Two noob questions

[dR3ws3r]

My 155 gallon has about a dozen small frags in it currently, and I have just started using my trident to monitor the Alk/Cal/Mag. Calcium and Magnesium seem fine but the Alk is a little low (in the high 6's). Any suggestions on a simple way to raise my alk slowly? I have the Tropic Marin Balling parts (A,B and C). Would it be ok to just add a little bit of Part B alone to raise the Alk?

Second, I had a fight with Dino's, and I tried to raise my nutrients as part of a multi-prong approach. Eventually got my Phosphates to 0.05 and My Nitrates to 5-8 ppm for about a month. They were both at around 0.0, so I reduced my skimmer time to about 12 hours a day, cut out some of the Chaeto, and added some Neo-Nitro. My Dino problem cleared up, but then I started having hair algae problems. This week when I measure my phosphates and nitrates I was unpleasantly surprised. Now my phosphates are still in the 0.05 range, but my nitrates dropped to around 1 ppm. Is the hair algae a probable reason why my nitrates have dropped? Any thoughts. I measured my nitrates 3 times to confirm the drop, and have stopped using Neo-nitro.

 

[Besieged]

For Alk, yeah, you can dose just Part B to bring it up slowly. Small, incremental increases are best to avoid shocking anything. If you’re using Tropic Marin’s Balling method, you’ll want to keep an eye on overall balance, but in the short term, dosing Part B alone should be fine to nudge Alk up without messing with Calcium or Mag too much.

Baking soda is another option if you want a budget-friendly alternative, but it has a slight pH-lowering effect when added directly. If you go that route, dissolve it in RO/DI water and add it slowly to avoid sudden swings - you could also add a little soda ash at the same time. Otherwise, Part B is the more controlled option and keeps everything within the Balling method’s intended ratios.

As for the nitrates, yeah, hair algae could absolutely be part of the reason they’ve dropped. As it grows, it pulls nutrients from the water, which could be why you’re seeing lower readings. Cutting back on Neo-Nitro was probably the right move for now. If your corals aren’t looking starved, I’d let things stabilize and see if the algae burns itself out a bit. You could also manually remove some and monitor if nitrate levels start creeping back up.

Basically, your system is probably just rebalancing after the Dino battle. Keep testing, and if things get too low again, you can always micro-dose nitrate back in as needed.

 

[dR3ws3r]

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

I've been trying to go slow will all this as people have recommended. I do a weekly 10% water change and try to pull off as much hair algae as I can during the process. My corals seem to be totally unchanged after several months in the main tank, and my zoa's never really seem happy. Things aren't dying, but they don't seem to be thriving either ... other than the frogspawn, which has almost doubled in size.

 

[Fish & Coral Store]

My 155 gallon has about a dozen small frags in it currently, and I have just started using my trident to monitor the Alk/Cal/Mag. Calcium and Magnesium seem fine but the Alk is a little low (in the high 6's). Any suggestions on a simple way to raise my alk slowly? I have the Tropic Marin Balling parts (A,B and C). Would it be ok to just add a little bit of Part B alone to raise the Alk?

Second, I had a fight with Dino's, and I tried to raise my nutrients as part of a multi-prong approach. Eventually got my Phosphates to 0.05 and My Nitrates to 5-8 ppm for about a month. They were both at around 0.0, so I reduced my skimmer time to about 12 hours a day, cut out some of the Chaeto, and added some Neo-Nitro. My Dino problem cleared up, but then I started having hair algae problems. This week when I measure my phosphates and nitrates I was unpleasantly surprised. Now my phosphates are still in the 0.05 range, but my nitrates dropped to around 1 ppm. Is the hair algae a probable reason why my nitrates have dropped? Any thoughts. I measured my nitrates 3 times to confirm the drop, and have stopped using Neo-nitro.

It sounds like you’re navigating your tank well, despite some challenges! For raising your alkalinity, adding Part B of your Tropic Marin Balling system is a good idea. Just make sure to add it slowly and monitor your Alk levels, since rapid changes can be harmful to corals. You can start by adding a small amount of Part B and test every couple of days to see how it’s affecting the Alk, adjusting as needed.

Regarding the hair algae and nitrates: Yes, the algae could definitely be pulling down the nitrates. As algae consumes nutrients like nitrates, it can cause a drop in their levels. The balance between phosphates and nitrates is delicate, and if your nitrates are now lower, it might be a sign that your algae is still consuming them faster than you can replenish. The reduction in your skimmer time, cutting back on Chaeto, and adding Neo-Nitro helped with the dinos but may have shifted the balance toward algae growth. Since you’ve stopped using Neo-Nitro, I'd suggest monitoring your nitrate levels closely and maybe considering small adjustments to your nutrient management, like controlling algae growth, limiting light cycles, or adding more controlled doses of nitrates if needed.

You're doing great with your proactive approach—just keep fine-tuning!