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Author Topic: What eats up the ALK out of water?  (Read 4140 times)

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Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #25 on: March 26, 2012, 13:20:55 »
I just did a bunch of testing and adding this morning.  This is about as easy as I can get it.

These are the ideal levels.

Calc- 400- 430 ppm
Alk 11.2- 12.2 dkh
Mag - 1250-1350

Pretty much any hard/encrusting/sketetal coral, invetibrate or bi-valve will use up these elements (also mangroves).
Adding too calc will reduce alk.
Adding alk will reduce calc.    (it  will not raise and lower it proportionately)
If your levels are all over the place check mag.

Also, just an FYI, I started using the red sea test kits(box comes with alk, calc and mag) and found them too be very accurate. Plus they are cheaper than buying each of kits through salifert.
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Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #26 on: March 26, 2012, 13:22:14 »
Hope this helps...
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Offline micki

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #27 on: March 26, 2012, 13:23:02 »
It would be interesting to see what my Mag. tests out at.  I don't have a mag test kit.  I know I've tested for it before but I don't remember it being out of whack,.
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Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #28 on: March 26, 2012, 13:31:11 »
It normally doesn't change much.   Only specific organisms need large quantities of mag. My dads tank has had his mag locked and 1400 since he set it up. Only his alk and calc fluctuate.
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Offline Sunny

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #29 on: March 26, 2012, 13:32:33 »
I don't have a mag test either.  I priced them on Ebay ... pricey !!   Someone else told me to Red Sea was cheaper.   Wonder if I can take my water to a LFS and have them test it for mag.
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Offline kattz

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #30 on: March 26, 2012, 15:45:07 »
I have mag test...

yes, it does get out of whack.

Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro kits are expensive.  Salifert is a cheaper alternative.
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90g SPS and LPS reef tank, 35g sump, ceramic rock by The Alternative Reef, Neptune Apex w 2 X EB8's, Moonlight module, ATI Sunpower Dimmable 8 X 39W T5's, Octopus Extreme 160 skimmer, PM Kalkwasser Reactor, 2 X Vortech MP40's, Geo 618 Ca reactor


Various thriving montipora, acropora, stylopora, wellsophyllia, blastomussa, hammer, anchor, and frogspawn, lobophyllia, rhizotrychus, pavona, scroll, and pagoda SPS and LPS corals, but no fish because I was too stupid to QT...

Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #31 on: March 26, 2012, 15:51:46 »
I went to aquatic specialists and picked one up for around 50 (with alk, calc and mag). To get an alk, calc and mag kit from salifert would be close to 80.

Am I looking in the wrong places?
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Offline kattz

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #32 on: March 26, 2012, 16:09:28 »
Should be around 60 for all 3 Saliferts.  49 for Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro.  Standard Red Sea kit much cheaper, as is API.
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90g SPS and LPS reef tank, 35g sump, ceramic rock by The Alternative Reef, Neptune Apex w 2 X EB8's, Moonlight module, ATI Sunpower Dimmable 8 X 39W T5's, Octopus Extreme 160 skimmer, PM Kalkwasser Reactor, 2 X Vortech MP40's, Geo 618 Ca reactor


Various thriving montipora, acropora, stylopora, wellsophyllia, blastomussa, hammer, anchor, and frogspawn, lobophyllia, rhizotrychus, pavona, scroll, and pagoda SPS and LPS corals, but no fish because I was too stupid to QT...

Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #33 on: March 26, 2012, 16:51:28 »
????

I couldn't find saliferts for less than 80 for all three kits. Is there a discount store I don't know of?

The individual red sea kits bought individually comes to 85.

As for API, I wouldn't use it unless you double the dose (i believe ashlar brought that idea to light here) to get an accurate reading. When I first started (i know it wasn't too long ago) I used API and my results were all over the place.  I still have some API kits for things like copper and ammonia that I don't need to test for very often or accurately, but when it comes to the big three (or two if you don't have mangroves or the whatnot)  I'd be inclined to get the better kits or drive to the store for testing.

We also have testing available for club members with hanna checkers I beleve.

Plenty of ways to save a few bucks and still be accurate.

*sorry I think I went into ranting mode there for a bit*

Imho
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Offline Sunny

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #34 on: March 26, 2012, 17:04:29 »
I think I'll see if AS tests for mag.  They are right up the street from me.
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Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #35 on: March 26, 2012, 17:08:32 »
Sounds good!
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Offline Wall_Tank

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #36 on: March 26, 2012, 17:22:44 »
$65 for the 3 kits from Premium Aquatics, just buy more stuff to get free shipping :)
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Offline kattz

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #37 on: March 26, 2012, 18:19:29 »
Woody, check with Marine Solutions, I think they have the Red Sea Reef Foundation kit (alk, calcium, mg) complete for $49 or so.
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90g SPS and LPS reef tank, 35g sump, ceramic rock by The Alternative Reef, Neptune Apex w 2 X EB8's, Moonlight module, ATI Sunpower Dimmable 8 X 39W T5's, Octopus Extreme 160 skimmer, PM Kalkwasser Reactor, 2 X Vortech MP40's, Geo 618 Ca reactor


Various thriving montipora, acropora, stylopora, wellsophyllia, blastomussa, hammer, anchor, and frogspawn, lobophyllia, rhizotrychus, pavona, scroll, and pagoda SPS and LPS corals, but no fish because I was too stupid to QT...

Offline The WuSue

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #38 on: March 26, 2012, 18:34:16 »
Lol. That's what I was saying!  If you need to get all three tests (alk, calc and mag) the red sea foundations is a slightly less expensive, yet also very reliable route to take.

BTW, this Monday just seems like it's out to get me.....anybody else having the same issue?

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Offline Ashlar

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #39 on: April 22, 2012, 11:45:13 »
Just chiming in to correct one thing that isn't quite right..

Raising alkalinity won't depress calcium or vice-versa. Not from a chemical standpoint anyway*.

If you have critters whose growth are being limited by the amount of alkalinity in the water, and those critters also use calcium to grow, then when you boost alkalinity, calcium will be consumed along with alkalinity.

Carbonate is one of the major sources of carbon for lots of critters. Not just corals and algae, but many bacteria, pods, diatoms, dinoflagellates, etc. So even what looks like a mostly empty tank will see alkalinity drop over time.


*The only exception to this that I know is that if you blow the balance too badly, you can get a precipitation event, which will crash levels to dang near zero.
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Offline lazylivin

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Re: What eats up the ALK out of water?
« Reply #40 on: April 22, 2012, 12:52:06 »
I always wondered what happened to Alk with FO systems no I know. Thanks
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