Raising alkalinity without messing anything else up...

[AZBigJohn]

After a recent tank reboot and re-commitment to tank maintenance and husbandry, documented here I have been monitoring my parameters much more closely. I seem to always (even before the re-boot) had issues with low alkalinity and pH.

I use limewater as my ATO, and use fans for cooling, so I evaporate a lot, but while that might lower my pH a little, it should help my alkalinity. My pH stays in the 7.6-7.7 range, and my alkalinity stays in the low 6's.

How can I up my alkalinity and pH, while maintaining everything else?

I use Instant Ocean salt, and am doing a 15-20% water change weekly, yet once again today, my parameters were:

(I use a refractometer, Red Sea tests except for Magnesium (Salifert) and Phos - (Hanna checker))

Temp 78.7
Specific gravity 1.026 - refractometer
pH 7.6 -
Alk 6.2 dkH -
Ammonia - undetectable -
Nitrite - undetectable
Nitrate - undetectable
Phosphate 0.21
Calcium 450
Magnesium - by dilution - between 1700-1800

 

[RussIV]

After a recent tank reboot and re-commitment to tank maintenance and husbandry, documented here I have been monitoring my parameters much more closely. I seem to always (even before the re-boot) had issues with low alkalinity and pH.

I use limewater as my ATO, and use fans for cooling, so I evaporate a lot, but while that might lower my pH a little, it should help my alkalinity. My pH stays in the 7.6-7.7 range, and my alkalinity stays in the low 6's.

How can I up my alkalinity and pH, while maintaining everything else?

I use Instant Ocean salt, and am doing a 15-20% water change weekly, yet once again today, my parameters were:

(I use a refractometer, Red Sea tests except for Magnesium (Salifert) and Phos - (Hanna checker))

Temp 78.7
Specific gravity 1.026 - refractometer
pH 7.6 -
Alk 6.2 dkH -
Ammonia - undetectable -
Nitrite - undetectable
Nitrate - undetectable
Phosphate 0.21
Calcium 450
Magnesium - by dilution - between 1700-1800

dont go above 7.5 dkh. you have too few nutrients and will be at a severe risk of RTN above 9.

you have a po4 surplus so your tank is out of balance and is susceptible to gha or cyano.

i suggest a gfo reactor or phosguard and get them to undetectable levels. you need at least 2 ppm nitrate for photosynthesis to occur.

i would keep alk between 6.5-7 until that phosphate issue is resolved.

if you are carbon dosing stop immediately.

 

[AZBigJohn]

dont go above 7.5 dkh. you have too few nutrients and will be at a severe risk of RTN above 9.

you have a po4 surplus so your tank is out of balance and is susceptible to gha or cyano.

i suggest a gfo reactor or phosguard and get them to undetectable levels. you need at least 2 ppm nitrate for photosynthesis to occur.

i would keep alk between 6.5-7 until that phosphate issue is resolved.

if you are carbon dosing stop immediately.

I am painfully aware of my phos overload. You should have seen it a few weeks ago... (my GHA was EPIC!) I run a BRS Dual carbon/GFO reactor, as well as Chaeto in my sump, and, while the number is dropping, it is far from 0.

I do not carbon dose; I am not really sure how to raise my nitrates, without having ammonia...

 

[RussIV]

I am painfully aware of my phos overload. You should have seen it a few weeks ago... (my GHA was EPIC!) I run a BRS Dual carbon/GFO reactor, as well as Chaeto in my sump, and, while the number is dropping, it is far from 0.

I do not carbon dose; I am not really sure how to raise my nitrates, without having ammonia...

i had your same issue broskie. run that gfo hard and go against the kids here. you need to dose potassium nitrate. seachem flourish has a nitrogen version of this.

you NEED 16:1 no3/po4.

that is universal in the ocean.no one can refute it ever. but you DO need nitrate. otherwise you will be ****ing gfo money away.

phosphate is the least common denominator