Tank has no DKH consumption

[jakkg]

Hi, my tank is around 6 months old, has a few mushroom colony’s, some zoas, 2 toad-stalls, 2 hammers, torch, favia and lots of coraline algae yet DKH never changes.

Was dosing a small amount daily for a few weeks to get KH up in the beginning from 6-8 then hasnt changed for around a month.

Not sure if this is okay or if it signals a problem?

Parameters are

Alk 8.3
Po4 0.04
Nitrate 20
Cal 450
Mag 1280

Thanks

 

[lapin]

How old is your test kit?
How often do you change the water and how much?
The tank may not use more than your putting back in.

 

[Dom]

Hi, my tank is around 6 months old, has a few mushroom colony’s, some zoas, 2 toad-stalls, 2 hammers, torch, favia and lots of coraline algae yet DKH never changes.

Was dosing a small amount daily for a few weeks to get KH up in the beginning from 6-8 then hasnt changed for around a month.

Not sure if this is okay or if it signals a problem?

Parameters are

Alk 8.3
Po4 0.04
Nitrate 20
Cal 450
Mag 1280

Thanks

Generally speaking, these numbers are ok.

I would submit that there is alkalinity consumption, but it just may be too small an amount to detect.

 

[Uncle99]

If you have coralline your using ALK.
It must be replenishing sufficient to demand, through I guess, regular water changes or your test kit is faulty.

The numbers are good, I’d bump MG to 1365-1440ppm and phosphate to .1ppm to compensate for test margin of error.

Nitrate fine provided it remains around 20ppm week over week, but it rises, you can mop up a bit with carbon dose.

 

[jakkg]

How old is your test kit?
How often do you change the water and how much?
The tank may not use more than your putting back in.

Tank is 40G
10% weekly
Salifert test kit probably 2-3 months old

 

[jakkg]

I thought maybe the water change was replenishing it also but was confused as a couple of months ago the tank was consuming at least some even if only small amounts.

 

[jakkg]

Hi, my tank is around 6 months old, has a few mushroom colony’s, some zoas, 2 toad-stalls, 2 hammers, torch, favia and lots of coraline algae yet DKH never changes.

Was dosing a small amount daily for a few weeks to get KH up in the beginning from 6-8 then hasnt changed for around a month.

Not sure if this is okay or if it signals a problem?

Parameters are

Alk 8.3
Po4 0.04
Nitrate 20
Cal 450
Mag 1280

Thanks

Generally speaking, these numbers are ok.

I would submit that there is alkalinity consumption, but it just may be too small an amount to detect.

Even if before with less coral and coraline the tank was consuming more than it is now?

 

[jakkg]

If you have coralline your using ALK.
It must be replenishing sufficient to demand, through I guess, regular water changes or your test kit is faulty.

The numbers are good, I’d bump MG to 1365-1440ppm and phosphate to .1ppm to compensate for test margin of error.

Nitrate fine provided it remains around 20ppm week over week, but it rises, you can mop up a bit with carbon dose.

Ive recently battled dinos and my phos and nitrate spiked. Just recently managed to get them back to 0.04 and 20 but been steady at that for around a month now.

Thanks will look into dosing mag as it stays in between 1250-1300.

 

[Gone Reefin’]

Hey OP, just to be clear, you are no longer dosing any alk? Are you dosing any chemicals?

 

[jakkg]

Hey OP, just to be clear, you are no longer dosing any alk? Are you dosing any chemicals?

No nothing at all

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

To me no consumption means they are not growing. Depends how long the corals have been in the tank, they take weeks or even months before they fully acclimate and start growing and thats when you see consumption. I don't think you should be concerned just keep the tank stable and when the corals are ready they will start growing. Just my 2 cents, Good luck

 

[Dom]

Even if before with less coral and coraline the tank was consuming more than it is now?

I understand that Alkalinity consumption varies.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are factors aside from organism growth that can add or remove alkalinity. Water changes and top off with tap water are obvious ones, but rising or falling nitrate impacts alk (falling nitrate by consumption adds alk).

There is also generally some slow dissolution of rock and sand that adds alk and calcium.