Alk dropped from 9 to 8...

[Piper27]

So my I was keeping my alk a little over 9 on my 210 that I set up maybe 4 months ago and it has stayed there til two weeks ago. Kalk went low and the alk dropped to 8. I changed my kalk in my stirrer and I added a little more this time so I wouldn't have to change it as soon. And even after increasing the drops per second on my geo calcium reactor from 4 to maybe 6 or 7 the alk has only gone up to maybe 8.2 or 8.4. My Ph stays low 7.7 at night and 8 at the highest so I don't wanna turn the calcium reactor up too high. Would getting a bigger kalk stir help? I have not changed anything on the tank other than doing an interceptor treatment last month. Maybe the growth increased and caused the drop?

I am using the avast k1 stirrer and geo 618 calcium reactor. I run rawaphos in a tlf reactor and carbon too. If I had to guess I top off about 4 gallons a day maybe. I haven't changed the gfo since this happened. I really want to get it back to 9.2 or so where I had it because if it drops to 7 everything looks bad and I would like a little room.

I don't think I need to get a bigger kalk stir, is adding more drops per second going to effect the ph? Let me know what you think. Fairly new to keeping sps so any help would be cool.

 

[BillyC]

Don't worry about ph if your alk and calcium are steady. Many people don't ever check their ph. Just my opinion.

 

[Piper27]

Yea I turned the calcium reactor up, I think the Kalk should keep the ph from dropping now that I think about it, hopefully alk will be higher in the mourning.

 

[Piper27]

I am still curious as to when you upgrade to a bigger Kalk stirrer, would think the avast k1 should be fine on my 210 even when it grows out.

 

[Elan L.]

alk at 8 isnt so bad. thats where i like to keep my tank

 

[REEF SMAC]

Can't speek about an avast k1, and would think that if it's too small you would just have to refill it more often. Really depends on the Ca/Alk demand of the animals in your system.

Are you adding kalk as all your MU water?

Are you adding kalk using a controller, so it only gets added when your PH is low enough?

I'm supprised your PH is that low actually, if you are adding kalk as your MU water. Is your CaRx effluent rate too high?

Your alk will drop if your corals are suddenly starting to grow, especially if something was causing them not to grow before. (like red bugs)

 

[Piper27]

Yea all of my top of goes through my kalk stir. It tops of very frequently. I know 8 is okay but 9 makes me more comfortable since thats where I have kept it. I will check to see how turning the calcium reactor up faired later today. Yea the ph being low has only happened on this tank, I combined my 150 and 100 gal into this 210 and for some reason the ph just likes to stay low. I think I may get a fan for the sump area to see if that helps. The other two tanks I had calcium reactors on and it stayed much higher.