HELP! Started dosing Alk

[stricknine]

Since I added some stonies I noticed my kh slowly dropped down to about 130 ppm. Over the course of the last three days I brought it up to 160 ppm (added the last bit a few hours ago) with the seachem liquid. Since I added the last batch of additive, my lps have shriveled up, polyp extensions on a few of the sps are no longer there, and I lost a cleaner shrimp yesterday.

I tested again today and the ph went from 8.5 to I think higher than 8.5, and my test kit is just aweful and to read an accurate ph is impossible.

All other tests are fine, ammonia/nitrate/nitrite=0, sg=1.025, calcium a little low but have been bringing that up with the alkalinity, now at 380 ppm.

Is dosing the alk causing this? I am using half the maximum daily dosage on the bottle. PLEASE HELP, I have a lot of occupants in this tank.

Thanks all!

 

[xJake]

It sounds as if you may be overdosing the alkalinity supplement. Your test kit may not be accurate, so I would suggest testing your alkalinity using another test kit (a friend's, or ask at you LFS). It would help to get an accurate test for pH as well, as many alkalinity supplements can have major, although usually temporary, affects on pH. Drastic swings in pH can definitely cause the symptoms you're describing.

For now I would just let things go for awhile and stop dosing anything. Let the corals recover from whatever shock they may be experiencing, and then I would suggesting moving on from there.

Another thing to consider is how/where you are dosing your additives. If you are adding them directly to the tank, then it takes a few minutes to diffuse through the entire water column and could potentially concentrate around your affected corals (those that are shriveling up). You may also want to consider dilluting the supplement with RO water before dosing. This would also help to diffuse the supplement more quickly.

 

[Mariner]

Dosing certain alk additives can raise pH and high pH can have negative effects on corals, but I'm not 100% sure that's what's happening in your case...maybe, maybe not.
You need to get an accurate pH measurement.
You can use This calculator to determine exactly how much of your alk additive you should be dosing.
If it is raising pH too much, you can try another kind of additive such as baking soda to raise alk without raising (and probably lowering) pH.
HTH,
Mariner

 

[stricknine]

Thanks all,
Jake, I do add the supplement to the skimmer side of the sump to try to give it time to run through the fuge and return area in an attempt to have it mix, maybe I added too much at the same time. Also can you suggest a decent test kit? My Hagen is not the best, but I am trying to save a buck or two when I can.

Mariner, Awesome link! Book marked it immediately. As stated above, the seachem product was stated to raise PH on the link, good possibility that is my problem. I think I will look at the baking soda (not powder) to help raise the KH, but do I risk anything raising it too fast?

Thanks again, but one last question. Do I risk loosing anything from my rookie mistake? Should I be doing an aggressive water change or finding something to lower the PH?

Thanks again!

 

[WaterKeeper]

I agree. You are raising alkalinity and pH but probably not adding any calcium. Be careful when adding a single parameter supplement and try a two part when you have a problem. See A simplified guide to supplements

 

[stricknine]

Thanks Tom, looks like I have a lot more reading to do!

Now to keep my parameters stable I just bought an ATO and planned to dose kalk to the water. After I posted a few threads I got mixed reviews. What would everyone suggest to keep the Ca, Mg, an Alk stable? Reactor, kalk, supplements? And as always Im hoping to find a cheap easy, 2 characteristics Im sure do not co-exist in the hobby!

Thanks for all the help.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

There are a bunch of popular methods for keeping those parameters stable. They all work fine, if you know what you're doing. The key, though, is to understand the relationships between them, and make sure you're working from a stable, appropriate starting point. In other words, troubleshoot your current problems, *then* implement a strategy to keep things in check once all the parameters are spot-on and things are healthy.

Once things are good, the three most popular methods are, more or less in order of complexity:

1) Dose kalk. It'll add Ca and alkalinity in the correct proportions, and if you do it right, it's nearly set-and-forget. With an ATO, there's really nothing for you to do but occasionally check parameters and make sure the ATO is supplied with water and kalk powder. Clearly, this method has the advantage of also meeting your topoff needs. One disadvantage is that if you've got a large tank crammed full of corals and very little evaporation, the amount of kalk you can dose will likely be lower than your Ca and alkalinity needs.

2) Dose two-part. These solutions are typically either manually measured and dosed on a regular basis (daily), or dosed using peristaltic dosing pumps. Arguably not *that* much more complex than kalk, but it won't solve your topoff problems, and you have to make sure you're dosing the two parts in the right proportions.

3) Use a Ca reactor. The supercool way to do it. But also the most complex. It would be tough to describe in a quick sentence, so I won't try.

If you're looking for "cheap and easy" then a Ca reactor is likely out of the question. That leaves kalk and 2-part. IME kalk works well for lightly stocked tanks, is dirt cheap, and since it solves topoff needs, it kills two birds with one stone. So if that's the direction you are already leaning, keep going that way.

 

[stricknine]

Thanks willie, will definately keep going with the kalk ATO on your advise (no liability waiver required!) I posted about the kalk ATO and got very mixed reviews. As for the calcium reactor, I got a birthday in the near future!

Thanks.