supplements add alk, but the manufacturer fails to tell its customers.

 

[Magic031707]

What salt do you use? Are you doing water changes? If you are what are the parameters of that water when fresh mixed? What test kits? Ro/di or tap?

Started out with red sea and switched to fritz for the higher Mag but when I did 2 water changes the fresh saltwater parameters were off. Alk is 7 Cal is 390 and Mag 1290, so I order a bucket of Nyos and I'm see how that does. Yes, water change every week at 10%. Rodi water is used. Hanna for alk, nitrates and phosphates ( do have Salifert as backups and the Alk is pretty much inline with the Hanna. Salifert for cal and Mag.

 

[Magic031707]

Are you dosing anything? Some calcium supplements add alk, but the manufacturer fails to tell its customers.

I am dosing 50ml per day of esv liquid Mag to get to 1400ppm, nothing else. But, I did have to dose Phosphates about 10 days ago to get above the .03 threshold.

 

[Spare time]

Started out with red sea and switched to fritz for the higher Mag but when I did 2 water changes the fresh saltwater parameters were off. Alk is 7 Cal is 390 and Mag 1290, so I order a bucket of Nyos and I'm see how that does. Yes, water change every week at 10%. Rodi water is used. Hanna for alk, nitrates and phosphates ( do have Salifert as backups and the Alk is pretty much inline with the Hanna. Salifert for cal and Mag.

Out of curiosity, why are you worried about magnesium? There isn't a salt that has a "better" magnesium level compared to another imo

 

[Magic031707]

Out of curiosity, why are you worried about magnesium? There isn't a salt that has a "better" magnesium level compared to another imo

Based on some other reefer views and experiences they said torches usually does better in that range. Torches are my weaknesses so I want the best for them. I could do a whole tank of torches and be just happy. I am noticing they are extending a little more

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

These are the things that can generally lead to rising alk:

1. Water changes with a mix higher in alk than the tank.
2. Declining nitrate as it declines via consumption (2.3 dKH for each 50 ppm of nitrate consumed)
3. Top off with tap water that contains alk
4. Addition of something containing alkalinity, even if you do not know it (Seachem Reef Calcium is an example)
5. Very slow dissolution of rock and sand down inside it where pH is low due to degradation of organics. This one is typically always present when sand is present, but is usually low enough to be lost as noise in the higher demand of the overall aquarium.

Number 5 may be the cause in tanks with otherwise very low demand for alk and calcium.

 

[Jimbobalou622]

Hello,

I am wondering what is going on with my alk. It has been climbing without dosing. The tank going on 15 months. I got it to 8.3 and it will continue to rise if I don't intervene. I have to dose murtic acid to bring it back down. I let it go for one week and it got up to 11.6. I bring it back down slowly. I do have about 20 coral frags. I tested nitrates every day for a week, and they have been hanging around 11-13ppm. I know if Nitrates are dropping that may cause alk to increase.

250 gallon w/ 1.5 inch sandbed
Salinity 1.026
Ph 8.0
Phos 0.05ppm
Nitrates 12ppm
Alk currently 8.7
Cal 450
Mag 1380

What test kit are you using? How old is the reagent?

 

[Magic031707]

These are the things that can generally lead to rising alk:

1. Water changes with a mix higher in alk than the tank.
2. Declining nitrate as it declines via consumption (2.3 dKH for each 50 ppm of nitrate consumed)
3. Top off with tap water that contains alk
4. Addition of something containing alkalinity, even if you do not know it (Seachem Reef Calcium is an example)
5. Very slow dissolution of rock and sand down inside it where pH is low due to degradation of organics. This one is typically always present when sand is present, but is usually low enough to be lost as noise in the higher demand of the overall aquarium.

Number 5 may be the cause in tanks with otherwise very low demand for alk and calcium.

Thanks for that info. Would it be best to remove the sand? Number 5 will be the only one that would apply in my situation.

 

[Magic031707]

What test kit are you using? How old is the reagent?

Hanna and Salifert with both being spot on with each other. Just open the box regents for the hanna and salifert doesn't expire until Dec of this year.

 

[EricR]

No idea as I've been going through the same issue for 6+ months (in 2.5 year old tank).
*settled into small water changes with LOW alkalinity new saltwater (mixed with sodium bisulfate) about every 3 days -- not ideal

I tested everything I could think of in separate (surrogate) tank and never figured it out. Need a new plan but not sure what it is yet.


Only if bored, here's one of my threads on this and this post kinda sums up my testing whenever that was:

Alkalinity Increasing

*there might be other posts in that thread (from others) that could be of interest but don't even remember at this point