Need Help. Low Alk

[Frag Freaks]

My alk seems to be on the low side. How do i raise it? Is a lower alk deadly to corals/anenomes?

Here are my current tank levels:

alk -5.1 dkh
calcium - 400
Ph - 8.2
SG - 1.026
Amm. - 0
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Phos - 0.1 ( Just put some phosguard in so that should be 0 shortly)
Temp - 81

I used purple up in the tank for 2 days but have stopped. Would that affect nething?

 

[Moe_K]

See Randy's article here:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

You can raise the alk with an easy baking soda and RO/DI solution.
Mix a teaspoon or two of baking soda into 6 or 12 ounces of RO/DI water, shake vigorously, then pour into your tank. That'll raise the alk.

Check the alk in a few hours, and see if more is needed.

 

[Frag Freaks]

I have a 65g tank so say i wanted to raise it to 7 or 8 dkh would the one teaspoon be fine?

Also does low alk kill corals?

 

[Moe_K]

There's a calculator on RC where you can figure out how much baking soda you'll need. Me? I'd just mix a teaspoon and see what it does to my levels. I don't recommend my lazy way to go.

 

[ioreefer45]

Use the reef chemistry calculator for the appropriate amount to add.

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

You can use Randy's 2-part recipe to mix the baking soda in a 1 gallon spring water bottle and then add the appropriate amount.

Raise it slowly though. 1 DKH per day to make sure there is no adverse effects.


Good luck.

Alex

 

[Frag Freaks]

thanks alot

 

[ioreefer45]

Rob,

Also I would look at measuring your magnesium levels to ensure that they are around 1200-1300 range to keep your ALK stable and works wonders for corraline algae growth. This is part of Randy's recipe as well.

 

[RichConley]

Also does low alk kill corals?

It will definitely make SPS receed.


Stay the heck away from Purple Up. Its like death in a bottle. Nothing but problems. Check RC, there are a bunch of threads on the stuff.

 

[Frag Freaks]

Rob,

Also I would look at measuring your magnesium levels to ensure that they are around 1200-1300 range to keep your ALK stable and works wonders for corraline algae growth. This is part of Randy's recipe as well.

I dont have a magnesium test kit. But i will prob go get one this weekend.

As for the baking soda i did one teaspoon this afternoon in 10oz of ro water and my dkh went from 5.1 to 5.8 but the night fall. So i added another teaspoon. I will keep doing this till i get to where it should be. Hopefully the problem gets fixed before it affects any of my corals or my newly added white sebae anenome. Which explains why it still hasnt found a foot hold anywhere.

 

[Greg Hiller]

>Also does low alk kill corals<

Long term low alk will kill all corals, including LPS. A certain level of alkalinity is necessary for corals to be able to put down new skeleton. If they can't grow they die. SPS just die faster.

 

[Frag Freaks]

Dropping Alk again

After buffering with baking soda for about a week i got my Alk to 9.8 dkh were i was happy with it and left it alone no more buffering. After a week went by i did my weekly water change and tested my levels again and all seemed fine but alk dropped to 7.7 dkh. Calcium and PH have been steady at 450ppm and 8.2

Is it normal for something like that to happen?

 

[Moe_K]

Yeah, as your coral and other organisms grow, they use the carbonate.
Keep adding the baking soda solution twice a week as your testing commands.

 

[Frag Freaks]

oh ok i just dosed today i will dose every 3 days or so and check the levels.
As for coral growth my leather toadstool has been being stubborn and hasnt by opening