Two Part Questions

[Davisc1293]

I have a 32 biocube with 22 small frags... does 50 ml of soda ash per day seem abnormally high to maintain alk?

 

[mdb_talon]

Yes assuming fully concentrated that does seem high for a 32g tank with just small frags. Depending on actual water volume i think that is about 2.5-3dkh daily you would be adding. Some systems use up that much a day, but seems unlikely with what you describe.

 

[Davisc1293]

i mixed it based on brs instructions. i was dosing about 12ml a day for awhile i added a few more frags and turned the lights down while also setting up a neptune dos... opn the first day had it dosed 16 ml and still was was about 7.3 dkh last night i had it dos 32ml today after getting it back to 9 and 24 hours later it was 8.1 so i set the dos to 45 ml and planned on testing again tomorrow. cal has been between 430-450 mag 1350

 

[tgrick]

It seems an awful lot to me. What test kit are you using? I would look at another test kit just in case.

 

[fragit]

Also watch your sand it could be turning to cement which would explain the alk consumption.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is always best to describe dosing in dKH per day, not mL per day. dKH per day is independent of product used or tank size. Giving mL requires anyone reading it to convert it first, and MDB talon did.

What alkalinity are you wanting to maintain? There's no reason to think 9 dKH is better than 7 or 8 dKH, unless growth rate is the primary goal.

You've only been dosing a few days, it sounds like.

I'd pick a dose (say, 1 dKH per day) and monitor it over multiple days to see what is happening.

 

[Davisc1293]

It is always best to describe dosing in dKH per day, not mL per day. dKH per day is independent of product used or tank size. Giving mL requires anyone reading it to convert it first, and MDB talon did.

What alkalinity are you wanting to maintain? There's no reason to think 9 dKH is better than 7 or 8 dKH, unless growth rate is the primary goal.

You've only been dosing a few days, it sounds like.

I'd pick a dose (say, 1 dKH per day) and monitor it over multiple days to see what is happening.

The reason i explained in ml is because i was using 12ml a day to now 45. using the same product (BRS Pharama grade 2 part) trying to maintain 9 i see my tests in the low 7's after 24hours. while before it was closer to 1 dkh a day

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The reason i explained in ml is because i was using 12ml a day to now 45. using the same product (BRS Pharama grade 2 part) trying to maintain 9 i see my tests in the low 7's after 24hours. while before it was closer to 1 dkh a day

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here. You are among a large number of folks who post in mL, but it is very frustrating, making folks like myself do the math many times a day (even assuming we know the product, which we did not in the first post).

Assuming the rise is not test or dosing error (both happen a lot, especially with dosing pumps) and is not from corals growing faster, then it is likely precipitation.


Here's my usual recommendation:

1. Stop all efforts to boost pH.
2. Stop dosing alk for a bit and let it decline.
3. Reduce pH by switching to a low pH alk mix like sodium bicarbonate, or a calcium organic such as Tropic Marin All for Reef.
4. Ensure magnesium is normal to high.
5. Keep organics and phosphate on the high side.

After a few days of not dosing alk, restart slowly, adding additives to a very high flow area so it mixes in fast.