Alkalinity

[cellingson]

Hey guys.

I have a 100g cube with a geo calcium reactor on it. Effluent set to keep calcium at 450-460.
I have a few acros growing well a bunch of bird nest growing really well and a handful of montis, acans, button polyps, star grass, bubble tip growing well. I did have a yellow colored colony of button polyps regress a few months back but some hanging on.
No fish right now as they are all in QT after ich got in the tank. The tank has been fallow 60 days now.
Tested water yesterday.
Calcium 460
KH was 14
PH 8.0
Nitrate, 2.5. I supplement while fish are gone with a nitrogen solution
Phos 0

Should I worry about my KH being so high? Should I do anything?. It has steadily increased since calcium reactor went on about 6 months ago. Before it was 9. I worry it will keep going up.
Here's a pic

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[mcgyvr]

IMO yes you are overdoing it and should adapt to lower alk.

 

[cellingson]

How? I titrated the calcium reactor to calcium. If I dial it back won't my calcium drop?


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[nereefpat]

If your alk is increasing, then you are adding more than the tank is using. I would dial back the reactor a bit.

I'm not a Ca Rx guy...do you set it by Ca?...I would think alk would be what you want.

Nice looking tank, btw.

 

[PCguy21]

I keep my alk at 9-10.. If it gets to 8 i dose. 14 is too high.. max id go too is 11 or 12.

Keeo the calcium where its at but lower your alk dosing... slowely.

 

[cellingson]

I keep my alk at 9-10.. If it gets to 8 i dose. 14 is too high.. max id go too is 11 or 12.

Keeo the calcium where its at but lower your alk dosing... slowely.

I don't dose alkalinity though. I only dose calcium through my calcium reactor?


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[ycnibrc]

I don't dose alkalinity though. I only dose calcium through my calcium reactor?


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The co2 disolve the media and dose both calcium and Alkalinity and a bunch of other trace element. If u use a Cal reactor then there is no seperation with Cal and alk. If you only want to dose Cal only then use a doser.

 

[cellingson]

The co2 disolve the media and dose both calcium and Alkalinity and a bunch of other trace element. If u use a Cal reactor then there is no seperation with Cal and alk. If you only want to dose Cal only then use a doser.

True but it is odd that calcium is staying steady and alkalinity rising.

Definitely going to try and find a solution other then dosing calcium and alk separately.


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[dkeller_nc]

Actually, no it isn't. Alkalinity can be consumed by more than just calcifying organisms (that use calcium and alkalinity in a 1:1 molar ratio). I can't link to it right now because the site has (apparently) been hacked, but Randy Holmes Farley wrote an article for the Advanced Aquarist called "Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems", where he explains that carbonate/bicarbonate ions can be consumed as part of the nitrogen cycle.

Specifically, carbonate ions can be liberated by the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas by certain bacteria, with the carbonate ions formed from oxidation of organic carbon sources in the same reaction. Since you're dosing nitrate, it's not totally shocking that your alkalinity has slowly risen over the 60 day period.

While a combination of super saturated alkalinity and low nutrients and high pH can actually "burn the tips" of corals, there are quite a few folks that run super saturated alkalinity like you've described, have lots of nutrients, and have very successful coral health.

However, I'd still suggest slowly lowering your alkalinity to more conventional levels. Keep in mind that seawater has somewhere on the order of 380 to 400 ppm of calcium, and corals aren't very sensitive to calcium concentration, so you can safely let that fall gradually over time as you dial back the calcium reactor. Also keep in mind that there's a 5 to 1 ratio of calcium to alkalinity in seawater, so a fairly large change in alkalinity will result in a fairly small change in calcium.

 

[cellingson]

Actually, no it isn't. Alkalinity can be consumed by more than just calcifying organisms (that use calcium and alkalinity in a 1:1 molar ratio). I can't link to it right now because the site has (apparently) been hacked, but Randy Holmes Farley wrote an article for the Advanced Aquarist called "Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems", where he explains that carbonate/bicarbonate ions can be consumed as part of the nitrogen cycle.



Specifically, carbonate ions can be liberated by the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas by certain bacteria, with the carbonate ions formed from oxidation of organic carbon sources in the same reaction. Since you're dosing nitrate, it's not totally shocking that your alkalinity has slowly risen over the 60 day period.



While a combination of super saturated alkalinity and low nutrients and high pH can actually "burn the tips" of corals, there are quite a few folks that run super saturated alkalinity like you've described, have lots of nutrients, and have very successful coral health.



However, I'd still suggest slowly lowering your alkalinity to more conventional levels. Keep in mind that seawater has somewhere on the order of 380 to 400 ppm of calcium, and corals aren't very sensitive to calcium concentration, so you can safely let that fall gradually over time as you dial back the calcium reactor. Also keep in mind that there's a 5 to 1 ratio of calcium to alkalinity in seawater, so a fairly large change in alkalinity will result in a fairly small change in calcium.

Awesome thank you. I'll dial back the calcium reactor as all have suggested and see what happens.


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[cellingson]

Ok turned off calcium reactor for one day.
Next day all was 12.6
Turned back on at about 30% of original and after one day 11.4.
Will hold it at this and hole I can get around 9.



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