Keeping Alkalinity low

[wade2185]

How can I keep my Alkalinity lower? Right now it is between 8.3 and 9. My reactor is doing a good job of keeping it steady. My problem is that my saltwater that I mix up for WC's is very high in Alk. I use Reef Crystals. I have about 40 gallons that has been made for almost 1 week now. Before I did my WC tonight my Alk was at 8.3. After the WC my Alk is at 9.0. This is because the new water I made up is at 11.2! Is there any way to add something to my new water that will lower the Alk? I have a few acros that are SLOWLY receeding at the base. I have read on this board that Alk above 8.0 in a nutrient poor environment can cause this. I really need some help getting my Alk between 7.0 and 8.0. Anyone have any advice?

[nyfireman3097]

i use oceanic and it keeps it low for me and others use there reactors with this and it keeps it steady
Nick

[wade2185]

i use oceanic and it keeps it low for me and others use there reactors with this and it keeps it steady
Nick

Thanks Nick but I really dont want to switch salts again. Is there any other way?

[nyfireman3097]

im sure there are i just dont know them sorry wish i could hlp you out more
Nick

[Orion76]

Hi Wade, we just had a very interesting discussion on this in another thread when I posed the same question:

http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthr...3&page=1&pp=20

enjoy

[Aged Salt]

Basically, Wade, in a nutrient-poor environment, all elements, including parameters, must be in a low level, a ecological evolutionary-adapted balance, for the corals to thrive. Bob

[wasp]

Wade because the reactor puts out Ca and alk in balanced proportions, if you use a salt that is lifting alk higher than you want, it will stay there if you just continue to use the reactor. In other words, if you slowed the reactor to reduce alk, that will also reduce calcium, you will never get them right.
The only way is to add some calcium independently. Ie you would stop or slow the reactor, let alk fall to where you want it, add calcium to get that where you want it, and then re-start the reactor.
While that will work, it is now obvious it may be less hassle to change salt to one with levels more how you want them. I don't know much about salt brands though, others will have to advise.
If you have a big quantity of the high alk salt you do not want to waste, one way would be to add some calcium to it at time of mixing, to balance the higher alk and they will both fall together.
But long term, less strain on the brain to go a different salt.

[Orion76]

I guess that means that "enriched" sea salts like Reef Crystals and Tropic Marin Pro are a "no no" when using the Zeovit system?

[laurent78]

The problem is , in my tank, to maintain a good level of Mg and Ca i have to use a Ca reactor.

Before i plugged my Ca reactor, my tank was running some values of 350-380 mg of Ca , a Kh of 7.I was using the B-Ionic from ASV.

Till now i obtain 12 of kh and 550-600 mg/l of CA.I am working on lower those values .....

Do i have to unplugged my Ca reactor in order to stay in the Zeovit system requierments? I am asking myself the question. :teleport:

[G.Alexander]

Wade, I would recommend you to reduce CO2 to your reactor adjusting KH between 7 – 8. KH should drop by itself, because it is consumed by the corals and algae while they grow. Similar like Ca. Please keep a eye to the Ca level, it should be adjusted between 420 – 440 mg. While adjusting these levels I would recommend to measure both daily to prevent getting them out of range.

I adjust my KH only with the CO2 quantity added to my CaCO2 reactor. If I notice Ca can not be balanced with this quantity I add daily a little bit Ca chloride to the tank to keep Ca in the above told range, or, the better way, I change to a salt brand which has both parameters balanced in a way to keep the levels at the optimum.

Please also check you Mg level (1300 – 1350), a low or high level also affects Ca (low will cause a drop and high a increase in Ca), same way as the salinity. To keep Mg I use a Mg granulate with my reactor (Korallenzucht or Grotech).

This should help to keep the levels in a optimale range, without causing negative side effects.

If you add something to your fresh salt mix which will change the levels, you will affect the ion comparison of the salt, which is IMO not the best way.

Please also make sure your KH test is showing correct readings, while I have used Reef Crystal I never got such high reading. Maybe they have different levels in different batches.

Orion, I had never problems using salt brands with higher levels, because as long as you have a good coral growth enough consumption is present. Keeping water changes in the weekly interval of 5 – 10 % would not rise those levels dramatically.

Laurent, I would also recommend you the above technique to optimize your levels.

If you plan to adjust the “basic” levels, I would recommend the following order:

1. Salinity
2. Mg
3. KH
4. Ca

They all affect each other. If I notice for example Ca is out of range, I first check all the prior levels and adjust them if necessary before I change Ca.

G.Alexander

[laurent78]

Thanks for your looooooooong answer

Regarding salinity, i maintain , now, 1022/1023 mesured with a refractometer ( by the way, a floating densimeter indicates a difference of 2 points !!!)

If i modify my CaCo2 reactor distribution , i am scared about the eventually falling down of my parameters. And how long will it takes to adjust it again....nobody knows

[wade2185]

Thanks for all of the information! I do run a calcium reactor. I tested all of my levels last night with Salifert test kits and here is where I am at:
Alk - 9.0
Calcium - 460
Magnesium - 1400
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 78

I turned my CO2 off last night in my reactor and this morning my alk was 8.6. I am going to let it fall to about 8.0 and then turn the reactor back on. Over the course of the week I will turn the CO2 off again and get my Alk into the 7.0 to 7.5 range. I am going to go and buy another Alk test kit today just to be sure my readings are good. I am also going to mix up some Oceanic salt and see what the levels read.

Thanks everyone!

[G.Alexander]

Laurent, I keep my salinity around 35 ppt (Refraktometer). How slow or quick the parameters will fall depends to the consumers and their growth. Sorry I can not answer you this question, so I would recommend to check these parameters daily as long you are in the “adjusting phase”.

G.Alexander

[wade2185]

G. Alexander

I have had a few corals that develop a slow tissue loss around the base. This is very, very slow maybe 1/16th of an inch every day or two. The rest of the Acro is very healthy, colorful and the polyp extension is still normal. This problem can stop just as quickly as it starts. I cannot measure any phosphates or nitrates in my system (Salifert test kits). Could this problem be coming from my Alk levels being above 8.0? I think I remember reading something about this that you have posted in the past. I pulled an Acro out of my tank the other day that had this problem. I pulled it out so that I could clip off the dead parts and hopefully get it to start attaching to the rocks again. I noticed that when I started to clip some of the dead portion of the Acro that it was very soft almost as if the Acro was dissolving and or melting. Any advice?

[laurent78]

Sorry I can not answer you this question, so I would recommend to check these parameters daily as long you are in the “adjusting phase”.

G.Alexander

And pray !!!