Help with alk question

[vmarquez1986]

There is nothing that would cause your alk to drop that fast in two days in your tank if you did not do a water change or add chemicals.

The test was wrong. The first time or the second time.

Thats what i thought too but 2 hannah test and api test all match i get human error but its tough to be wrong 3 times and get the same results with different test.

 

[vmarquez1986]

also have a similarly sized tank and had some similar yo-yos early on with alk. Since you have relatively high ca but alk is dropping, i would put it down to microbial activity / carbon cycle changing more than precipitation, although i'm sure you have precipitation. Microbial metabolism often does weird things with HCO3- / CO2 balance, with the more microbial shifts early in tank life this is my go-to, although it's still pretty much speculation. but helps explain why we all don't have mountains of MgCO3 when this happens

Im leaning more towards simply new tank syndrome

 

[Jimbo327]

Don't worry too much, you don't have any corals yet in the new tank. New algae and nitrogen cycle is going to be moving around a lot until the tank is fully cycled and through the initial uglies.

 

[pledosophy]

Thats what i thought too but 2 hannah test and api test all match i get human error but its tough to be wrong 3 times and get the same results with different test.

Did you do the test 3 times Friday with two kits, and three times Sunday with two kits?

Are you refrigerating your reagent?

Have you checked the batch date of your reagent? How long has it been open?

Is the outside of your glass sample holder clean?

Has your pH swung widely?

It is very unlikely the alk actually changed that much over 2 days with your bioload, and no other changes (i.e. water changes, vinegar, etc) . I would look more towards your testing for your answer.

JME.

 

[vmarquez1986]

Did you do the test 3 times Friday with two kits, and three times Sunday with two kits?

Are you refrigerating your reagent?

Have you checked the batch date of your reagent? How long has it been open?

Is the outside of your glass sample holder clean?

Has your pH swung widely?

It is very unlikely the alk actually changed that much over 2 days with your bioload, and no other changes (i.e. water changes, vinegar, etc) . I would look more towards your testing for your answer.

JME.

Been retesting alk has been going down about .4 a day i still think its a lot but im just going to worry theres not much coral and just let the tank do its thing.

 

[pledosophy]

Been retesting alk has been going down about .4 a day i still think its a lot but im just going to worry theres not much coral and just let the tank do its thing.

That is more reasonable.

Are you monitoring your pH?

 

[vmarquez1986]

That is more reasonable.

Are you monitoring your pH?

Api measuring at 8.3 to 8.4 i even check it at 3 am 8.2 to 8.3 but u have a chaeto light running

 

[Coreygrrt]

The biggest problem low ALK with softies is the pH will be less stable. Softies do not consume much ALK at all.

I wouldn’t go over 10 DKH. On a tank your size, you can just use regular baking soda (NOT BAKING POWDER) Put it on a cookie sheet and bake it for 30 min at 350 degrees. once it’s cooled, store it in an airtight container. An airtight container. Did I mention you should keep it in an airtight container?

Anyways, add according to this old as dirt calculator

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Pick a product: sodium carbonate anhyd (Baked B. Soda)

What ratios do you mix the baked baking soda with RODI?

I want to transition from my current BRS soda ash to Arm and Hammer.

 

[five.five-six]

What ratios do you mix the baked baking soda with RODI?

I want to transition from my current BRS soda ash to Arm and Hammer.

All you need is enough water to fully dissolve the soda ash/ baked baking soda.

I cheat a bit and just use RO water from the kitchen drinking water faucet but for my 225 gal (250 total vol) I can mix the 19 grams (4 tsp) in a standard 12 oz kitchen drinking glass. That gets me 1 DKH which is all the more you want to raise your ALK at one time.

 

[drexel]

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/

 

[Coreygrrt]

All you need is enough water to fully dissolve the soda ash/ baked baking soda.

I cheat a bit and just use RO water from the kitchen drinking water faucet but for my 225 gal (250 total vol) I can mix the 19 grams (4 tsp) in a standard 12 oz kitchen drinking glass. That gets me 1 DKH which is all the more you want to raise your ALK at one time.

I see it even says that in the recipe on the aforementioned link, but that's pretty subjective. Is it similar to BRS soda ash instructions?

1. Using a clean 1-gallon jug or container, fill it 4/5 full of RO/DI water.
2. Add 1.5 cups of BRS Pharma Soda Ash or a single Pre-Portioned package to the 1-gallon jug.

 

[wishntoboutside]

Hanna's are nice for blind lazy people. I do not trust their accuracy. I would recommend getting a Salfarit test kit. It will never steer you wrong. I would also recommend testing your alk the general same time of day to confirm your consumption. The reef calculator listed above is priceless.

 

[five.five-six]

Hanna's are nice for blind lazy people. I do not trust their accuracy. I would recommend getting a Salfarit test kit. It will never steer you wrong. I would also recommend testing your alk the general same time of day to confirm your consumption. The reef calculator listed above is priceless.

do you ever noticed they don’t even call them tests they call them checkers.

That said, I do use Hannah for phosphates just because of the salifert tests are too much work

I use salifert for everything else except for nitrate. I started using the Nioss a few years back, and I really like it.

my methods for maintaining reef tanks are not without their problems though, this thread is a real pain in the butt.

 

[Jimbo327]

I love my Hanna’s for phosphorus ULR, and nitrate. At least for me, the error in the eye is much higher than Salifert test. I use salifert on calcium and mag.