As my tank has matured and frags have grown to full size colonies over the years, I have noticed that my ph continues to peak at higher and higher values each year. Subsequently, my dosing of ESV two part also continues to increase to maintain a stable alkalinity. Since my tank was started, I have used various techniques to increase ph - including good air exchange, Co2 scrubber, reverse lit refugium, and kalwasser at night only. We are 3-4 years in now and I am starting to wonder if my tank has matured enough that perhaps I need to take the scrubber offline and attempt to reduce ph some. Perhaps my colonies are big enough and there is sufficient photosynthesis happening not to have to push ph by these other means that I have kept online all these years...
As of late, my ph will peak at 8.55 - 8.6 (freshly calibrated probe) and I am starting to wonder if this high of ph is promoting some abiotic precipitation of the ESV 2 part. I don't run a sandbed so can't see if sand is hard/clumping. Only signs I see may be in the sump where my dosing lines are...there is some build up there, but not overly bad.
The reason I believe I may be experiencing some preciptation of the ESV 2 part is that my last few ICPs have shown mulitple elevated traces...even though I don't dose traces (salinity is also in line and has been double checked). I know ESV 2 part contains some trace, but the concentration is designed to just maintain levels, not elevate. So let's say my ph is getting too high and some precipitation is happening to a degree...what happens to the trace elements that are in ESV? Do they simply get left behind during the precipitating event? If precipitation of ESV bionic is a recurring pattern, could the traces start to get elevated? In other words, if I am dosing more to counteract the drop in alk due to precipitation, could traces from the ESV start to elevate?
Appreciate any insights. With my tank becoming this mature, I am starting to wonder whether I should change some practices and reduce my ph and subsequently reduce the amount I need to dose of the 2 part. Salinity creep is definitely there with how much I am dosing, so wouldn't mind lowering ph and dosing less, so I don't have to pull as much saltwater out each day to keep salinity stable. Would save me some money as well on the ESV. My colonies are big enough, so increased growth is no longer the goal, just overall coral health. Further, my ICPs as of late show some elevated traces (I only do water changes), so wondering if they might be perhaps elevated due to months of the ESV 2 part precipitating a small amount...
Curious of anyone's thoughts - thanks all (and @Randy Holmes-Farley)!
As of late, my ph will peak at 8.55 - 8.6 (freshly calibrated probe) and I am starting to wonder if this high of ph is promoting some abiotic precipitation of the ESV 2 part. I don't run a sandbed so can't see if sand is hard/clumping. Only signs I see may be in the sump where my dosing lines are...there is some build up there, but not overly bad.
The reason I believe I may be experiencing some preciptation of the ESV 2 part is that my last few ICPs have shown mulitple elevated traces...even though I don't dose traces (salinity is also in line and has been double checked). I know ESV 2 part contains some trace, but the concentration is designed to just maintain levels, not elevate. So let's say my ph is getting too high and some precipitation is happening to a degree...what happens to the trace elements that are in ESV? Do they simply get left behind during the precipitating event? If precipitation of ESV bionic is a recurring pattern, could the traces start to get elevated? In other words, if I am dosing more to counteract the drop in alk due to precipitation, could traces from the ESV start to elevate?
Appreciate any insights. With my tank becoming this mature, I am starting to wonder whether I should change some practices and reduce my ph and subsequently reduce the amount I need to dose of the 2 part. Salinity creep is definitely there with how much I am dosing, so wouldn't mind lowering ph and dosing less, so I don't have to pull as much saltwater out each day to keep salinity stable. Would save me some money as well on the ESV. My colonies are big enough, so increased growth is no longer the goal, just overall coral health. Further, my ICPs as of late show some elevated traces (I only do water changes), so wondering if they might be perhaps elevated due to months of the ESV 2 part precipitating a small amount...
Curious of anyone's thoughts - thanks all (and @Randy Holmes-Farley)!
