Help with 2 Part Dosing

[Tuffloud1]

I have my dosing level dialed and stable.

I would like to drop my alk from 9 dkh down to 8 dkh. Calcium is at 450.

I consistently get these numbers daily.

If I stop dosing and let the numbers drift down naturally, should I be able to simply resume dosing the exact same amount of 2 part that I was before and that should keep me at 8 dkh and 450 calcium?

I reduced my alk and calcium dosing from 79ml down to 70ml to slowly decrease alk. This caused alk to go from 9dkh down to 7.2 in 1 day!! How would only 9ml less of 2 part cause that much of a swing?

I ask because I'm trying to understand if there is a "ceiling" that you hit with 2 part dosing. In other words, will my alk slowly go back up to 9 if I dose the same amount I was dosing at 9 to keep it stable?

 

[downbeach]

If you have your dosages dialed in, I think it would be best to just stop dosing for a bit, to allow the numbers to decrease to a level you're happy with, then restart the dosers.

 

[Tuffloud1]

If you have your dosages dialed in, I think it would be best to just stop dosing for a bit, to allow the numbers to decrease to a level you're happy with, then restart the dosers.

What I'm saying is - I only decreased the amount I was dosing from 79 to 70ml and it dropped my dkh by over 2 in a day.

This is what I'm not understanding, seems like too much of a drop too fast.

If I just completely stopped dosing all 79ml, it would have been devastating.

 

[reefteaser]

I'm not sure if you're using a dosing pump, but I've just made 10% adjustments to mine and let it rise or fall slowly. An accurate dosing pump (calibrate every few months) minimizes the need.

 

[Tuffloud1]

I'm not sure if you're using a dosing pump, but I've just made 10% adjustments to mine and let it rise or fall slowly. An accurate dosing pump (calibrate every few months) minimizes the need.

Yes I have dosing pumps going every half hour of the day with 15 minutes apart between calcium and alk.

 

[bertoni]

The consumption rate might drop a bit if the alkalinity level goes down. Calcification is easier when the saturation level is higher. In theory, the dose might need to be reduced, but the corals and coralline might be limited by nutrients rather than calcification, so there's no way to be sure.

 

[Tuffloud1]

The consumption rate might drop a bit if the alkalinity level goes down. Calcification is easier when the saturation level is higher. In theory, the dose might need to be reduced, but the corals and coralline might be limited by nutrients rather than calcification, so there's no way to be sure.

Numerous people have recommended that I drop my alk from 9 to around 7 since my nutrient levels are so low. I'm trying to get my SPS to color up and the consensus seems to be that low nutrients paired with alk close to NSW is better than higher alk.

 

[bertoni]

That might be true, but there are a lot of conflicting stories on alkalinity levels. Letting it drop should be safe enough, though, so I wouldn't worry much.