Alkalinity Consumption

[RayKCMO]

Is there a way to know "normal" consumption for ALK?

Display tank + sump = 46 gallons

I use Red Sea products; Coral Pro Salt Reef foundations Ca, Mg, KH, Reef Trace elements A,B,C, D. Algae Management NO3O4, and Coral Colors A & B - amino acids.

Coral:
1 golden hammer
1 torch
1 elegance
1 medium colony of green bay packer zoanthid
1 small colony blue zoanthid
1 small colony yellow sun drop zoanthid
1 green short tentacle plate coral
2 acan brain coral
1 favia coral
1 frog spawn
3 rose bubble tip anemome
1 pink chalice
1 red discosoma
1 micromussa ultra
1 sinularia finger leather

Fish, snails, crabs:
2 clown fish
1 starfish,
1 scooter blenny
2 turbo snails, 2 hermit crabs

I have an Apex system with dosing pumps and I dose everything but coral color amino acids because they require storage in the frig. When I look at the Red Sea's Recipes and adjust for my tank volume the suggested consumption is as follows:
Mixed Reef
35 ppt 1.024@25C Salinity
5.8 ml/day for 450 ppm Ca
1.9 ml/day for 1350 ppm Mg
17.3 ml/day for 11.5 dKH Alk
1-2 ppm Nitrate
0.08-0.12 ppm Phosphate
Notice the ratio of Ca:ALK is about 1:9.

My actual consumption is:
16 ml/day Mg
23 ml/day Ca
87 ml/day ALK
The ratio of Ca: ALK is about 1/4.

Is this normal? My fish and coral are all doing well. The tank has been established for about 2 years now. I should also mention I have an ATO that adds RO/DI water as needed. I also use dosing pumps to change 10% of the water every 7 days. The fresh salt water that I add is adjusted to 1.024 sp gravity, with Ca=465, Mg =1390, and ALK=11dKH.

 

[mcgyvr]

Is there a way to know "normal" consumption for ALK?

When I look at the Red Sea's Recipes and adjust for my tank volume the suggested consumption is as follows:
Mixed Reef
35 ppt 1.024@25C Salinity
5.8 ml/day for 450 ppm Ca
1.9 ml/day for 1350 ppm Mg
17.3 ml/day for 11.5 dKH Alk
1-2 ppm Nitrate
0.08-0.12 ppm Phosphate
Notice the ratio of Ca:ALK is about 1:9.

My actual consumption is:
16 ml/day Mg
23 ml/day Ca
87 ml/day ALK
The ratio of Ca: ALK is about 1/4.

There is no "normal" consumption or norm or baseline or whatever..
Its dependent on too many variables..

Some of red seas information is goofy... They for some reason think they can define a day by day or set a consumption based on whatever and thats just not realistic..
And you are proof of that as whatever "recipe" you have found isn't true for your tank and isn't true for many others I'm sure..

 

[RobZilla04]

Consumption is what it is. As mentioned above, normal is tank specific based on so many variables.

 

[thegrun]

...that said for the few stony corals you have that looks like a huge amount of two part and magnesium. It is also concerning that your ratios are so far out of line, some slight variance is common, but not a 4:1 ratio. The magnesium is also way out of what would be expected. How long has the tank been running? Are you seeing any signs of calcium precipitation like hazy glass or the need to frequently clean your impeller shafts? Assuming the Red Sea Foundation products mix fairly close to other two part products your water chemistry is off or your test procedures or test kits are at fault.