Alk consumption rate

[krzyphsygy]

Question! After testing my tank is consuming .07 dkh each day. My alk dropped from 8.4 to 7.7 in 24 hrs. The 8.4 test was done 2 hrs after a 40 ml does of brs two part. Then I waited 24 hrs before the next test. The question is if I am consuming this much each day that means my swing will be .07 each day.?

 

[disc1]

You did your math wrong. 8.4 - 7.7 = 0.7, not 0.07.

It means you need to dose 0.7 dkH of alkalinity per day to keep alk stable.

 

[krzyphsygy]

Sorry , decimal point error. Lol. I think the brs calculator must be off? Because based on my water volume 115 gallons I should be dosing like 50 plus ml. But I dosed 40 and it over shot my alk level that I want to stay at? I want to stay at 8 so if it drops 0.7?
Kinda confused I guess.
If been dosing 30 ml for months but corals are growing and on my last test I was at 7 dkh where it used to stay at 8.

 

[REEForBANG]

I'm in the same situation I go from 8.4 to 7.0 every day do to the newer amount of sps that I have added in my sistem so I've been adding buffer to my top off to keep it balanced i just have to keep track of my evaporation so I don't overshoot.
Or keep it simpler and add a doser.

 

[nicholasb]

Could easily a test kit error. I would try and work out how much of your 2 part will raise levels by 0.5 d.k.h, using the brs calculator. Then never add more than that to your tank at any one time. So if you were loosing 2 d.k.h per day you would dose 0.5 d.k.h every 6 hours.

 

[disc1]

Sorry , decimal point error. Lol. I think the brs calculator must be off? Because based on my water volume 115 gallons I should be dosing like 50 plus ml. But I dosed 40 and it over shot my alk level that I want to stay at? I want to stay at 8 so if it drops 0.7?
Kinda confused I guess.
If been dosing 30 ml for months but corals are growing and on my last test I was at 7 dkh where it used to stay at 8.

You have to think in terms of averages. If you put the whole 50 in at once it may have overshot a little, but what was it after another day?

 

[Grandlotus]

Anyone have an alk doser that they would recommend?

 

[krzyphsygy]

You have to think in terms of averages. If you put the whole 50 in at once it may have overshot a little, but what was it after another day?

That makes sense. Well another day will be tomorrow. I will test it in the am and are where I am at. But splitting up the doses makes more sense. Dropping 0.7 was kinda scary because I don't want to raise that much each day and rtn my acros.
But I wonder if the brs calculator is off or I have a lot less water than I think I do. Like 20-30 gallons less. But that's not possible. My tank is a 125 with 40 gal sump.

Well see. So next question. Would be on equally dosing cal and alk. Is this the way it should be? I change water each week at 15 gal so I guess I need to test it. Alk always measures high at 8.9

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In using the calculator, did you account for water volume taken up by rocks and such?

Unless you are running a ULNS system, 0.7 dKH change through 24 h is not that much, IMO.

Also, it isn't clear to me that corals respond negatively to such changes if they happen every day.

 

[krzyphsygy]

In using the calculator, did you account for water volume taken up by rocks and such?

Unless you are running a ULNS system, 0.7 dKH change through 24 h is not that much, IMO.



Also, it isn't clear to me that corals respond negatively to such changes if they happen every day.

Yes the 115 gal is after rock and sand. This water vol is my best guess based on when I filled it. I am pretty sure I am with in 10%.

 

[Pife]

Also, it isn't clear to me that corals respond negatively to such changes if they happen every day.

This explains a lot to me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think the brs calculator must be off?

I doubt the calculator is off but there may have been user error.

Can you explain how much of what you dosed and what effect you got vs what you expected?