Alk level low..

[Jesusreef]

So I started a new 75 gallon tank and decided to go mostly SPS.. Stocked the tank up with frags.. set up a TLF Kalk reactor.. and thought it would be able to keep up.. it did well for the first 3 months or so but just did a test and my levels are ..
Alk- 6.0 dkh
Cal- 420
Mag-1290
PH- 7.7
Well just need a little help in getting my parameters back in check.. I will manually dose until I set up a doser.. any tips.. will be appreciated..
All testing done with Salefert test kit..

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[ohdanny]

Bring mg up first

 

[Jesusreef]

Bring mg up first

Thanks I'll start with that then.. I've read that with sps 1400ppm is good..

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[MDreef]

Your alkalinity is too low. You should aim for at least 7. The rest looks ok

 

[Donewiththisplace]

How are the coral reacting to the parameters?

 

[MDreef]

Sorry, misread the post lol.

Kalk can be challenging to use alone to maintain alk and if used through an ATO generally not enough to keep stability. You have to be careful about overdosing etc. In my book it's not worth it. Your pH seems too low considering you're dosing Kalk which likely means you're not dosing enough. How is your reactor set up? I think setting an hourly dose of kalk is the way to go given its chemical nature (obviously need to calculate how much and if it's going to be enough), if doing through an ATO again it won't be enough unless it's a very small tank. To be safe you should have it plugged to a controller with a shutdown if your pH starts spiking.

I think as long as you have a quality doser, a 2 part is safer, although more expensive. Either way, if making alk changes and I'd suggest doing at least 7 even if everything is doing well just to buffer for testing errors or whatever unpredictable can happen. If raising alk do it by ~0.5 a day until stable, you'll have to test daily for at least a week after stabilizing if you want to be sure as the uptake changes.

Your Ca is fine and so is your Mg. Ocean surface Mg is in the high 1200s and the Ca:Mg ratio should be about 1:3. Either way unless extremely low or high neither will have a major impact, but your alk will. Good luck!

 

[Jesusreef]

Sorry, misread the post lol.

Kalk can be challenging to use alone to maintain alk and if used through an ATO generally not enough to keep stability. You have to be careful about overdosing etc. In my book it's not worth it. Your pH seems too low considering you're dosing Kalk which likely means you're not dosing enough. How is your reactor set up? I think setting an hourly dose of kalk is the way to go given its chemical nature (obviously need to calculate how much and if it's going to be enough), if doing through an ATO again it won't be enough unless it's a very small tank. To be safe you should have it plugged to a controller with a shutdown if your pH starts spiking.

I think as long as you have a quality doser, a 2 part is safer, although more expensive. Either way, if making alk changes and I'd suggest doing at least 7 even if everything is doing well just to buffer for testing errors or whatever unpredictable can happen. If raising alk do it by ~0.5 a day until stable, you'll have to test daily for at least a week after stabilizing if you want to be sure as the uptake changes.

Your Ca is fine and so is your Mg. Ocean surface Mg is in the high 1200s and the Ca:Mg ratio should be about 1:3. Either way unless extremely low or high neither will have a major impact, but your alk will. Good luck!

Thanks for the info.. I'll try to make changes slowly and will go and set up a 2 part doser.. And yes I was using the reactor as a top off.. So you are right it is not enough to maintain alk.. that way.. Two part it is! Thanks again for your experience...

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