successful high alk SPS tanks

[ksicard]

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I always see a lot of threads/debates on where to
run you alk (DKH) at for SPS tanks. The information that I've collected and
studied tells me that for a ULNS you should run a DKH closer to natural
saltwater 7-8DKH, on the other hand if your nutrients are at the correct levels,
which are about 0.08ppm po4 and 1-3ppm of no3 than the higher the alk you have
the more growth you'll have. What I would like to see is pictures of grown out
tanks that have successfully run a high alk level. I never see TOTM or other
tanks that run a high alk level and would like to see and hear from those that
have seen benefits of running a high alk level. Please feel free to post
information and what you've seen on this matter.

 

[ParkerB]

0.08 IMO is a really high po4 level..

ULNS systems I see are mainly on the Zeo site and are 0.00-0.02ppm po4 and no3 at 0.0

 

[ritter6788]

My sps get angry if my alk is over 9.5. I don't know why but I get alk burn at 10+ dkh. I keep mine no less than 7 but no more than 8.

Oddly enough, I get less coralline growth but better sps growth with lower calcium and alk.

You can definitely run a higher alk in a higher nutrient tank. My tank is by no means UNLS but I run a huge skimmer and GFO sometimes. My sps go downhill if my alk approaches 10.

 

[bct15]

My sps start to look bad with alk over 9...stn at base and tips.


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[ParkerB]

My sps tank actually sat at 10.4 for awhile with no problems to STN and what not. When I lowered my alk tho to and now keep it steady at 8.2 my growth has blown up.


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[Lazys Coral House]

If my alk hits the 7's then they RTN at the base. The sweet spot for me seems to be 9.0 - 10. I don't do any carbon dosing. Just GFO to manage phosphates which run about .02 and nitrates under 5

 

[kuyatwo]

You prob won't see many high alk sps tanks as natural seawater is actually low in alk...also high alk means low calcium.

 

[Dynamic_Reef]

+1 I run low alk i keep mine about 8.5-8.8 (sailfert) I too dont get alot of coraline growth but my sps thrive.. I have been back and forth with carbon dosing running Calcium reactor and so forth.. I find it better to be more in control of your system testing alk every week I rarely test PO4 or CA or MG I change my GFO when algea start to form on the front glass more and more frequent..

 

[ksicard]

Thanks for the input guys, I'm starting my own experiment on my SPS tank to see how higher alk levels affect the tank so I guess time will tell. Would love to hear from people that continue to maintain a high alk.

 

[jedimasterben]

Check out the 'Blu coral' method. 500-600ppm cal, 12-16dKH alk, etc.

 

[Mr. Microscope]

My alk is usually around 10 or 11 and my SPS are fine. I am, however, not running any biopellets.

 

[Ike]

People regularly and successfully ran 10-12 dKG in SPS tanks for years. You won't see it much now because of the trends in the hobby and the known issues with low nutrients and a higher alkalinity. Take a look back at some of the totm tanks from years ago.

 

[chriskid]

i have best results aiming for 7.5, no higher(burnt tips) skim heavy, and run sulfer denitrafier.

 

[chriskid]

i have best results aiming for 7.5, no higher(burnt tips) i skim heavy, and run sulfer denitrafier.

 

[turfster26]

If my alk hits the 7's then they RTN at the base. The sweet spot for me seems to be 9.0 - 10. I don't do any carbon dosing. Just GFO to manage phosphates which run about .02 and nitrates under 5

+1......I have been running Alk at 9.5-10 for several years on an SPS dominant tank with no issues.

To that end, I've been considering lowering it down to 8-9 DKH but with my CalRx I struggle to get it dialed in any lower.

BTW: I should add....that I do not run Bio-Pellets and do not Vodka does or any of that stuff. I KISS and simply run Rox Carbon and GFO in NextReef reactors.

HTH

 

[mcarroll]

While I'm glad there are people making it work in their scenarios, all low-alk SPS tanks are new and experimental. Much harder to be successful this way and the results do not seem better from any good high-alk system I've seen.

I run a 100-gallon SPS system that has always had between zero fish and three little Barnacle Blennies in it. Perhaps not ULNS since I don't use the acronym or any of their products, but it's always been an extremely low nutrient system.

I ran the alk in that system at 4 meq/L (11dKH+) for years and never had anything but awesome growth and color.

Now that I'm running dosers I don't keep it quite as high cuz I don't need the extra margin of safety a higher alk gives.

Personally I wonder "what is wrong" with these ULNS tanks that don't seem to handle high alk well. CO2 depletion or something?

-Matt


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[chriskid]

While I'm glad there are people making it work in their scenarios, all low-alk SPS tanks are new and experimental. Much harder to be successful this way and the results do not seem better from any good high-alk system I've seen.

I run a 100-gallon SPS system that has always had between zero fish and three little Barnacle Blennies in it. Perhaps not ULNS since I don't use the acronym or any of their products, but it's always been an extremely low nutrient system.

I ran the alk in that system at 4 meq/L (11dKH+) for years and never had anything but awesome growth and color.

Now that I'm running dosers I don't keep it quite as high cuz I don't need the extra margin of safety a higher alk gives.

Personally I wonder "what is wrong" with these ULNS tanks that don't seem to handle high alk well. CO2 depletion or something?

-Matt


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high alk with low po4 means higher growth for calcifying corals, and since nutritions are low, coral can not make tissue as fast as its making skeleton, so yes some sort of balance needs to be played there. BUT that doesnt mean you have to register no3 to solve this, if you dose some amino acids at this time, the corals will take it ALL up, and not raise no3 in water, but meanwhile get enough energy to build tissue over their skeleton.

 

[Mike J.]

I'm currently in a big debate with this myself. Red Sea recommends: Salinity 35ppt, Alkalinity 12.6dKH/4.5 meq/l, Ca 465, Mg 1390. My Mg and Ca were right on target, so I started to raise the Alk. Now, I don't know why they would tell you to keep Alk levels that high? I'm finding that it's not going to work for me and am going to level out the Alk somewhat lower. Still not sure where? I'm thinking in the 8.2/2.9 range?

 

[mcarroll]

Again "ulns" is a special case.

For the "rest of us" I have found 2.5 meq/L to be a danger zone for STN. It's not a guarantee due to other factors, but alk that low will allow bad things to happen. Many other have had similar experiences.

As a result - even outside of reefing - the practice of running alk higher than NSW became the standard. (I think this happened in the 1980's) Due to very high alkalinity consumption, those running stony reefs established the high end of the standard (about 4.0 meq/L) for maximum leeway.

So 2.9 meq/L should be "fine" as would anything up to 4.0. The only thing you are doing by going higher or lower is giving yourself more or less leeway before depletion issues could become a problem. To me, within the 2.5 a 4.0 range, higher is more often than not better than lower.

BTW, alk higher than 4.0 meq/L can be problematic due to precipitation. Even if you don't accidentally cause a mass-precipitation event you are sure to have a slow but steady build-up in the impeller wells of your pumps on your heaters, etc. I can't recommend running alk higher than 4.0 due to this....but I'm sure there are folks out there doing it.

I do think if you are dosing manually there is a better argument for shooting for 4.0 and if you are running automated dosers something around 3.0 or even a bit less might be argued for.

-Matt

 

[eliramos]

my alk is off the charts for w.e reason but my sps are flourishing!!! ive tried bringing it down to no avail, i may have a faulty test kit but who knows. dont rock the boat lol