Red Sea and their Alkalinity recommendations...

[Jaffster]

I use Red Sea Pro salt and I always assumed that the high Alkalinity levels (11.5dkh @ 34ppt and 12dkh @ 35ppt) were made that way so that your alkalinity levels were maintained with weekly water changes and it would reduce the need for dosing... From what I have read, that's also the general consensus here.

But on the Red Sea website they actually list these incredibly high Alkalinity numbers as their recommended levels for a mixed reef:

https://www.redseafish.com/reef-care-recipes/

For mixed reef they recommend 11.5dkh @ 34ppt.
For an SPS dominant tank its 8dkh @ 35ppt.

Does anybody know why this is?

Thanks

 

[hkgar]

Not sure why the difference, but I do agree with the SPS tank at 8 and 35

No idea about the mixed tank or what the benefit would be.

Lower is recommended for Acropora to reduce possibility of tip burn.

 

[mcgyvr]

Increased growth rate potential.. If the corals can tolerate/adapt to it and you dont run low nutrient levels..
As nutrient levels get closer to zero your alk needs to be kept lower so you avoid tip burn, etc as stated...
But if you run higher nutrients you can also run higher alk

 

[Jaffster]

Increased growth rate potential.. If the corals can tolerate/adapt to it and you dont run low nutrient levels..
As nutrient levels get closer to zero your alk needs to be kept lower so you avoid tip burn, etc as stated...
But if you run higher nutrients you can also run higher alk

That's interesting. I had read about high Alkalinity leading to faster, yet more brittle growth but didn't know that higher nutrient levels could combat this.

Learn something new every day in this hobby!